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* I told subscribers about these dark money group ads earlier today, so I’ll just leave it at this press release…
Today, Ideas Illinois launched a campaign targeting state legislators calling on them to oppose the Pritzker-Madigan Jobs Tax on middle class families.
“The politicians in Springfield can stop this massive Jobs Tax now by simply not putting it on the ballot in 2020,” Ideas Illinois Chairman Greg Baise said. “Ideas Illinois is calling on legislators to protect the interests of middle class families in their districts rather than handing a blank check to Springfield insiders.”
Democratic Reps. Monica Bristow, Jonathon Carroll, Terra Costa Howard and Mary Edly-Allen are being targeted. Here’s one of the spots…
* Illinois News Network…
The group’s online ads say Springfield politicians have hiked taxes in the past and promised those tax increases would fix the state’s problems.
“Pritzker and Madigan want to change the constitution to allow a permanent jobs tax on middle class families,” it says. “It won’t say how much you’ll pay: a blank check for Springfield. Pritzker and Madigan want you to trust them to do the right thing. But they broke their promise before … and they’ll do it again, if we trust them again.”
The ads are supposedly online and TV, but they’re not yet on Facebook (I’m told they start tomorrow) and the other side says they haven’t seen any TV buys as of yet (I’m told they’re coming). Think Big Illinois started its own campaign two weeks ago, but its Facebook ads have stopped running.
…Adding… Think Big Illinois…
This is the latest in a string of attacks by some of the wealthiest Illinoisans who will do or say anything to avoid being forced to pay their fair share.
But the facts are clear – irresponsible governance and financial mismanagement have left Illinois with a $3.2 billion deficit. A fair tax will address this crisis, while only raising taxes on people making more than $250,000 a year and bringing in $3.4 billion a year in much-needed revenue that will go toward funding critical programs, including our schools.
As evidence mounts that Illinoisans across the state support a fair tax, we expect efforts by opponents to only grow more desperate as they fight to keep in place a system that benefits them and their bottom line.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:06 pm
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“middle class families”… no matter how many times you say it’s so, it just ain’t so. People, or even families, that make a quarter million dollars a year are not middle class. Using this calculator, a family making $251k in Chicago-Naperville would need to have 10 people in the household to be middle class. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/06/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:16 pm
Pity the fool who believes fairly taxing the rich is a job killing middle class tax hike. Democrats and their leaders need to talk together to ensure they know fair tax opponents are desperately trying to protect the rich, even if it means tax cuts for the vast majority.
As for the ad, it’s the same old tripe that failed in 2018. As far as targeting individual GA members, Pritzker and his allies have their own means for outreach.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:19 pm
==“middle class families”… no matter how many times you say it’s so, it just ain’t so. People, or even families, that make a quarter million dollars a year are not middle class.==
Your argument outside looking in doesn’t work if those people and families *do* consider themselves to be middle class.
Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:25 pm
“middle class families”
I agree. It would be more effective to say “working families” as that forces the opposition to challenge how they define “work”.
Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:29 pm
The only reason they want to instill fear in the actual middle class is that there are not enough rich folks to stop this on their own. Only 3%, to be exact. So being accurate is not helpful to them.
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:33 pm
What would you classify a family living in the Chicago area that makes $250K? Wealthy? Rich? Middle class?
Asking for a friend.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:34 pm
===Wealthy? Rich? Middle class?===
Upper income.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:38 pm
==What would you classify a family living in the Chicago area that makes $250K? Wealthy? Rich? Middle class?==
I would classify them as pretty wealthy yes. Definitely enough to live off of no matter what neighborhood you’re in. Weird hill to die on.
Comment by Shelby Weems Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:40 pm
===Your argument outside looking in doesn’t work if those people and families *do* consider themselves to be middle class.===
In 2016 in Illinois, **less than 3%** of people in Illinois made more than 200k. It doesn’t matter if Bruce Rauner personally considers himself to be impoverished. The actual rate proposals only affect a tiny fraction of the population, which is why “middle-income” is such disingenuous nonsense. If that 3% opposes the progressive tax, so be it.
https://datausa.io/profile/geo/illinois/
Comment by PJ Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:40 pm
I’m curious as to why this crew puts Baise out front.
Baise is not exactly the poster-child for working, middle-class families. He’s the very picture of a fat-cat lobster and political operative for the 1%.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:44 pm
Once they open the IL constitution, anything can be changed. Once they install the progressive income tax, the brackets and rates can be changed.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:49 pm
==people and families *do* consider themselves to be middle class.==
Meh, they also probably consider themselves to be “moderate Independents” and yet somehow manage to vote a straight republican ticket in every election. As Bruce Rauner proved, you’re not moving a majority of the GA by pleading on behalf of folks who make a quarter-million dollars a year or more.
To the post: poor Greg must have saddle sores by now, tilting at this particular windmill over an over. First it was “all the millionaires will leave”, then “it doesn’t raise enough money to solve all our problems”, now it’s a “Job tax”. What’s next, changing the branding effort to “it’s a breathing tax”? I’ve never seen a professional corporate shill so discombobulated by a dem tax proposal before
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 12:58 pm
There are probably a large number of 30 and 40 somethings living in the suburbs who make a combined $200k-$250k per year.
Upper middle class—certainly not pretty wealthy.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:06 pm
==Once they install the progressive income tax, the brackets and rates can be changed.==
You say that like it’s a bad thing. Since you can’t be bothered to pick a name, I’m just gonna assume you’re the same “Anonymous” who argued here repeatedly that all the wealthy folks were going to move to Florida. If you weren’t just being disengenuous when you posted that, shouldn’t the GA have the option to lower the brackets and rates? We’ll need to entice them all to move back here, after all
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:07 pm
==Once they open the IL constitution, anything can be changed.==
No, anything can not be changed. This isn’t a Constitutional Convention. It’s a specific amendment.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:10 pm
==Tax on middle class families==
I’m pretty certain most people don’t think that $250K is middle class.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:13 pm
Upper middle class is now struggling. We have truly heard it all. This is ridiculous. The tax increase is, in addition, very modest. 8 percent? Come on.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:16 pm
==Once they open the IL constitution, anything can be changed. Once they install the progressive income tax, the brackets and rates can be changed.==
The first sentence is just factually wrong. The second describes the exact condition of our tax rates… right now. They can be changed with a single bill.
Comment by PJ Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:18 pm
Folks- the revenue needs of ILLINOIS are so massive thatcanyone who believes the Pritzker numbers will be the final tax rates is a total fool. Within 5 years if not sooner the tax bump will be hitting taxpayers making 100k or perhaps 75. The 3 billion or so the initial rates are scheduled to raise is a far cry from what the State needs to pay for pension contributions and Medicaid expansion once the Obama initial State exemptions expire. Illinois will soon be needing to fork over 850 million a year on Medicaid contributions based on the participation numbers along with the never ending pension payment increases
Comment by Sue Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:21 pm
The GOP campaign should be centered around the fact that the proposed rates are just the teaser until the real rates kick in.
Think of it like the old interest only mortgages that reset after a few years into a much higher payment.
The state has raised taxes at all levels by a good bit the last 10 years and it did nothing to help the budget situation, which is still dire and in desperate need of revenue.
The middle class folks making 100k-200k right now that think their safe need to realize that they will get hit in the next wave when just taxing the top 3% fails to solve our financial troubles.
Yet getting to them will be much easier than it is today where everyone has to feel the pain of a tax increase. People will be stunned at how quickly the top 3% turns into the top 10% and then the top 20% and so on.
Look at every state nation that has ever instituted a progressive tax for any and all proof you need about how quickly the the definition of wealthy changes from what was initially proposed.
It doesn’t take a genius to look at the budget picture the next 25 years to see that there is no way the top 3% are going to be able to float all the spending needs.
Anyone making more than about 75-100k a year today who votes for this is making it far easier for the state to come after them tomorrow when the bills inevitably become due and the top 3% can’t carry the burden on their own.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 1:57 pm
== Once they open the IL constitution, anything can be changed. ==
Not true. A state constitutional amendment has to be specific and only apply to one article of the Constitution. And you can only modify a maximum of 3 articles in some given general election.
The only time you can wholesale modify the State Constitution is during a constitutional convention and, so far, the voters have rejected every opportunity since the 1970 Con-Con.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:12 pm
== Once they install the progressive income tax, the brackets and rates can be changed. ==
The flat income tax rate, and deductions, can be changed at any time also.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:13 pm
==Folks- the revenue needs of ILLINOIS are so massive thatcanyone who believes the Pritzker numbers will be the final tax rates is a total fool…. The 3 billion or so the initial rates are scheduled to raise is a far cry from what the from what the State needs to pay==
Sue, your transparent argument defeats itself. So we shouldn’t raise taxes because our needs are so large?
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:29 pm
Sue, states cannot go bankrupt, and the pension increases are a Republican creation. What is your point? Are you proposing cutting medicaid and doing away with medicaid expansion? Please put an advisory referendum for that on the ballot. Please.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:35 pm
Interesting tactic, bashing the Pritzker proposal by admitting we have a massive revenue problem and stating that his graduated tax plan won’t raise enough revenue to solve it. Whatever happened to “Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem”? Have we finally given up on that one? Or are we saving that for another day?
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:36 pm
Bills have been due for years. Time to pay up. Anything not regressive income wise Im for.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:48 pm
That guys’ voice in the ad is annoying.
Comment by Steve Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:50 pm
For those criticizing me - I agree the State needs the money- all I am saying is Pritzker is sneaking his proposal thru by for the time being claiming if only impacts 3 percent. Kind of like if you like your insurance you can keep it. Why not be honest and state the current proposal is not sufficient and it’s lilely the progressive tax will soon be impacting most taxpayers other then the bottom 20 percsnt
Comment by Sue Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 2:59 pm
Sue; then your side needs to run ads stating that the alternative is to jack up the tax rate on everyone by about 1-2 percent. You are criticizing the opponent for selective messaging; meanwhile you utter cherry-picked talking points yourself. Give me a break.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 3:07 pm
Just keep hammering the trust issue. Once JB and Madigan get the constitution changed, they’ll be coming after everyone for more. Create doubt and suppress the vote of supporters. It’s their only hope.
Comment by SSL Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 3:49 pm
Anonymous- FYI - I don’t have a “side”- I just think JB is lying about insulating 97 percent of taxpayers- 3 billion additional dollars is chump change given what the State needs do his increasing spending on progressive programs should be tabled and every new dollars should go directly into pension funding
Comment by Sue Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 3:53 pm
I agree the graduated income tax is a blank check, assuming that each tax level can be raised independently to minimize political fallout. I don’t believe the $3.4 billion projection, given the many ways to avoid taxes.
Comment by Old Illini Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 4:24 pm
And once that additional revenue kicks in, Illinois will return to being a job creator, just like Minnesota and California are. Adequate taxes, meaning a graduated income tax for Illinois, will increase service levels and paychecks for State employees and jump start our economy. Coupled with the minimum wage increase, we may actually attract new businesses and residents.
Comment by Froganon Wednesday, Mar 27, 19 @ 4:39 pm
Keep the jobs tax flat like the earth
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 5:58 am
You protect the interest of the middle class, with no interest in the wealthy. Only freeze middle class taxes
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 6:15 am
Greg is protecting the bank interest not the middle class interest
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 6:31 am
So if it is fair for government to tax people at a higher percentage because they make over a certain amount shouldn’t business be able to do the same?
I think that charging everyone the same percentage for a service is really the fair thing to do.
Comment by Arock Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:22 am