Tonight the Illinois House, by the bare minimum required, passed a massive 66% tax hike, with individuals getting socked for an additional 2% (from 3% currently) to a total individual income tax of 5%.
Capitol Fax has the vote totals. Several Dems voted no, including Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills). Karen May voted yes.
NO REPUBLICANS VOTED YES.
Illinois Review recommends a speech by Democrat Jack Franks railing against the tax hike. Find it here.
More on this tomorrow, I'm sure.
UPDATED 1/12/11 7:00 a.m.: Last night the tax increase bill passed the Illinois Senate, 30-29, with the bare minimum needed. Michael Bond, our outgoing lame-duck senator, I assume, was a "yes" vote. You can be sure that his replacement, Suzi Schmidt, would have voted against it. Once again, no Republican votes were put on the bill, so you can bet when the cry of outrage finally starts hitting people in their pocketbooks, the GOP will be pointing the finger squarely at the Dems and Michael Madgian.
Speaking of Bond, his political mentor Terry Link suggested in a goodbye to Bond that the Senate might be 'seeing him again.' After that vote, I would not count on seeing a lot of familiar faces around Springfield come next election, Terry.
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21 comments:
you lose several elections in a row, bad stuff happens. Getting rid of the death penalty now this. we couldn't have asked for a better year from democrats, a recession, a convicted governor, pro tax hike governor, a willie horton type thing and they still beat some republicans in the land of lincoln.
too bad dan seals couldn't have run for something in springfield
FOKLAES
I'm sure Link will be seeing Bond soon, indeed. But in Lake County, not in Springfield. Terry Link needs to be the face of the tax hike in Lake County.
Bond voted no
"technical wizardry on the campaign trail "
he dropped out of a race against dan seals.
FOKLAES
The damnocraps acted like thieves in the night...but that is because they are thieves - stealing from the taxpayers to feed their spending addiction.
They knew it wouldn't pass after noon today so they outragesly pushed it through in a lame duck session just before time ran out.
And they are proud that they have a firm 2% cap increase. Where is the fiscal responsibility - where are the current spending cuts.
Our newly elected and sworn-in governor will prove himself to be a LIAR when he signs this bill. Never let him forget his campaign promise to veto any tax increase above his 33% proposal(ie. from 3 to 4%)
We need to continuously keep the fact that these addicted damnocraps are responsible for the spending and the tax hikes at the forefront of public awareness between now and November 6, 2012!
Trebor of Libertyville
As a small & struggling Illinois business, this is the end of us, as well as most of our struggling suppliers. We cannot absorb the tax increases. personal and corporate. We will have to let people go. Illinois is going to see increased unemployment and will next increase business unemployment contributions. We cannot pass these increases along to our customers. A very poor action on the part of those in power in Illinois. We are leaving the state. Uline forsaw this and is leaving.
The resources were available last night to get your 'assumption' right. Bond voted 'NO'.
Interesting that while our gracious host Mr. Falbe chooses to highlight that not a single Republican voted for the increase he also chooses to ignore that in the next votes the Republicans were happy to begin spending the additional revenue on what it was intended for -- to begin righting our ship of state by paying down accumulated debts.
In other words, the Republicans were ok with spending the money on things they were unwilling to pay for.
Odd, that.
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@ Trebor of Libertyville:
See my remark just above and then reconsider your "thieves in the night" comment.
Thieves don't pay for the things they take.
Democrats, apparently, as least try to pay for such things (and get vilified by conservatives for it).
Of course what is never reported is the reality of our financial woes. Had the tax increase not passed, this coming Monday morning, our bond status would have been lowered to "Junk Bonds" by Moody. Now try and run a state with that stigma.
Both parties got us into this mess and now both parties have to get us out. And we only blame ourselves for not being involved, voting or for that matter not voting.
We are moving from 3.5% to 5%, we will see a property tax rebate, and while business takes a hit, where are they going to go, for our neighbors have the same or higher business tax rates.
Even at 3.5%, I am still getting a refund this year.
What people in Lake County must do is change the elected officials who are responsible for our outlandish property taxes. Second in the state and 16th highest in the nation. All these local taxing entities in Lake County just filed their levies with the Clerk. Every single taxing entity asked for an increase except one and that was Avon Township. They asked for less.
That is the real issue, not our income tax rate that is just as competitive as out neighboring states.
LC Truth,
The property tax "rebate" failed. The extra money for education through a cig tax failed.
This year we are going to be clobbered with a 67% income tax increase, those of us who own businesses that get no tax breaks will have our income tax double, we get no property tax relief while our local governments strongly increase the amounts they want from us, since the State is leaving them high and dry.
There were no budget cuts, and a bill passed created a spending "ceiling" that cannot be exceeded, because our General Assembly and Governor Stroger are incapable of pulling in the budget belt a little tighter. The "ceiling" permits $4 billion in additional spending over four years!
And that is a major "ouch."
Who amongst the lame duck members of the last General Assembly campaigned on a 67% income tax increase? Of borrowing billions to pay down our debt? For civil unions? For the abolition of the Death Penalty? Keep going down the list of their activities post election.
Post election, Governor Stroger suddenly discovered that our economic house was on fire. Either Governor Stroger was fibbing big time to us during the campaign, or he is clueless.
Be proud of your State Government!
Louis G. Atsaves
Are you proud of the GOP members of the legislature, Louis? They actually voted FOR the capitol bill but against every measure to fund it. The GOP members of the Illinois Senate voted AGAINST the 5% operating budget reduction, even after they'd agreed to 5% in committee. Way back when the state actually had a revenue surplus, good ol' boy Pate Philip demanded that everyone get a $300 check instead of investing that surplus.
You write as though Illinois' budget crisis exists in a vacuum. Over the 8 years of the Bush presidency, federal programs were maintained, but funding was pushed to the state and local governments. Even your buddy Barry Burton whined about the loss of federal funding on the county level.
Your house and senate GOP members did nothing. They refused to participate in budget conferences with any plans of their own. Even Bill Brady couldn't decide if he wanted a 10% across-the-board spending cut or not.
Enough of your pompous, partisan blather! Both sides of the aisle are to blame for this mess and it has been coming on long before even Blago's administration. If no tax increase had been passed, you would have whined about our plummeting bond rating. A graduated income tax increase over a period of years would not have benefited our bond rating.
But far worse are your GOP friends holding township offices who refuse to even hold the line on their spending. You conveniently forget that it was Senator Bond who introduced the resolution in the senate over a year ago to study whether we can eliminate township highway districts. Far worse is Roycealee Wood's refusal to provide a county-wide assessment of the number of administrators per student. The Lake County GOP has their own 'golden calves' and they continue to stand ready willing and able to make us pay for them.
Reading your comments is like hearing the pot call the kettle black.
I find the attack comments on here as pure comedy.
Yes Republican's voted against the ridiculous tax hike. Then they voted to pay the bills. The explanation is very simple: they agreed that the bills needed to be paid, BUT Republican's felt it was better to cut spending to pay the bills rather than raping and pillaging the pocket books of Illinois' citizens.
This tax hike is one of the most irresponsible government decisions I have ever seen. The thought that they would ignore the fact that people are struggling more today than ever before and rip away their ability to put food on the table is awful. To make matters worse, most companies have not been providing raises for the last two years to weather the bad economy, so the buying power of the public has dwindled, now they will have even less.
If I weren't hostage to my home, thanks to the home value crash, I'd be moving across the cheddar curtain.
Anon 1:20:
Am I proud of the GOP members of the legislature? Yes I am. Without hesitation. They didn't take the convenient or easy way out. They demanded significant cuts to the budget before any tax increases would be considered. They didn't fall for phony "spending ceilings" and phony "temporary taxes."
Neither did Senator Garrett and Senator Bond, both Democrats. I don't see you castigating them!
The State of Illinois Budget Crisis was not the fault of George W. Bush. It was the fault of the ruling party in Springfield, who controlled all aspects of that government, and allowed spending to continue and massively increase when revenues dropped. Democrats.
For my own personal income and expenses, I don't blame George W. Bush, Herbert Hoover, Michael Madigan, Pat Quinn or the Man on the Moon. When I experience a decline in income, I reduce my expenses.
That is NOT a radical idea. That is called "common sense."
All meetings and deal making sessions in Springfield were with Democrats speaking with Democrats, and locking out Republicans from any discussions. Complaining that Republicans didn't participate when they were locked out is disingenuous. The Republicans, including leadership, were given the massive tax increase bills and other matters rammed down our throats just hours before they were called for a vote.
Democrats cut nothing out of the budget. All they talk about NOW is how cuts are coming in the future. They should have started trimming back over 6 years ago. Governor Stroger kept claiming during the campaign that he was cutting the budget like crazy. Turns out his definition of "cuts" was not paying bills incurred.
But then again, it proves my political theory: "Democrats can't govern!"
This in spite of Governor Stroger claiming that Illinois has ended "deal making" and is now the State of "ideals." Yeah, Pat, fool us some more. Like those nifty public union contracts that filled your campaign coffers. Like your strong support of the Death Penalty. Some reformer!
My position on Township Government is that the vast majority of them, including my own Moraine Township, have outlived their usefulness, are expensive and anything but cost effective. I welcome the elimination of nearly all but the largest township governments. Most townships in Northeastern Illinois serve no real useful purpose whatsover and I welcome their removal from my property tax bills. A few in rural districts should be kept around until their functions can be taken over by other governments.
You can take "Mosquito Abatement Districts" and various sanitation districts and eliminate them as well.
And please don't complain about Lake County government finances. Ann Bassi, a Democrat, during the campaign, vociferously defended the finances of Lake County Government. You may want to take up your complaints with her.
Louis G. Atsaves
Helllooo! Earth to Bees. They voted FOR the capitol bill and against the means to finance it. Do you not understand that this is spending without a way of servicing the debt. I shudder at your definition of either fiscal responsibility or comedy.
Are you not getting it? Both sides of the aisle are to blame.
Oh Louis, you kill me. You conveniently fail to acknowledge the Illinois Senate GOP no votes on reducing their own operating budget last year. You cherry-pick and sideswipe to make your arguments work. But I admire your ability to bloviate. Really fills the page.
Last year? I thought you said back in Pate Philip's days. Your attacks are as a clear as mud. I would ask you to clarify but . . .
Nice try though.
I did omit Rep. Sente's vote on the monstrous tax increases. My bad.
Pretend that the financial crisis in Illinois was caused by Republicans. Even in America you have the right to be delusional.
Louis G. Atsaves
Sorry you can't read, Louis. That's gotta make practice difficult. Also makes me wonder about you in the federal trial bar. Gotta have good faith to open your mouth there.
Keep tryin, Blowfish.
Hello - earth to sackless wonder hiding behind the anonymous tag!
The capitol bill AND the tax increase are SEPARATE ISSUES! To think that any government official was going to have access to dollars and then not spend those dollars is ridiculous. It would be one of the fastest ways to take yourselves out of office.
This is a very simple concept. Legislators balance their goals (i.e. not raising taxes) with getting re-elected. So they vote against the tax increase and say, "I would rather we cut spending". However, the jackass majority decided to raise taxes. Now there is a surplus of money to spend. Clearly they are not going to give this money back to the citizens, so it is the responsibility of those legislators to responsibly manage aka spend, those dollars.
If you don't understand government and politics don't try to take shots at those of us who do.
WE have a Winner!
Bees, you've won the award for the most offensively idiotic post of 2011.
"Sackless wonder" Really? No, really? Which one are you? Bevis or Butthead?
"Now there is a surplus of money to spend." On what planet? Start reading the paper, dipthong.
"The capitol bill AND the tax increase are SEPARATE ISSUES! To think that any government official was going to have access to dollars and then not spend those dollars is ridiculous. It would be one of the fastest ways to take yourselves out of office."
Love the caps, by the way. It's really effective using them to draw attention to one's stupidity. The point, of course, was that, while your GOP legislators and their lemming-like cheerleaders such as Louis and, well, you, seem to think they have a monopoly on fiscal responsibility, the fact remains that they voted for a capitol bill but against every provision to fund that portion not left to bonds and the means to service those bonds. It is, by definition, spending money you don't have. Even our valet-searching new State Senator claimed she never spent money she didn't have. She did, however, jump at the chance of spending money the state had by way of the line items in the capitol bill, but actively put the kabosh on getting the mob-run poker machines out of the bars where they still are today, and getting that revenue flowing toward paying the non-bonded component of the capitol bill and service the debt created thereby.
So put a sock in your juvenile invective and try to put a thinking cap on, okay?
And, by the way, a google blog profile, even with a cheesy photo, isn't really full disclosure.
Friends- let's ALL try to take it down a notch. Didn't anyone listen to Obama calling for political civility....????
The Management
Okay, Dad.......
BUT HE STARTED IT!
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