One of the comments this week speaks to one of the reasons people move out of Illinois.
United Van Lines taking a Crystal Lake resident’s household goods out-of-state move.
This is from a former Crystal Lake resident:
I left sold my home.
Moved to Florida.
No state income tax.
Property taxes 30% of Illinois cost of housing 70%.
I am retired and could not afford to stay in Illinois.
Forced out.
And this is before the “retirement tax” was mentioned by Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno.
Impose income taxes on retirement income and see how many loyal Republican voters leave Illinois.
After I read that Tribune article, which did not make the print edition, as far as I know, I asked all local State Senators and State Reps. if they would vote for a tax on retirement income.
Review the result below:
I wrote all the local Republican legislators an email with the following subject line:
Please tell me if you will vote for a retirement tax.
David McSweeney
Included was the following paragraph from a Chicago Tribune article with the link, which is below:
Radogno said lawmakers likely will consider hiking the state income tax or taxing retirement income, rather than increasing the state sales tax or instituting a tax on services.
State Rep. David McSweeney was the first to reply:
Hell No!
Next came the following exchange of emails with State Rep. Barbara Wheeler, my State Representative:
Barb Wheeler.
- 2:28 PM – This is the first I’ve heard of it.
- 2:33 PM – My reply: And, are you going to vote to tax retirement income?
- 2:46 PM – I don’t know anything about it….
- 2L47 PM – My reply: With all due respect, that does not answer my question. Conceptually are you open to voting to tax retirement income?
- 2:51 PM – With all due respect former legislator… How can I formulate an opinion about something I’ve never heard of, haven’t read about, and I don’t know how it fits into the whole comprehensive budget fix?
- 2:52 PM – I know the answer you’d like me to say, but I’m not comfortable saying it unless I know about it.
- 2:53 PM – And let’s face it… There are enough politicians who talk a lot of things they know nothing about. It’s how we got into this mess don’t you think?
Steve Andersson
State Rep. Steve Andersson’s reply:
I don’t agree with Senator Radogno’s assumption that we “have to” raise taxes.
The solution lies in reducing our spending and making our agencies more efficient; coupled with structural reforms that will increase business growth in our State.
Mike Tryon
Since then retiring State Rep. Mike Tryon sent the following:
I am not willing to go on record for supporting any type of tax increase until I see what the budget will look like and what reforms are enacted.
Local Republican legislators who have not replied are:
- State Senator Pam Althoff
- State Senator Dan Duffy
- State Senator Karen McConnaughay
I have again emailed the three senators asking whether they will vote for retirement tax.
Maybe the second time will be the charm.
Maybe you could encourage them to reply.
Care to predict which of the above Republican State Representatives will vote to impose income taxes on pensions, IRA distributions and Social Security?
Wheeler and Althoff
What about them?
Congratulations to this former Illinois political prisoner
on his/her escape from the corrupt tax hellhole that Illinois has become.
I hope to be doing the same ASAP.
Amen, Honest. Working on doing the same here.
“has become”?
My first political memory is of $800 K, stuffed in shoeboxes, in Powell’s Springfield apt. when in high school.
Coincidently the same time Madigan won his first election, after his bulb first lit up, upon hearing the news that Illinois taxpayers were really that clueless.
Nothing has or ever will change in smellinois.
Althoff is a taxaholic … she laughs at her wine and cheese parties w/ her libtard friends over the stupidity of the Illinois taxpayer.
Wheeler is a Salvi … that’s all ye need to know.
her IQ is, however, higher than Geo. W. Bush (aka Dubya; Bush the lesser)
The Mrs, I agree but would add the possibility of McConnahay also.
The biggest problem with the states pension funds is the politicians diverting funding to other places to buy votes.
Instead of taxing all retirement income, change the state Constitution to force the elected to properly fund the pensions.
At the same time change the pension scale by the rate of income tax, ie reduce all pensions by say 5%.
That way the pension funds would see a intimidate decrease in the amount of demand on it, verses taxing and having the $$$$ go into the general fund and get lost buying votes.