McHenry County Blog

Naturally the black hole that wishes to eat a couple thousand dollars of my income originates in Chicago.

Consider he Chicago Sun-Times today.

Look at the cover.  Abraham Lincoln is crying because taxes aren’t higher.

He isn’t crying because people are unemployed.  He’s crying because governments, state and local, haven’t picked enough money out of our pockets.

I figure when the tax rate is hiked by two-thirds from 3% to 5%, the suggestion from years past of Pied Piper Ralph Matire and, more recently, Chicago’s Civic Federation, it will cost me 750 crying Lincoln $5 bills more than the year before.

That’s when my state pension, for which I repeatedly thank taxpayers, drops by 5%.

It won’t just be me, though.

Everyone with retirement income will see a cut in tax home pay, so to speak, of 5%.

I wonder how many people in Sun City will welcome that day, probably sometime during this July.

Wage earners would see their pay checks get cut by “only” 2%.

Don’t worry.

Government won’t waste any of your lost income.

Surely, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley and the five city council members who voted with him to hike Crystal Lake’s city sales tax 75% haven’t wasted any, have they?

Apparently I missed some tension while having dinner at the Crystal Lake Country Club.

I admit to raising the body temperatures of some club members by asking if they were ready to pay a 6.25% state sales tax on their membership fees.

I didn’t get to watch the Illinois House defeat Governor Pat Quinn’s 50% income tax increase.

Now the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting,

Reporter Dave McKinney and Jordan Wilson wrote that the bill failed 42-74.

Republicans voted against the bill. 25 Democrats did, too.

The article does not point out that the state income tax would have risen 50% under the legislation.

If a 50% income tax increase can’t pass, it is unlikely Senate President John Cullerton’s and Senator James Meeks’ 67% income tax hike probably won’t pass either. The article says only 35 indicated support for the larger tax hike.

Is the next move “pass my budget or else,” Governor Quinn’s so-called “Doomsday Budget“?

It seems to me that House Democrats have decided to try to force Republicans to vote for whatever tax increase they eventually want to pass.

But, since the Dems have a veto-proof majority in both houses, every Republican who votes for such a tax hike will let a Democrat off the hook come election time. I hope there are any such weak sisters.

Yesterday I wrote more stories about Springfield than I ever have before in one day.

I covered Mike Tryon’s campaign sign bill, Jack Franks’ recall constitutional amendment and the John Cullerton/James Meeks’ 67% income tax hike/ services sales tax imposition and Terry Link/Dave Syverson four casino bill.

But before all the action, I picked up on State Rep. Art Turner’s comment on the incomplete “COURAGE” being displayed by House Democrats.

I entitled it

After an extended part caucus in which a reported 39 of the needed votes seemed to have identified themselves, according to the Chicago Tribune, Turner said,

“We’re looking for courage. We’re close. We’ve got it spelled C-O-U-R, but we’re looking for the rest of it.”

I observed that the last four letters of “COURAGE” are

Meanwhile in the Illinois Senate, the article says,

“…an even bigger tax plan emerged, courtesy of Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago).

“The proposal — which could raise upward of $6 billion — would increase the income tax by 67 percent and expand the sales tax on services such as dry cleaning, video rental, dating services and carpet cleaning. The theory is that a larger tax bite would mean fewer cuts.”

I ended the article with

And that admonishment was before the State Senate voted to raise income taxes by 67% and taxed every electronic signal coming into our home except radio.

So, Turner has half of his wish.

Senate Democrats provided all the letters to his word “COURAGE” and now House has two income tax choices:

But the RAGE may have to wait for readers of two of the four newspapers I read.

Look at the front pages of the Sunday editions of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Elgin Courier-News and McHenry County’s Northwest Herald.

Nothing about the pending tax hike above the fold on the front page of the Chicago Tribune. But there was room to hype a “summer fun” guide.

There’s a story about state politics on the Tribune’s front page, but it’s about politicians trying to get kids into the University of Illinois, not about politicians trying to pick our pockets.

Nothing about the tax hike below the fold either.

The Chicago Sun-Times did figure out that the tax hike story was important enough to mention on its front page, though. Kudos to the Sun-Times

In the Elgin Courier-News there is a large word that might be appropriate if applied to taxpayers:

But i’t about abandoned homes.

There is an ad for Elgin’s Grand Victoria Casino on the bottom of the page. Guess the paper has learned who is paying its bills.

But there is nothing in the paper about the 67% income tax hike passed in the Senate.

And, finally, the Northwest Herald’s front page:

Nothing above the fold, but the Associated Press story is found below.

So, the score card is 2 for 4.

Readers of the largest circulation newspaper in Illinois won’t know anything about the tax hike, if that is there only source of news today.

They will be in for a big surprise tomorrow, if either bill passes.

If you want to call your legislator, the state switchboard in Springfield is open. The number is 217-782-2000.

A 50% income tax hike was not high enough. Slot machines in every convenience store and tavern wouldn’t tempt enough people.

Senate Democrats caved into the Rev. and Senator James Meeks’ goal and voted 31-27-1 to raise income tax rates 67%, plus putting sales taxes on 39 services, including internet service providers, cable television, photocopying, private clubs, dating services, oil exchange and goodness knows what else, except sponsor Senator John Cullerton told the Senate that barbers had been left alone.

I guess they talk so much they are dangerous.

Speaking against the bill were

• Lake Barrington’s Dan Duffy
• DuPage County’s Kirk Dillard
• LaSalle’s County’s Gary Dahl
• Okawville ’s David Luechtefeld
• Dixon’s Tim Bivens
• Bloomington’s Bill Brady
• Chenoa’s Dan Rutherford
• Palatine’s Matt Murphy

Silent was Republican Senate Leader Christine Radogno.

By far the most effective was Matt Murphy.

He is in the Ronald Reagan of disagreeing without being disagreeable.

His best line was,

“To me this is a prescription to win the race with Michigan to the economic bottom of this nation.”

Murphy began by asking that people disagree agreeably, that they not take the debate personally.

Next he moved onto the fact that Illinois is “one of 7 states with fewer jobs than we had ten years ago.

“That means $4,000 in lost taxes for every job we don’t have.

“The people in this state are leaving. They are assessing the value of the American Dream and are sadly finding it someplace else.

He said the proposal was “the highest tax increase in Illinois history.

Then, he compared Illinois with Michigan.

Murphy warned Democrats that the promise of property tax relief held out by Senator Meeks and others in promoting Senate Bill 750 would backfire, just as the lottery did.

People heard Zeke Giorgi tell them that the lottery would solve the problem of funding education and were surprised when it did not. (In fact, the lottery was passed to fund the Regional Transportation Authority in 1974, which Murphy apparently did not know or his point would have stronger. The lottery was not earmarked for education until the mic-1980’s when the next generation of legislators got tried of complaints that it wasn’t going to education.)

Murphy was referring to the so-called “tax swap” part of the bill.

People will think,

“My property tax bill is finally going down.

“It’s not.

“It’s going up.”

Had Murphy (or anyone else) a longer perspective, they might have pointed out that (and I’m virtually certain I am correct here) have pointed out that the property tax credit used to be 10%, but was cut back to 5% in order to use the money for something else in the budget.

“Be careful. Be careful,” he said.

He again assuaged the feelings of the bill’s supporters.

“I appreciate the Senate, the intentions of the (supporters of the bill).

“If you look at Governor Quinn’s budget, it balances.”

“You can come up with cuts (to balance the budget).

“I did my homework. I didn’t share it, Mr. President. I didn’t share it,” referring to Senate President John Cullerton’s chiding of Republicans for not coming up with suggested cuts.

“You can make the cuts.

“You don’t have to raise taxes.

“To fund the pension, you may have to short term borrow.

Referring to the bill, Murphy concluded by saying,

“This is a dagger hanging over the head of everyone in Illinois.”

There were so many other good arguments by Republican senators.

But it’s late and I’m tired. Maybe I’ll find time to give some of the other speeches justice tomorrow.

If the House doesn’t decide to follow the Senate Democrats’ lead and try to mortally wound Illinois.

I do want to tell you that Murphy’s demeanor and presentation impressed me the most.

Is he running for governor?

Oh, yes.

With Rockford Republican Dave Syverson leading the way for the GOP, Lake County’s Terry Link managed to pass his bill to put casinos in Waukegan, Rockford, Danville and Chicago. The vote was 30-28-0. It failed the first time up.

State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Rochelle), who represents part of the Rockford area, verified the vote, that is, made sure the 30 votes necessary to pass a bill in the Senate really were on the floor.

The Senate lists the bill being debated on its web site as it broadcasts debates. Senate Bill 174 was the 67% income tax hike and service sales tax imposition bill. Senate Bill 744 was the casino bill. Murphy has a photo with the casino bill’s number under his name because he spoke against that bill.

State Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago) came up with a perhaps too revealing summary of Democrat attempts to raise income taxes 50%.

After an extended part caucus in which a reported 39 of the needed votes seemed to have identified themselves, according to the Chicago Tribune, the Madigan assistant said,

“We’re looking for courage. We’re close. We’ve got it spelled C-O-U-R, but we’re looking for the rest of it.”

I would observe that the last four letters of “COURAGE” is

Meanwhile in the Illinois Senate, the article says,

“…an even bigger tax plan emerged, courtesy of Sen. James Meeks(D-Chicago).

“The proposal — which could raise upward of $6 billion — would increase the income tax by 67 percent and expand the sales tax on services such as dry cleaning, video rental, dating services and carpet cleaning. The theory is that a larger tax bite would mean fewer cuts.”

Have an anxious weekend, taxpayers.

The main switchboard in Springfield is 217-782-2000. It’s open on the weekend.