Dan Rutherford
Dan Rutherford did not win the Republican contest to run for Governor, but he still has a statewide email list.
Yesterday, he asked people to answer questions on raising taxes.
Plus, entering their address and phone number information again.
These were the taxes listed:
- income tax
- gas tax
- sales tax on goods
- service sales tax
- cigarette tax by $1
Illinois used in 2013 over 6 billion gallons of gasoline, as a fair tax on gasoline would be about 2.00 dollars per gallon as we never paid for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Also in Europe they pay between 7 to 9.50 dollar per gallon and the net price for the crude cost the same as it is priced in US dollars.
I do not want to pay more taxes as the next person if I can avoid but this way we would add 12 billions to the Illinois coffers.
Note that I did not suggest adding any higher taxes for diesels as to not affect truckers and farmers.
Rutherford is asking questions about taxes acting as a one man show or working with someone else or what I wonder.
Rutherford was more willing to raise taxes than Rauner during the Republican primary for Governor.
More revenue to a government which legislatively hiked pension and retiree healthcare benefits to funds that already had unfunded liabilities makes no sense.
Reform the pensions.
Somehow get a referendum on the ballot to repeal the pension sentence added to the constitution in 1970 which has resulted in pension and retiree healthcare benefit hikes to underfunded pensions.
Switch all contributions going forward from defined benefit to defined contribution.
Reduce benefit levels that have been legislatively hiked.
Explain clearly to taxpayers how benefits have been legislatively hiked.
The pension system is broken.
The political process which passed the benefit hikes is broken and needs reform.
It should be against the law to legislatively hike pension and retiree healthcare benefits to pension funds which are underfunded.
Any pension and retiree healthcare benefit hike should require voter approval via a referendum.
Collective bargaining agreements should be approved by taxpayers.
The government is not representing taxpayers.
The Illinois government has no interest in sensible pension reform.
We need a bigger bully to save us from Illinois government.
How about federal government?
If defined benefit pension payments were hit with an excise tax similar to the Cadillac health tax on expensive healthcare insurance, recipients themselves would ask for change (to defined contribution plans).
Picaro’s travel: Have you considered traveling to Europe?
The problem in Illinois is not the amount of tax dollars collected, it is how we spend the dollars collected.
eg. McHenry County approves the spending of money to STUDY yet another interchange on I-90 while Highway 23 is deteriorating to the level of State Line Road.
In Georgia every year they entertain eliminating Property Taxes altogether. Texas on Wed. announced a $4.6 B decrease in Property Taxes and making the method a Constitutional Amendment.
Now here comes a Illinois Pol asking, which tax poison you’d prefer and you nuts are debating it’s merits.
This mindset is unbelievable and its no wonder Illinois is one of the worst states to do business in and live.
Hmm.
This is a first.
I didn’t get any email from Dan.
And I KNOW I am on his list!
He even sends birthday emails for us! (They are of him singing! Yikes!)
The tax system which makes sense limits the amount of money to which political officeholders have access.
In Illinois there is no practical limit to the amount of money which political officeholders may either tax, or obligate property owners to through borrowing.
@Picaro’s travel and @con…
Con is correct Picaro.
The problem is not so much the tax paid but how it is WASTED.
Were it not for the wasteful spending and corruption in this state, our taxes would be lower and, quite likely, our economy much better.
Look back at the tax increases we’ve endured and the promises made that “…this hike will, blah, blah, blah!”
The increase is no sooner collected than we read about yet another boondoggle proposed by the legislature to benefit those who contribute the least.
Again, Picaro, the farmers already get a break in the taxes they pay for fuel designated for “off-road” use.
Enough already with the “special classes” and their exemptions.
Apply it equally and perhaps we’ll hear more voices screaming about waste and corruption since they would now have skin in the game.
Harm the economy by raising taxes on farm fuel and diesel?
Hey, what about the folks who use their cars and trucks for business?
You don’t think it harms them?
Cut the waste, pull back on the amount, types of, and duration of handouts for those who won’t work to support themselves and see if that happens.
Some problems are NOT solved by throwing money, some are solved by withholding that money!