Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is going around the state poor mouthing about what will happen if the Legislature doesn't increase the income tax 50 percent. That social service agencies will suffer and in turn so will the state's most vulnerable residents --- low income families. Quinn has used this mantra at several photo op set ups. The usual photo op is Quinn surrounded by sad-looking kids.
What the governor doesn't understand is most Illinoisans don't care. Most of us are lucky we've got jobs or haven't had to take a month's furlough rather than a mere week. We could care about the less fortunate. Heck, we are the less fortunate.
How come the first call is always for a tax increase? How come every politician runs for office and says he or she wants to run government like a business, but when the going gets tough they just print more money at the taxpayers' expense? How come the governor doesn't name a blue-ribbon commission (we now have two in his short tenure) to look into government efficiency at the state level?
Because it's easier to raise taxes than work hard at working hard. It's easier to guilt trip taxpayers currently hurting in this economy to keep funding the nanny state, rather than the Prairie State.
Start cutting governor, because The Hound doesn't believe state lawmakers want to face the wrath of an irate electorate in next year's elections.
If you think voters are irate about a tax increase, wait until they find out that their local lawmaker voted to cut:
- child abuse prevention;
- rape crisis services;
- care for the developmentally disabled;
- home care for seniors;
and a whole host of other programs while protecting over a BILLION dollars in corporate tax loopholes, including tens of millions of dollars in subsidies for the newspaper industry.
I hope The Hound can convince the publishers of the Chicago Suburban News to give back their taxpayer subsidy in the name of "shared sacrifice."
THE HOUND SAYS: OK, Old Yeller, this is the first The Hound has heard of "tens of millions of dollars in subsidies for the newspaper industry." Would you like to enlighten us because these millions certainly have't dribbled down to The Hound's paycheck. As for Illinois voters being upset if lawmakers don't fund community service programs, The Hound sticks with this: Voters don't care. Obviously, lawmakers don't care or they would have had a budget before May 31. They care about re-election and raising taxes in an election year, as Richard Ogilvie found in 1972, can be fatal to one's political life.
And remember the old standby: This will only be a 'temporary' increase. Yeah, how many times have we heard that at the state and local levels? I recall when the Zion High School Board wanted to get a bond issue passed which they used the arguement 'There won't be any tax increase'. That was because a previous 'temporary' bond issue had finally matured and was considered paid off. Of course there would be no increase, but there would be no decrease either. They figured that the voters wouldn't be wise to the fact that they were already paying for a 'temporary' tax hike. Same principle applies here with the State (Although I hesitate to even use the word 'principle', as the politicians in Springfield lack these.). Keep raising taxes, license fees, user fees, penalties, and don't ever think about reducing spending for things that aren't really needed. After all what's more important: Making sure that a taxpayer in Waukegan can afford to keep up his or her home, or have another bike path named after you or your political patron? (BTW, if our cities were kept safe, we could all walk on the sidewalks and ride our bikes on the streets, and we wouldn't need specialized places to ride built with out tax dollars.)
THE HOUND SAYS: Old Yeller should read Hermie's post. He's got your "shared sacrifice" all right.