For the first time since 2015, Illinois will have a budget

[JGibson]

Good news for the Land of Lincoln: for the first time in two years, Illinois will have a budget again, as Gov. Bruce Rauner had his vetoes overridden in recent days by the Senate and the House.
Elizabeth Campbell at Bloomberg:

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My analysis on Daily Kos:

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[Green Line]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

[Coraxion]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

As opposed to a borrow and spend conservative?

[Virginiá]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

As opposed to a borrow and spend conservative?

Yes honestly at this point the term 'tax and spend' doesn't even bother me anymore. It at least reminds me that the people saying that support the party whose fiscal policy since Reagan amounts to basically a dine-and-dash scheme. Sit around eating everything in the place, say you're going to the bathroom then dip out the back while your friend gets stuck with the bill. Then when that friend wants to eat food the next day, accuse them of eating too much last time and that they need to cut down on food consumption.

Simply put: Republican lawmakers have become so anti-tax that they just run up debt instead and blame the "others," all because they are too afraid to level with their voters about the reality they live in.

[#gravelgang #lessiglad]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

Democrats and Republicans alike in this state are responsible for the underfunded pension liabilities. Republican Jim Edgar, for instance, claimed victory over pension reform but in reality just pushed payments back without reigning in the benefits or raising taxes.

Pushing pension payments on future taxpayers has been a bipartisan affair in Illinois for going on 20 years.

My hope is that both parties can get together and put pension reform back on the ballot in the form of a constitutional amendment and eliminate the COLA increases and pare back on the benefits. Hopefully Rauner's term limits gets passed as well.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

[Alabama_Indy10]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

[Antonio the Sixth]

lolrauner

[Mike Thick]

Thanks, Muon.

[dead0man]

They did nothing for the pensions problem?  They deserve everything that happened to them and will happen to them....sadly the rest of us will end up with the bill.

[Virginiá]

They did nothing for the pensions problem?  They deserve everything that happened to them and will happen to them....sadly the rest of us will end up with the bill.

As I understand it, they have to amend the state constitution to change pensions in the way they need. That means voters have to approve something that will likely not be popular at all. For that reason, it may not even be possible.

Shame on the politicians who promised more they could pay and for years just kicked the can down the road.

[GoTfan]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

I used to think you were a troll, but now I seriously believe that you're a delusional human being who hates anything remotely left of center.

[dead0man]

They did nothing for the pensions problem?  They deserve everything that happened to them and will happen to them....sadly the rest of us will end up with the bill.

As I understand it, they have to amend the state constitution to change pensions in the way they need. That means voters have to approve something that will likely not be popular at all. For that reason, it may not even be possible.

Then I'm doubling down on the "they deserve it" bit.

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which is what they just did again.

[Badger]

Thanks, Muon.

Do we know if he actually voted to override the veto?

[Virginiá]

which is what they just did again.

Well I suppose you could say that, but personally I consider it mostly the fault of those who created the pensions that have become gigantic problems in the first place (or those who screwed them up after?), along with select other people who have knowingly perpetuated the problem despite being in positions to help get it fixed. I'm sure there are a lot of lawmakers in IL who would like to fix the problem but lack the means to do so, especially with folks like Madigan and Rauner. I'll know when to really start judging people when I see an amendment come up for a vote and see who votes against it, assuming it is reasonable.

[Green Line]

There's no reform coming.  If you think the honorable Michael Madigan is going to use his victory to push for reform to the state pension mess, workers comp, anything at all, the jokes on you. He will bleed this state dry before anything is "reformed".  Don't believe me?  Why is the same man who has effectively controlled Illinois government for the last 30 years suddenly going to have a change of heart?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Largest tax increase in Illinois , common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

I used to think you were a troll, but now I seriously believe that you're a delusional human being who hates anything remotely left of center.

His hate isn't universal, he seriously wants Hillary Clinton to run for President in 2020.

[Mike Thick]

Thanks, Muon.

Do we know if he actually voted to override the veto?

Yeah, he did.

[GoTfan]

Largest tax increase in Illinois , common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

I used to think you were a troll, but now I seriously believe that you're a delusional human being who hates anything remotely left of center.

His hate isn't universal, he seriously wants Hillary Clinton to run for President in 2020.

I'm actually tempted to look on this as a good thing. He's clearly so fearful of any leftist that he must think a leftist will beat his deity in 2020

[MasterJedi]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

You mean the "largest tax increase in state history" that just reverses some tax cuts to get them back to where they were a few years ago while still overall having the 19th lowest tax burden? Sounds like fearmongering, especially when we see how the "cut all the taxes and then borrow and spend out the wazoo" plan works in Kansas and Wisconsin.

[Green Line]

Largest tax increase in Illinois history, common sense, sure....  perhaps to a tax and spend liberal!

Illinois will still be downgraded to JUNK status, its just been postponed.  We continue to circle the drain.  Even more taxpayers will now flee the state.  None of the structural problems have been addressed, and we will continue to be in the same position every year.  More, more, more money for the government for worse service every year.  The death spiral the state is currently in has just been worsened, no reason to celebrate.

You mean the "largest tax increase in state history" that just reverses some tax cuts to get them back to where they were a few years ago while still overall having the 19th lowest tax burden? Sounds like fearmongering, especially when we see how the "cut all the taxes and then borrow and spend out the wazoo" plan works in Kansas and Wisconsin.

That increase was always supposed to be temporary.  Now its a "tax cut"??  You cant deduct anything in Illinois so the effective rate is much higher than 19th in the country.  Income tax was the only area of Illinois taxes that was below average, and not anymore.  This is a disaster, and it's not just about raising taxes.  Rauner was willing to raise taxes.  Democrats allowed NO structural reforms in return.  Nothing.  The incresed revenue (which will be less than anticipated as more flee the state) will all go to servicing the ever exploding debt.

[mvd10]

Meh. A combination of spending cuts and tax rises would have been necessary but this bill doesn't do much to reform Illinois' bloated pension system. And raising corporate income taxes (which already are way too high in the US) almost never is a good thing, raising sales taxes or further raising income taxes (can't they just add a surcharge for high incomes? Illinois has a very low flat rate) probably would have been better.

[mvd10]

Meh. A combination of spending cuts and tax rises would have been necessary but this bill doesn't do much to reform Illinois' bloated pension system. And raising corporate income taxes (which already are way too high in the US) almost never is a good thing, raising sales taxes or further raising income taxes (can't they just add a surcharge for high incomes? Illinois has a very low flat rate) probably would have been better.

The Illinois Constitution prohibits a graduated income tax, so that's pretty much out. The bill did increase the current rate by 1.2 points, while also effectively increasing the sales tax (by expanding it to laundry and storage services—Illinois has one of the narrowest sales taxes in the country for some reason).

Oh. Massachussetts has the same thing right? Honestly, I don't think the constitution is the right place for these things.

[Illiniwek]

Budgets are overrated...