(07-07-2017 02:01 PM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(07-07-2017 01:47 PM)Max Power Wrote:  

(07-07-2017 01:24 PM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(07-07-2017 10:42 AM)Max Power Wrote:  The tax cut Rauner instituted in 2015 was irresponsible and at fault for the debt explosion -- tripling from $5 billion to $15 billion -- we have seen since then. Republicans like to crow about debt, fiscal responsibility and balancing budgets but they never let that get in the way of a good tax cut.

Factually false, 100%. Rauner "instituted" no such tax cut. His office holds no such power. In this case, the original tax increase was set to partially, not completely, roll back, as prescribed in the original statute. The Democratic legislature declined to send a bill to either Pat Quinn's desk or Rauner's desk, to keep the temporary tax rates in place. Therefore, they expired.

The explosion in debt was due to a lack of control on spending during a time when the Democratically controlled legislature failed to send a budget to the governor's desk.

And, since nothing was done about spending, taxes have been increased and nothing has been done about the structural issue of pension liability.

If you want to get technical, sure, it failed to get an extension ie was allowed to sunset, but what was the point of sending the extension to Rauner's desk when he was sure to veto it? Give him a PR victory?

It isn't technical. In fact, the tax rates fell while Quinn was governor, before Rauner even took office.

Why didn't the Dems send the extension to Quinn? Easy answer, Max.

Max Power
Illinois is 37th in spending...

[img Wrote:https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEFAa3pXcAAPh-e.jpg[/img]

... and part of yesterday's package was a 5% across the board cut of state agencies and a 10% cut in the funding to Illinois colleges and universities. We do need pension reform.

We can't do anything else because Rauner has been holding the state's budget hostage to his pet causes which have nothing to do with the budget, like workers comp reform. Finally the legislature worked around him.

I don't see a source for your numbers to determine specifics and context. I can't find it on PBS's page. Regardless, Illinois can't cover its bills, especially when you consider pensions. $200 billion? That is 40 years of the recent tax increase. There is no way to tax out of this issue.

Rauner hasn't held anything hostage. He said what he wanted. The Dems never sent him a budget. They have to send him a budget first. He can either sign it or veto it. They have to act first, and they didn't, to get through one more election cycle, much to the detriment of the state.

Obviously, it was because raising taxes is never politically popular, no matter how necessary, and if Quinn signed that he would have been DOA.

The chart and figure are from the Kaiser Family Foundation:

http://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator...desc%22%7D

Illinois is 37th in spending per capita at $4947 per person.

Let's not pretend Rauner wouldn't have vetoed what he did just veto at any other time. He made his hostage demands clear. Madigan couldn't push it through until he had the votes to override. Sadly, it took this long.