Quinn says he has 'mandate' for tax increase

[gravyboy77]

The guy won by 1/2 a percent yet he has a "Mandate" to raise taxes?

Quinn sees mandate for tax increase

Quinn says he has 'mandate' for tax increase

Democrats in legislature still appear reluctant

By Rick Pearson and Monique Garcia, Tribune reporters

November 6, 2010

 

Gov. Pat Quinn may have won the governor's race by the narrowest margin in nearly three decades, but he's not letting that stop him from claiming he now has a "mandate" from voters to raise the state income tax for schools.

 

"I think our message of investing in education was supported by the people," Quinn told the Tribune. "I think that is a really strong mandate that I got. I know from the campaign, people made that pretty clear to me, and I think the election returns said the same thing."

 

But there is little evidence in Springfield that the Democratic governor will get his tax hike soon. Some Democrats say powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was unenthusiastic about Quinn's plan before the election, has seen little indication that lawmakers have changed their mind.

 

House majority leader Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, said she has not polled House members since the election, but noted that earlier this year, only 47 of the needed 60 votes were there.

 

"We cannot get ourselves out of this fix without a combination of cuts and revenue increases," said Currie, a tax-increase supporter. "I don't know that (the mood) is better, but I don't think it's any worse."

 

Facing a state budget deficit that is forecast to climb as high as $15 billion and a stack of unpaid bills to state service providers that is expected to reach $8 billion, Illinois government is rapidly running out of the kind of financial gimmicks that have kept the state afloat, some lawmakers acknowledge privately.

 

Quinn wants to raise the personal income tax rate by 1 percentage point, a 33 percent increase that he has dubbed a "surcharge for education," adding that it also would provide local property tax relief. On Friday, Republican governor candidate state Sen. Bill Brady said he is willing to work with Quinn on budget matters, but remains firmly against a tax hike.

 

Brady's continued opposition indicates the intense partisanship that marked the two years before last week's election hasn't lessened.

 

Quinn said he believes post-election bipartisanship is needed to deal with the state's money problems, saying it was time for serious discussions between Democrats and Republicans "to come to the fore." At the same time, Quinn added, "I am not naive to think that's necessarily going to happen."

 

House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego picked up six seats from Democrats last week. He's now got 54 members to Madigan's 64. Cross said bipartisanship in dealing with the budget is possible if Democrats make it "full-time" and listen to Republicans, not just search for GOP votes on tough issues at the end of the legislative session.

 

"It's up to the speaker, (Senate) president and governor whether they want to include us or not," Cross said. "We acknowledge we have huge problems, but we're not going to run from them."

 

Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont, who picked up two seats to take away the Democrats' veto-proof 37 member majority, said many Democratic lawmakers would "look pretty bad" in pushing through a tax increase after running an anti-tax campaign to gain election.

 

"My hope is that we really will have a serious discussion about cutting state government back," Radogno said. "Is cutting going to be easy? No, because people are going to be dependent on those programs to one degree or another. But we have a responsibility to look at them and get rid of the stuff that we can do without, without jeopardizing the core mission of the state. That (review) has not happened in several years."

 

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, whose chamber approved a tax increase even larger than the one sought by Quinn, only to have it stall in the House, said he had "no idea" whether maintaining Democratic control of the legislature and governor's office would embolden lawmakers to approve an income tax hike.

Even Quinn wasn't offering any predictions on Friday, saying he's not sure if he will push lawmakers to vote on a plan before or after the new year.

 

"We'll see," Quinn said. "I'm not going to make a decision on that at this moment. We'll have to talk to the legislators. … We'll see them in a week or two."

 

With an immediate tax increase questionable, lawmakers are expected to once again turn to various proposals to expand gambling as a way to generate new revenue. But such ideas as extending video gambling to horserace tracks have traditionally become so overloaded with related gambling giveaways that they become too heavy for lawmakers to support.

 

Quinn previously has said he's not a fan of a widespread gambling expansion, but said he would study a proposal if lawmakers put one forward. He begrudgingly approved legalizing video gambling last year as a way to pay for a massive statewide construction program.

 

"That has to have microscopic scrutiny," Quinn said of a possible gambling proposal. "But I'm not enthusiastic."

 

[Ol'Coach]

 

A mandate? Then tax those counties that provided the mandate!

 

That would be 3, thank you!

[gravyboy77]

 

A mandate? Then tax those counties that provided the mandate!

 

That would be 3, thank you!

 

 

nice one Coach....LOL

[Ranger]

 

A mandate? Then tax those counties that provided the mandate!

 

That would be 3, thank you!

 

Sounds like a great plan...

[Sigma]

Everyone that voted for Quinn should get a check and mail it to the IRS those of us that supposed him should not have to pay

[Silver Guardian]

Perhaps Quinn would like to implement a UK style tax system.

 

One proposal being considered by the UK tax authorities, British employers would no longer pay their workers. Instead, they would send full paychecks to the government and let the bureaucrats sort it all out.

 

Once the tax authorities deduct the amount of tax that they feel is sufficient, they would eventually pass on the net paychecks to the workers' bank accounts.

 

If anyone should call to complain, the tax agency will implement voice recognition software to automatically detect if a caller sounds nervous, or if s/he may be trying to mislead tax inspectors.

[Skorpius]

Everyone that voted for Quinn should get a check and mail it to the IRS those of us that supposed him should not have to pay

 

My Chicago vote went to Brady, so I agree.

[Don Gwinn]

That would be nice in this instance, but it's not how elections work. If we'd won and passed shall-issue LTC, we wouldn't have given those three counties a chance to opt out. Elections have consequences indeed.

[templar223]

Quinn is Mickey Moron.

 

To the Mickey Mouse theme song:

 

M-I-C K-E-Y M-O-R-O-N.

 

John

[Ashdump]

That would be nice in this instance, but it's not how elections work. If we'd won and passed shall-issue LTC, we wouldn't have given those three counties a chance to opt out. Elections have consequences indeed.

Yes Don, but LTC is optional participation, tax hikes are not.

[Ocellairs]

...he can tax the crap out of everyone in and around Cook county...in particular those three counties that voted that arsehat in.

[billzfx4]

...he can tax the crap out of everyone in and around Cook county...in particular those three counties that voted that arsehat in.

 

The problem is that most of the people that voted for him aren't paying taxes in the first place.

[Buzzard]

...he can tax the crap out of everyone in and around Cook county...in particular those three counties that voted that arsehat in.

 

The problem is that most of the people that voted for him aren't paying taxes in the first place.

 

As the whole Democratic socialist rule continues here in Illinois, here's what will happen:

 

*Higher fees and taxes will force more businesses to close or relocate. As a result, there will be less state income from these businesses and fewer jobs for working citizens.

 

*As taxes increase in Illinois, the impulse for working people to relocate to other states becomes increasingly attractive. Fewer working people paying taxes to support more people NOT paying taxes will make Illinois situation worse - not better.

 

*Entitlements will continue to attract more recipients. Sanctuary cities such as Chicago will grow in the number of people receiving entitlements causing an ever increasing strain on the state.

 

*If Wisconsin does gain RTC, where to you think violent criminals will relocate to? Winnebago county Sheriff Richard "Dick" Meyers has raised this issue at town hall meetings. He feels if Wisconsin gets concealed carry, Beloit criminals will possibly move to the Rockford/Loves Park area.

[gravyboy77]

Quinn wants to raise the incoime tax to pay for education (payback to the unions for getting him elected) and does nothing to reduce the 15billion dollar deficit. Get ready to bend over illinois.

http://www.suntimes....olitics/2873996,CST-NWS-quinn08.article

Gov. Quinn: Put state income tax hike first

$15B DEFICIT | Cites doubts about gambling package

 

November 8, 2010

Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Chief

 

SPRINGFIELD -- A gambling package that could raise $1 billion annually for the state appears "top-heavy" and should take a back seat in the upcoming fall veto session to raising the income tax, Gov. Quinn told the Chicago Sun-Times.

 

In the coming weeks, Senate Democrats intend to push legislation authorizing casinos in Chicago, an undetermined south suburban location, north suburban Park City and Downstate Danville. The expansion plan also would allow slot machines at six Illinois racetracks and expand the number of gambling machines now in use at existing casinos.

 

The package is similar to what the Senate passed in May 2009. But in an interview with the Sun-Times, the governor expressed pessimism over the new gambling plan and said his push to raise the individual income tax rate by 1 percentage point -- to 4 percent -- should take priority.

 

"I haven't seen the proposal, but it sounds top-heavy to me," Quinn said of the gambling plan. "I'll look at anything. I have an obligation to examine any bill that at least passes."

 

But speaking of the income tax plan, the governor said, "That should precede everything else."

 

In a series of post-election interviews with print and broadcast media, the governor has said he views his defeat of Republican Bill Brady, an ardent opponent of the income tax hike, as a mandate from voters on how to deal with a state budget deficit that could reach $15 billion.

 

"We have to deal with hard realities. This is the truth. The truth won on Tuesday, and I intend to keep telling the truth to the Legislature," the governor said, justifying his continued push for the income tax hike.

 

Quinn's plan would raise roughly $3 billion annually. He has said the increase, which he calls a "surcharge," would go toward education and property tax relief.

 

"I think we will have a requisite majority in both Houses" to pass an income tax increase, "and we have to do it as soon as possible. That's the lesson of Tuesday to me. I was hammered by my opponent on this issue, but I got more votes."

 

Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills), the main architect of the gambling package, said he didn't regard Quinn's statements about the gambling package as a setback.

 

"I feel the governor has been a little bit busy, so he hasn't had time to sit down and talk to us about this," said Link, who made clear his revenue package has more legislative support at this point than an income-tax hike in the lame-duck legislative session.

 

"Let's put it this way: This bill has a very good chance of passing, and I'll just leave it at that," said Link, noting that part of the revenues could help prop up the state capital plan, whose funding source has taken a hit as dozens of communities have opted out of allowing video poker.

 

The last time an income-tax hike proposal surfaced in the House, it obtained 47 of the necessary 60 votes needed for passage, as Republicans opposed it unanimously. House Speaker Michael Madigan continues to insist that Republican support is necessary to pass Quinn's tax-hike plan.

 

Told of Quinn's push for deliberations on an income tax hike to precede any talk of gambling expansion, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said, "I would have no view of what's first and what's second."

 

Brown said he had not discussed with his boss whether either revenue option will be on the House's veto session agenda, but he stressed, "I think everybody will need to sit down and start from square one."

 

Meanwhile, on other issues, Quinn hinted he is likely to sit out Chicago's mayoral election, where former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is considered the front-runner.

 

"We should let the voters decide. Having just gone through an election where pollsters were ready to anoint my opponent, they were badly off. That outfit Rasmussen had me down by 13 points. I think there has to be a robust contest for mayor in Chicago," Quinn said. "I can get along with anybody."

 

[Xwing]

How about all the morons who voted for him pay it? No, of course most of them are sucking the teat of entltement programs and don't pay much taxes anyway.

[Buzzard]

How about all the morons who voted for him pay it? No, of course most of them are sucking the teat of entltement programs and don't pay much taxes anyway.

 

+1

[jobes]

Would the people of cook county please move to wonderful California... thank you!

[mstrat]

Forgive the cross-post... but I feel it's important:

 

I realize that for a lot of people on this forum, it's easy to conflate 2nd amendment rights with being a republican or having "right" leaning viewpoints.

 

I strongly urge us, all of us, not to do this. To do so is to estrange hundreds of thousands, if not millions of individuals in our state who might otherwise be strong allies in the fight for RTC.

 

I recognize that this is a national politics sub-forum, but as somebody who holds contrary viewpoints on such topics I can easily foresee a visitor to this site being put off of the RTC movement if they associate it with politics at large and therefore become alienated.

 

And I'm certainly not saying Republican candidates shouldn't be endorsed, or the IL Democratic leaders' viewpoints on firearms shouldn't be condemned. But we should be careful about letting RTC become a "Republican vs. Democrat" issue, and be especially careful about taking it a step further into issues unrelated to firearms.

 

There are countless people in our state who would stand beside us to fight for the right to carry weapons in self-defense, but who would quickly leave us behind when we also advocate cutting social spending, education, raising taxes for lower income families, etc.

 

Everyone is certainly entitled to express their opinion on any issue, however on this, it is mine that we should reserve this forum for restoring our Right to Carry and tread carefully so as not to alienate valuable potential members.

[Skorpius]

...he can tax the crap out of everyone in and around Cook county...in particular those three counties that voted that arsehat in.

 

Not all of us.

[sctman800]

Taxes must be raised, the state needs money to start more entitlement programs. Jim.

[Buzzard]

Taxes must be raised, the state needs money to start more entitlement programs. Jim.

 

....which will attract more of those that will not work and only take. Others will apply to receive these entitlements fraudulently. Come election time, these entitlement recipients will be loaded onto buses and driven to the polling place and asked that they vote to continue the programs. And when the state can no longer support these programs, taxes will once again be raised and the cycle will repeat.

[Jefferson24]

Taxes must be raised, the state needs money to start more entitlement programs. Jim.

 

Since it was a close election Quinn will need to start building that reelection base soon. More programs will actually grow the number of dependent poor which will add to Quinn's support.

 

Meanwhile, the working man that Quinn claims to represent will be taxed to death along with his employer. Maybe the working man will end up losing his job because of company cut backs due to over taxation. He could then be eligible for some entitlement programs. Just an example of the circle of life in Quinn's ideal world.