Daily Must Reads for the week of January 2
Suggested reading for the week of January 2.
4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap
Causes, costs, how to set the state free
View ReportDemocratic Party
Durbin can’t have it both ways
by Kristina Rasmussen U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D) is hitting the media circuit raising concerns about stalled efforts to extend a temporary payroll tax holiday, warning that without action Illinois families will see their paychecks shrink: “A hundred and sixty million workers across America, 12 days from now, will see their payroll tax go up,” said Senator...
Perfectly progressive
by Kristina Rasmussen Illinois’ flat tax is one of the few bright spots in our state’s tax code. It’s simple, fair and good for growth. And, as NRO’s Kevin Williamson puts it, a flat tax is perfectly progressive: One’s income-tax liability is perfectly proportional to one’s income: At 10 percent, that means $10 on $100 in income, and...
Small business alert: Tax relief is waiting for you?
by Dan Proft In January of this year, Gov. Pat Quinn, House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton passed the largest tax increase in Illinois history. They proceeded to spend much of 2011 carving out special exceptions to the tax hike for politically powerful Illinois employers. This week, Sears and the CME Group...
Personal tax relief is still missing
by Kristina Rasmussen From the sounds of it, House leaders are planning another go on the “tax relief” deal and break it up into two amendments. One for the business measures, and one for the personal measures. My dissatisfaction with Democrats’ previous attempts to offer tax relief to individuals and family is no secret (get my take from...
Gov. Walker’s reforms are working
by Michael Wille Earlier this year, the Wisconsin legislature passed the Budget Repair Act, a bill that, among other things, limits the collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin teachers. In the most contentious battle regarding public sector unions the state has ever seen, hundreds of thousands of people descended upon the statehouse to protest the actions...
If Illinois Members of Congress had their way, how much would government spending increase or decrease?
by Kristina Rasmussen If Illinois Members of Congress had their way, how much would government spending increase or decrease? The National Taxpayers Union Foundation keeps a running tally of each Congressman’s net spending agendas as measured by their bill co-sponsorships. Last week I asked them to share preliminary data on the spending agendas of members of the Illinois...
Repeal the Tax Hike?
by Mark Cavers Last week, the Illinois Policy Institute partnered with the Manhattan Institute to release a poll measuring the public’s mood on a wide range of issues including: Pensions, the state’s budget, the economy, taxes, unions, and collective bargaining. According to our poll, 63% of people still oppose the tax hikes that were passed in January. Even more...
Appeals Court Punts on Obamacare
by Jonathan Ingram Do you think Obamacare should be repealed? If you do, you’re not alone. Public opposition to Obamacare remains as high as ever. According to the most recent survey by Rasmussen Reports, 57 percent of likely voters favor repealing the law. What’s more, 54 percent believe repeal is likely, which is the highest level of...
Citizens Don’t Want More Taxes
by Aon Hussain With the world watching, the Republican controlled House and the Democrat controlled Senate and President came to an agreement on the debt ceiling that simultaneously raised the debt ceiling and ensured more than two trillion dollars in spending cuts. While this showdown was combative, another duel between Democrats and Republicans looms in...
