7 misleading progressive tax claims public unions are telling Illinois members

By Mailee Smith

09/30/2020

Government unions and their PACs have spent more than $1 million pushing the progressive tax on the Nov. 3 ballot – and are using misleading information.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, fair tax, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, progressive tax, SEIU: Service Employees International Union, Vote Yes for Fair Tax

Official Illinois progressive tax explainer ranges from misleading to wrong

By Adam Schuster

09/18/2020

Progressive income tax proponents put factually inaccurate and misleading claims into a constitutionally required pamphlet intended to inform voters about a proposed amendment.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, fair tax, JB Pritzker, progressive tax

When Illinois politicians call taxes ‘temporary’ or ‘fair,’ they won’t be

09/16/2020

Illinois lawmakers make many promises about tax increases. Then they break those promises.

TAGS: fair tax, JB Pritzker, progressive tax

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

By Adam Schuster

09/03/2020

Illinois’ pension crisis has been a growing problem for decades, and its negative effects on state residents are well documented.1 Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdown orders threaten to bring that long-running crisis closer to its breaking point. The state’s five pension systems collectively held nearly $139 billion of debt at...

Illinois’ mortgage delinquency rate highest in Midwest amid largest spike in state’s history

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

09/03/2020

Delinquent mortgages nearly doubled to 124,000 amid COVID-19’s soaring unemployment, and inaction by state and local governments.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, mortgage, recession

Taxpayer tab totals $111.3M to keep Southwestern Illinois airport open

By Brad Weisenstein

08/28/2020

Each year St. Clair County taxpayers must add money to keep MidAmerica St. Louis Airport open. COVID-19 could turn a hefty financial burden into an albatross.

TAGS: MidAmerica Airport, St. Clair County, waste

What Illinoisans need to know about the progressive income tax

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

08/27/2020

Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls his $3.7 billion income tax hike a “fair tax.” But opponents have criticized the constitutional amendment as a blank check for House Speaker Mike Madigan and other state lawmakers, courtesy of Illinois taxpayers.

TAGS: fair tax, graduated income tax, Illinois Constitution, income tax, JB Pritzker, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, progressive income tax, property taxes, taxes

Illinois still logs nearly 38,000 unemployment claims as Pritzker replaces employment chief

07/16/2020

The Illinois Department of Employment Security has been under fire throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as millions waited for unemployment relief.

TAGS: IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, JB Pritzker, jobs

Retiree tax, double tax, city tax all likely with Pritzker’s ‘fair tax’

07/13/2020

Illinois politicians are already talking about taxing retirees, adding “surcharges” and city income taxes if they can convince voters to abandon the Illinois Constitution’s flat tax protection and give lawmakers greater taxing power.

TAGS: fair tax, farms, JB Pritzker, marriage penalty, progressive income tax, retirement tax

Illinois passed a record-breaking income tax hike 3 years ago. Here’s where the money went.

By Adam Schuster

07/05/2020

Income taxes rose 32% for individuals and 33% for corporations in 2017, raising Illinois’ total tax burden to at least sixth highest from 10th highest. More than $1.2 billion went to pensions and debt.

TAGS: fair tax, income tax, JB Pritzker

Great Recession

7 misleading progressive tax claims public unions are telling Illinois members

Official Illinois progressive tax explainer ranges from misleading to wrong

When Illinois politicians call taxes ‘temporary’ or ‘fair,’ they won’t be

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

Illinois’ mortgage delinquency rate highest in Midwest amid largest spike in state’s history

Taxpayer tab totals $111.3M to keep Southwestern Illinois airport open

What Illinoisans need to know about the progressive income tax

Illinois still logs nearly 38,000 unemployment claims as Pritzker replaces employment chief

Retiree tax, double tax, city tax all likely with Pritzker’s ‘fair tax’

Illinois passed a record-breaking income tax hike 3 years ago. Here’s where the money went.

Taxed out: 10 reforms to stop Illinois from losing people and jobs

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Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students