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Originally Posted by the urban politician
^ Not sure why you have such an axe to grind with me, but nothing you're writing here refutes what I've said.
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I have nothing against you, I just want to balance some of your claims that I find questionable. Maybe the problem is that you view everything from the lens of trying to grind an axe or win an argument. Maybe it is in how I deliver my thoughts. I have agreed with you many times on this board and will continue to do so. When I don't agree, I will comment from my perspective. That's how message boards work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the urban politician
I never said taxes don't go up elsewhere. What exactly is your angle? I really can't get my head around what you're trying to prove to me?
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It is the unsaid part of every comment about taxes in Illinois. Only looking at one side of the equation (Illinois) isn't a strong basis for decision making. If I say I am leaving Illinois because taxes are "too high", then it absolutely matters what taxes are like where I move. I have seen this play out with friends moving to Georgia, Iowa and North Carolina only to find higher taxes than they anticipated. I find this type of argument common (not necessarily from you), and wanted to counter it with a real-world example.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the urban politician
What I'm saying is that while fast growing places are seeing taxes rise to pay for infrastructure, Illinois' problem is that our taxes--every type of them--are headed up just to pay for previous pension obligations that we've failed to pay into. Money in a hole--a hole that is growing.
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I completely agree with this statement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the urban politician
Exactly proves my point. The solution is always about more, new, or higher taxes to fill a growing hole. The largest pension hole in the nation.
Flabbergasted that you can somehow paint this as anything less than a crisis......  |
I haven't seen one credible way to get out of the pension hole without more revenue. If you have an idea, the folks in Springfield would love to see it. Rauner had 4 years to present an idea and gave us nothing.
That said, why can't it be about the RIGHT taxes? If we eliminate the retirement income exemption and fill the pension hole, I think you could argue that it is fixing an unbalanced system as opposed to "more, new, or higher taxes". In reality it is increasing taxes, but
technically it is just eliminating a questionable exemption.