By: Mark Glennon*
Will the shiny objects in Illinois’ new budget bedazzle voters as intended? Here are some initial thoughts.
This year, the vote buying has become so obvious that voters might not be fooled. Here are the goodies, compliments of incumbent lawmakers:
Under the state’s new budget, its 1% sales tax on groceries will be suspended for the fiscal year. An automatic 2-cent increase to the state’s motor fuel tax, set to jump with the new fiscal year on July 1, will be delayed until year-end. The existing property tax credit will be expanded to allow for rebate checks up to $300 for homeowners. The state’s earned income tax credit will increase and eligibility for the program will be expanded.
But just for good measure, as the session was nearing its end, lawmakers decided just to send out checks to 90% of Illinoisans. Adults will get $50 checks, with an additional $100 for up to three dependent children. Only Illinoisans who earn more than $200,000 or $400,000 for joint tax filers will be ineligible.
What’s this all about? Reporter Mary Ann Ahern was as superbly succinct, tweeting “Election year + Covid $ = ” as a caption on NBC Chicago’s summary of the budget. Apologies to her for filching that in our headline.
Even a couple columnists who are normally apologists for Illinois Democrats had to call this what it is – “an election year budget.” Both Shia Kapos at Politico and Rich Miller of Capitol Fax called it that.
Then there’s Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is up for reelection in February. She recently announced that the city will be giving away 5,000 free bicycles, helmets and locks. Cash assistance to buy home security cameras is also on its way. She has now further proposed giving away $150 gas cards to motorists and $50 mass transit cards.
Is all this really any different from the vote buying Willie Wilson is widely accused of? He’s a candidate for mayor and recently gave away a million bucks worth of free gasoline. That may be more blatant than what state lawmakers and Lightfoot are doing, but at least he used his own money, not the public’s money. And he didn’t cause the problems that require relief, unlike the state and Chicago.
Let’s hope voters have the sense to see what’s going on. Let’s ask incumbent lawmakers gloating about the new budget this question: If Illinois is now truly producing budget surpluses as you claim, why are so many of the goodies you are handing out only for this election year?
There’s much more in Illinois’ new budget that we will be writing on soon and discussing in our next podcast. It’s not entirely bad, by the way.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
From trib articale I was reading, one other important political play dems made by inserting some rinkie-dink temporary tax break giveaways is that it forced almost all Republicans rep/sen to vote for budget because Republicans don’t want to go into election season saying they voted against tax cuts
They bribe the people with their own money. Too many people on the government cheese. How many “conservatives” who complain about Pritzker will vote for him anyway because they work for the government and don’t want their pension or benefits “diminished” Until a decent percentage of public employees step up and say enough, nothing will change. Republicans may be a little better, but they’ve stood by and let Madigan and his cronies rob the state blind in exchange for a cut. We need outsiders to get involved and force reforms. George Will broke it down in the Washington Post. It’s… Read more »
Politicians have been doing this forever. Hopefully people realize how ridiculous these handouts are and don’t actually sway anyone’s vote/opinion.
Bread and circuses didn’t save Ancient Rome; cash and gas won’t save Illinois.
Mark: Great article, as usual! Perhaps the worst way to abuse taxpayers is to use some of the tax dollars to buy votes from the subset of voters who pay a smaller portion of the tax revenue. FDR started this on the federal level and it worked for him for FOUR elections. Not a coincidence that he was also the worst president on our economy, misusing tax dollars and abusing our corporations large and small. Depression didn’t end until after he died and Truman started relaxing onerous regulations on businesses.
Biden’s copying the FDR model. Invest wisely my friend.
The budget taxpayer trinkets ( gas/grocery tax break, $100 to $200 check, etc) seem infinitesimal compared to all the covid arpa equity grant giveaways. JB, prekwinkle, lightfoot, etc are still zooming around in front of the cameras handing out the ‘free stuff’ equity grants with zero oversight. If anything, I think the dem state mafia has tactically blown it, they should have kept more of the covid arpa equity grant giveaways bucks until election time. In any case, I think in a year, when all the covid $bucks$ are gone and the sugar high is over, puncked Illinoisans are going… Read more »
an up to $300 rebate on property taxes! Wow, I am off to buy a tank of gas and a few days groceries.
Each sales receipt should read, “These measly shekels were brought to you by the idiots in Springfield.” I challenge every retail establishment to do it. Turn ridicule into a Let’s Go Brandon movement.
THX for the reminder, I have to buy a Let’s Go Brandon bumper sticker. I saw one yesterday.
How does delaying the gas tax increase help anyone? Are my wages magically going to keep pace with inflation between now and December 31? Either inflation is a problem or it’s not.
The state could’ve simply canceled this year’s increase altogether because it’s looking like high inflation is going to stick around and they’re going to have the same problem next year. Betting the well-monied trades put a lot of pressure on them to make it only temporary.
Illinois is so deep blue they probably could have avoided these nuggets of financial relief. This state is NEVER going to be purple, much less red. Indiana here I come! I just hope the people from Illinois that move to Indiana don’t take their ideology and liberal, progressive voting practices there. Wishful thinking, I know!
If it’s not important to you to stay near Chicago, you might want to also consider Tennessee. It’s more conservative than Indiana.
Contrary to progressive’s hopes, escapees from IL or NY are not going to change red states blue. They are so disgusted with IL politics that they pack up and leave, not an easy thing. They are smart enough not to let their new states fall into the IL trap. We moved, a tough decision, but our new area is filled with blue state escapees and they will not let the same stuff happen here, like obscene pension obligations. If anything, they are even more involved in stopping any sign of IL BS.
This is why we left IL. It’s fiscally bankrupt, yet it’s handing out free money. Unions love IL Dems as they got theirs. The whole lot of them have screwed IL like mad for decades, yet the voters in IL keep sending them back. The PEOPLE of IL are to blame They’re dumber than a post for the way they vote.
They are NOT voted in. They’re bought and paid for and PUT in office ! IL hasn’t had legitimate voting since the 1920s !!
This year, the vote buying has become so obvious that voters might not be fooled
Never underestimate the idiocy of Illinois voters.
Most of this won’t even be noticed by voters. Groceries are up so much due to inflation that 1% in tax relief is a slap in the face. As for the gas tax, property tax and income tax, all these so called relief efforts happen after the election, so good luck with that. The peasants are angry as a result of horribly failed progressive policies, but will they vote differently? In a large percentage of the country they probably will. In Illinois I really doubt it.