By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
It’s amazing how in the span of a single year a governor can so radically repackage a set of numbers.
In Nov. 2020, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-year financial projections for Illinois predicted dire consequences for the state – just in time to influence an unprecedented federal bailout.
Today, his newest projections show a vastly improved Illinois – just in time for campaign season. Magically, those new projections have found billions more in revenues each year going forward. But are they real?
Less than one year ago Gov. Pritzker was a man of frowns when he talked of Illinois’ future budgets. The proof was in his budget office’s nasty forecast that showed deficits of $4 to $5 billion annually for the next five years. Without help, unpaid bills would soar to above $30 billion, his number crunchers reported.
The governor was adamant a federal bailout was needed. As the Chicago Tribune reported back then: “Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned that the state faces ‘extraordinarily painful’ budget cuts if the federal government fails to provide states with relief funding to make up for tax revenue shortfalls caused by efforts to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.”
Fast forward to today and Pritzker has a smile on his face. He’s taken advantage of the bailout-ballooned 2022 budget numbers to pump up his revenue forecasts for the next several years. The new projections have $3.5 to $4 billion in extra revenues each year compared to his projections last year, all because he’s based his forecasts off of the much higher 2022 base.
The result is deficits that are dramatically smaller than what Pritzker predicted just 12 months ago.
Pritzker now says, “Illinois isn’t just recovering from the pandemic – we’re building back stronger than ever. My administration is making economic progress worthy of an optimistic outlook, and I’m proud to see it reflected in this fiscal rebound for our state.”
How politically convenient – and untrue. Aside from the $600 million corporate tax hike Pritzker passed, on top of some sin taxes, there’s been zero in spending reforms. Instead, virtually everything the administration has pushed through will make Illinois’ budget worse for Illinoisans. Here’s what a partial list looks like:
- Granting additional sick leave benefits to teachers
- Granting the Chicago Teachers Union additional bargaining powers
- Using taxpayer dollars to pick winners and losers in the EV industry
- Making Tier 2 benefits for local public safety more expensive
- Granting an expensive new contract to state AFSCME workers
- Restoring 6 percent salary spiking for Illinois teachers
- Expanding costs in healthcare by unionizing new workers
- Expanding Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants
- Pushing a massive transformation of Illinois energy sector with incentives and subsidies
- Hiking Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 in the next few years
- And biggest of all, pushing a new ballot initiative that would cement union powers into the state constitution
The bottom line? Beware what you’re being sold.
Read more on Illinois’ budget mess:
- Legislature Gave Pritzker Power To Spend Billions Without Its Input
- New Kiplinger report crowns Illinois as nation’s “Least Tax-Friendly State” for middle-class families
- Pritzker Administration sloughs off Illinois pension liabilities passing $500 billion mark, dissembles on pension crisis again
- Illinois pension shortfall surpasses $500 billion, average debt burden now $110,000 per household
- Gov. Pritzker can’t take credit for Illinois’ improved budget projections when it’s the feds that bailed the state out
A set of state lawmakers want to extend CPS’ current school closing moratorium to February 1, 2027 – the same year CPS is set to transition to a fully-elected school board. That means schools like Manley High School, with capacity for more than 1,000 students but enrollment of just 78, can’t be closed for anther three years. The school spends $45,000 per student, but just 2.4% of students read at grade level.
Hopefully, all media will get the message, in Illinois, too.
Ted joined Tom Miller of WJPF to talk about Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes, why lawmakers don’t want to touch the tax’s cost drivers, just how much Illinoisans’ tax burden has grown over the decades, why Gov. Pritzker failed to meet his promise to reform property taxes, and more.
Two faces, but just exactly how many chins?
Let’s not forget that the Governor tried to eliminate the flat tax in Illinois and make it into a Graduated Income Tax. This was a major loss for JB and it was all doom and gloom from his press office after that failed to pass. But here we are a little over a year later after Illinois voters rejected that amendment and JB is painting a rosy picture because we have elections coming up. You can’t start admitting things are bad under your watch when your name about to appear on the ballot.
Yep. I remember all the doom-and-gloom stories if the Fair Tax didn’t pass. His rosy outlook now proves a graduated income tax wasn’t necessary.
This man must NOT be re-elected! Once his magic numbers hit the general population (taxpayers, not the freeloaders), the sheet will hit the fan. Porkie Pricktacur has made millions of the taxpayers and even more from the sheeple that fall for his face diaper demands. Who owns warehouses? Porkie Who owns storage and distribution for masks and sanitizer? Porkie. Who has his hoves in medical documentation companies that process the medical paperwork? Porkie.
If Porkie were to drop where is smiles right now, the state and it’s taxpayers would immediately be better off.
I don’t know why but these photos remind me of the song “Tears of a Clown” by Smokey Robinson.
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/smokeyrobinsonthemiracles/thetearsofaclown.html
A smiling politician in full election mode.
And as a bonus he’s paid off all his political
Benefactors and screwed the people he cares little about.
Theres two things Putzkers mouth is constantly doing,either spewing lies and bullshit,or of course,shoving food down his piehole
Corrupt, to his core.
Never worked a day in his life.
2022 will wipe that smile off his face.
Hmmm….Ya mean Porky is full of sht?
JB thought he was going to get his face carved into Mount Rushmore. He was disappointed to find out there is not room for two more faces.
I guess Pritzkers income tax hike that voters rejected was all a rouse. All those sappy commercials with Uncle JB were fictional. Says a LOT about Pritzker the Huckster.
In the name of equality Pritzker should have all of his assets taxed away to be redistributedd to the poor that voted him into office.