Ted joined Andrea Darlas to break down Governor Pritzker’s proposed 2026 state budget, Pritzker’s divisive language, and why his speech is merely window dressing for a rumored run for the White House.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- JB Pritzker says he is fighting against Nazis in astounding speech
- Illinois shouldn’t dismiss Indiana’s overture to snap up “separatist” downstate counties
- Illinois’ government-anointed electric bus maker is a bigger fiasco than we knew
- One big example of why Illinois badly needs a DOGE of its own
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Map: How Each U.S. State’s Population Has Changed Since 2020
Here is a proposal Florida to be the first state to eliminate property taxes. Their effective property tax rate is.0.79% compared to way over 3% in Rockford. This would never be proposed in Illinois.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/gov-ron-desantis-backs-proposal-160000008.html
There’s one huge tax cut we are forgetting about. That is the elimination down the road of the massive 1% grocery tax. That should save us from going into poverty. Problem is the local municipalities will have to institute their own grocery tax.
It may well never become law, but Freddy you, I and countless other IL senior citizens are going to love what’s proposed here.
https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/
Thanks. Good info. I would add that all properties need fire and police so I would not mind paying for that. What the property itself does not need or will ever use is the schools/ parks-etc only the occupants may need those services. You may recall that I said that depending on the value of our properties we pay a different amount depending on value. What if the cost of fuel and fuel taxes for our autos were based on the value of the vehicle? The problem is the cost for the services must still be paid so what other… Read more »
The state senator who authored this bill may not have considered an adverse effect for the taxing bodies if the bill is enacted. Wouldn’t this bill encourage families to move in with their older relatives who have large houses? If that happened, the taxing bodies would lose PT revenue from two families.
It wouldn’t hurt the local taxing bodies one bit. If special interest receives a property tax cut, the remaining properties are forced to pick up the slack. The taxes will be collected on the backs of younger working families. The older families that voted for politicians that continually shorted pensions and put us in our current financial mess would receive a tax break. Most of these people would be retirees who already don’t pay income taxes on their IRA/401k withdrawals and pensions. I’m not a fan of property taxes but it’s ridiculous that seniors in Illinois would get a property… Read more »
I agree (mostly), so I gave a thumbs up. Younger generations didn’t create the mess, but this proposal dumps yet more of the burden on them. Now, who exactly did cause the financial mess? We still disagree about that.
The people that voted for elected leaders that created pension holidays and the infamous pension ramp. Perhaps you could argue the people that voted in the 1970 election that made it unconstitutional to make changes to existing pensions. Either way the same older people that are now complaining about property taxes.
I agree and should add that not only did my generation supported, or demanded if you may, assorted services paid for with funds that were obligated elsewhere. We also get an extra homestead exemption and income based assessment freezes for real estate tax purposes. Quite a gift all in all…sadly
That’s one of the consequences, and I’m reasonably sure there are others equally obvious if we pondered it.. But, maybe the major problem is that every dollar saved by one home owner adds another dollar to the overall tax having to be collected in our immediate taxing district. That aggravates and agitates some local hatred for the area including the opinions of your neighbors. Then, some areas are going to have surprisingly more home owner exemptions than others which aggravates them even more. Nope, as proposed it’s likely a non-starter. But, how about a compromise, say reducing the local real… Read more »
Indiana allows county taxes on income so the real income tax rate averages out to 4.8%. It’s still less than Illinois, but it’s a fairer comparison to the total income tax burden in Indiana. See:
https://taxfoundation.org/blog/indiana-local-income-taxes/
That’s correct MsT. There are all kinds of other taxes to consider, especially property taxes. When you add them all up, all state and local taxes, Illinois ranks 7th highest at 12.9%. Indiana is 37th, with a rate of 9.3%.
Comparison of all states in our piece here: https://wirepoints.org/states-across-the-country-are-cutting-taxes-illinois-just-raised-theirs-by-nearly-1-billion-wirepoints/
Unlike all the adjacent states, Illinois does not tax pension income.
*Yet*
I’m afraid if IL instituted it’s own ‘DOGE’…
They would just use it to hide their corruption better…
Even if IL reduced taxes in one area, it would more than make up for it by creating or increasing taxes or fees in other areas. Mismanagement cannot continue to flourish without such a financial plan.
Texas and Florida have Zero State Income Tax. Notice both are growing rapidly.
The horror stories around getting homeowners insurance in Florida are real. It’s getting to be the equivalent of Illinois property taxes. Plenty of great options for moving in this great country, but I’m not sure about Florida.
Almost any state you pick is a better pick than what they are leaving.
Florida is growing at the rate of 300,000 plus residents per year, so some how they are finding insurance and many of them are Illinois pensioners.
Florida is a major destination for retirees, many of whom bring their pension income from other states. While the exact total varies yearly, estimates suggest that tens of billions of dollars in pension income flow into Florida annually. Key Factors: Migration of Retirees: Florida consistently ranks as the top state for retiree relocation. Many retirees bring pensions from states like New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. No State Income Tax: Florida does not tax pension income, making it more attractive than high-tax states. Public and Private Pensions: This includes government (federal, state, and local) and private-sector pensions. Estimated Figures: A… Read more »
Insurance can run upwards of 5K per year in Florida. Check out reventure consulting on youtube. You can also download the data for Excel from Zillow. As far as income tax goes, Indiana has a county income tax and the highest combined rate can hit 6%.
My cousin lives in the Miami Dade area homeowners insurance is close to 10,000 a year, buyer(s) beware.
Your cousin must live a home worth a couple million dollars.
Hard to believe but it would be closer to a $300K home. The link I put up says insurance is over $8,700 for a $250K dwelling including some contents probably depending on area.
https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/homeowners/average-cost-home-insurance-florida/
Bingo. Home owners insurance in Indiana is a fraction in Florida and property taxes are capped at 1% of a homes value.
Plus income tax continue to fall. Its down to 3% from 3.23% a few years ago and its working it way down to the mid 2s while still having a surplus.
Lots of options out there people. Do your thing.