Tag Archives: Budget

There’s a “Red Menace” Made of Ink, and We’re Drowning In It

I published the following post last December. With the defeat of the Governor’s so-called “Fair Tax” amendment, it seems an appropriate time to bring it around again. . The Chicago Tribune has published the story of a family trying to … Continue reading

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Governor, Let’s Work Together On Controlling the Cost of Government

In his very first Executive Order, Governor Pritzker instructed that: . “Every State Agency shall, within 60 days of the effective date of this Executive Order, conduct a review of (a) all statutory obligations, and (b) all audit findings within … Continue reading

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Debt Option #1: Front-Loading Pension Payments

Long before I was elected to the House, I’ve been talking about Illinois’ pension crisis (here, here, here and here, to name a few). Since that time, our accumulated pension debt has risen from “just” over $100 billion to somewhere … Continue reading

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Frustrated? Call (217) 782-5350. Ask for Mike.

We have 19 days until the end of the legislative session, and how have we spent the month of May so far? We didn’t meet at all during the first week, and this past week was spent passing resolutions and … Continue reading

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Rauner’s Trying to Avoid Reagan’s Mistake

In 1982, Ronald Reagan signed the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA). TEFRA was a bill that increased taxes, and was part of a grand bargain that the President entered into with the Democrat-controlled Congress to increase taxes by … Continue reading

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