So it's Pritzker and Rauner (Chicago, Springfield: to rent, mortgage, buy)

[Liledgy]

“Unique, unusual, much different”, call it what you want, it all lead to huge tax cuts, deficits and cuts because of it. But suddenly now there finding money to give back to the teachers.

[dtcbnd03]

1. JB just said that Illinois pensions are not a problem at all...we simply need to pay them and he plans to do so through a progressive income tax which would require a constitutional amendment. The same amendment that could be passed to reduce pensions. JB will basically do whatever Madigan says and IL is headed down the same democratic path of doom. Bankruptcy here we come...

2. It's amazing to me that out of the Rauner / Madigan fight...Rauner comes out the loser and Madigan comes out unscathed. Madigan is a POS...also any budget impasse or increase in IL debt is 100% Madigan's fault....along with the 250 billion in debt from the last 30 years.

3. I applaud Rauner for his efforts to change the state around. Finally someone who stood up to Madigan. His ideas are 100% correct. Fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Unfortunately he doesn't have the "Ra-Ra" drive to get people and his fellow lawmakers behind him.

4. JB will win cause of the crazy ultra conservatives have flipped out over the abortion thing and sanctuary state...and cause the Trump effect has everyone swinging democrat.

[Liledgy]

All Ruiner had to do was continue to pay down the existing pension debt with the tax increase he inherited. He also inherited sweeping pension reform (now in its 8th year) that drastically cut new employees pensions (way to much in my opinion), and huge penalty’s if you retire before 67. I doubt many states have 67 as a full retirement age.

[chet everett]

The Illinois courts have invalidated pretty much ALL the pension "reforms". One could say that shows that despite the fact that Madigan is a highly skilled lawyer himself and he has a network of very devious attorneys that he has relied upon to fight Constitutional changes that he does not want, on this one he simply decided not to consider any such review of the proposed reforms, of course you'd have to be a fool to believe that... OF COURSE he knew that the reforms would get shot down. Heck what judge, who'd see their own benefits eventually get slashed, would rule otherwise and set that precedent?!?

Going along with the same line of reasoning the only reason that the "Tier II" pension rules have not been invalidated is because there is not YET anybody eligible to actually have these apply to their own even early retirement. The strategy that Madigan and his aligned pals who represent people that fall under these rules will be to only go to court when there is test case with some sad sack who is facing some massively devalued benefits. The "edge case" they'll hope to get is somebody who has been paid so little that the test that Social Security Administration uses for the "public pension opt out" will be violated -- that is fancy way of saying that Illinois' Tier II pension may in fact be so stingy that the IRS would say the worker would have been better off with JUST Social Security. https://www.irsvideos.gov/FICAReplacementPlans . The effect of this would be devastating -- any "savings" that Illinois thought it had by having the Tier II would instantly result in MASSIVE new unfunded liability, which under the braintrust of Madigan would immediately require an even more draconian set of higher taxes. And what would JB do? Well I'm gonna guess he'll sort put on his sad puppy face (floppy Shar Pei ???) and say "Gosh I guess the new tier for the top rate is now gonna be a whole lot lower, but don't worry if you yank the toilets out of your house you can slash your property tax, I've done it and worked like a charm..."

[pvande55]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/go...e-grandfather/
Rauner just became a grandfather. Good timing since there is a strong chance that next year he'll have plenty of time to spend with her.

[MSchemist80]

That will be a shame. I am already afraid to buy a house in Illinois out of fear that scumbag Dems are going to tax me out or it to pay for their self serving corrupt govt. Why anyone other than govt employees vote for those mobsters I will never understand.

[dtcbnd03]

So JB wants a progressive income tax (which would require a constitutional amendment). And Rauner and all of Illinois wants pensions to be reduced (which would also require a constitutional amendment).

Why don't we package the two together? I'd 100% be for a progressive income tax but only if we get the amendment to reduce pensions. Could this idea seriously pass in Illinois? Remember, politics is definitely a give/take so while I'd prefer pensions to be reduced at least we'd give them something they can champion like tax the rich more.

[frostopsy]

Originally Posted by BaptistFundie

I'll admit...I'm fairly new to Illinois..I really don't know much about either --other than what I see on the commercials.

But I do know that Democrats have controlled this state for years...and it's in a horrible mess. So why would we put a Democrat governor in office?

Great question, the answer is we shouldn’t put a democrat in office.

The sheer fact we just got a tax hike last year, and that they are proposing another tax hike is reason enough. Meanwhile, there’s no talk of cutting spending, making a constitutional amendment to fix how much we spend on pensions, consolidation of townships and school districts, or god forbid keeping people - especially those much needed millennials from leaving the state and going elsewhere.

I’m not a huge fan of Rauner, but I’ll be damned if I would vote for a democrat who insists on more spending and more taxes, when JB himself is mostly insulated from paying his “fair share”.

[flamadiddle]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

That will be a shame. I am already afraid to buy a house in Illinois out of fear that scumbag Dems are going to tax me out or it to pay for their self serving corrupt govt. Why anyone other than govt employees vote for those mobsters I will never understand.

Agree. We were talking about upsizing since we finally sold our other home, but with talk of Rauner possibly losing in November, I've put that idea to rest. We're now looking at homes across the border.

[MSchemist80]

I really like my job, they pay me really well and treat me well and that is insanely tough to find in my profession. Otherwise I would happily join the Uhaul caravan out of Illinois.