Thursday, April 22, 2010

What a Welfare State Looks Like

Only in Illinois: where teachers and union members rallied to raise more taxes yesterday.

And this is before the tax bill for health care comes due.

But there is a better option for our beleaguered state and it was offered by a member of the Democratic House in Illinois, Jack D. Franks.

We need to pressure our Illinois legislative leaders to support his legislation.

-Wes

Addendum: Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the Instalanche.

9 comments:

Jeffersonian said...

I don't live in Illinois, but I work there. Raise my income taxes and I'll be looking for a job back in Missouri. Enough is enough.

cubanbob said...

Give them a pay and benefit cut and call it a tax increase!

Anonymous said...

Two words: Clawback tax.

The states are legally bound to pay the promised state employee benefits, but nothing prevents them from levying a tax on the grossly bloated municipal union pensions.

The states should pass legislation imposing a 100% tax on all state employee pensions and benefits that exceed the median for the private citizens of that state.

In this manner, not only can the states fairly balance their budgets but they give all state employees an incentive to increase the prosperity of the citizenry to its maximum potential.

JorgXMcKie said...

Pretty amusing. I spent most of my life in Illinois, and stopping shoveling money into connected unions is about as likely as the sun coming up in the west tomorrow.

States aren't allowed, I think, to declare bankruptcy, but what happens when they can't even borrow enough to make all the payments? Well, somebody won't get paid. It'll sure be interesting to see who loses out first. [Well, who loses out just after small businesses with few or no political connections. Without clout they're too obvious. I'm wondering who will be next? Retirees? Maybe. About all they can do is vote, and many of them die each year {so, I guess their votes could then be put wherever the powers want them}.]

Dangerous Dave said...

They want there taxes raised. Create a special union employee tax. 10% on all government union workers and 10% on all state union pension benifits.
That way they can feel what the rest of us are going through after the 10% pay cut most private employee's took last year.

orbicularioculi said...

States are coming up against a BRICK WALL of entitlement deficit. When there is not enough cash flow to pay the bills in the state... and the Federal Gov't can't baill you out...the only outcome is HUGE layoffs of government employees... and elimination of all unnecessary public jobs.

This will be happening more and more and there is NOTHING that these incredibly arrogant unions can do about it. It's wake-up time, public employees.

There is NO MORE MONEY TO PAY YOU.

Paul in NJ said...

It's not only in Illinois... it's in NJ, too. Public unions refuse to even discuss a one-year wage freeze.

Instead, they argue that the governor should raise taxes so that their members can get raises!

bandit said...

No, it's not only IL - it's any 1 party blue state, CA, MA, NY, RI

The Happy Hospitalist said...

In my state retirees get 100% of their health care premiums paid for forever.

Forever. If you work twenty years as a firefighter and you retire in your 40's you get 20 years of free health insurance.

Here's an idea. Get a job like everyone else in their 40's if you can't afford to pay a portion of your health insurance premiums.

Ridiculous.