Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A Tax Sinkhole

This is a rant. You can calculate your Quinn tax here. Dennis Byrne, "Quinn's budget: Nail in the coffin":
The choice isn't just between a massive tax increase and doing nothing. A multitude of other possibilities present themselves, like not increasing revenues until demonstrating that current revenues—which have grown by $7 billion over the past decade—are well spent. [snip]

But Quinn's budget also would make matters worse. Illinois is losing jobs and businesses. More people leave than settle here. An arguably low income tax is offset by higher-than-average property taxes, the nation's highest sales tax (in Chicago), a high inheritance tax and a multitude of other, less obvious taxes that Quinn would increase.

Illinois is becoming a tax sinkhole. If government workers in Illinois were paid what comparable workers were paid in the private sector, we could save $3 billion...
But it's the rest of us who pay--for a bloated government.

I am reminded of the story of Matt Lauer crashing his bike trying to avoid a deer. So not PC, very unfortunate. Deer populations wax and wane, but if they're not dealt with by natural predators they can gorge themselves on vegetation and increase their numbers to the point that they all starve.

That is why we hunt them, in a controlled manner, and some use the meat to feed their families.

You might say it's the circle of life.

If I sound a bit pointed it's because I intend to. Shall we all sink together? Tax and spend as if there's no tomorrow? Already our kids are leaving the state. Those of us who can will as well.

Think about that Gov. Quinn. Think about that Mayor Daley. Think about that Todd Stroger. Think about that. Because many of us are not going to stand around and be stolid beasts of burden for your stupidity and shortsightedness--and corruption that costs people their lives.

It's sink or swim time for you elected officials. Many of us are already dealing with this in our daily lives.

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