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Archive for the ‘Taxes’ Category

Legislation to upgrade power grid for EV charging may increase utility bills

Posted in BOHICA, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes on April 4, 2024| 1 Comment »

By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square

Legislation to fast track an upgrade of the power grid in Illinois to accommodate the charging of electric vehicles is facing resistance.

The Powering Up Illinois Act in House Bill 5610 provides that an electrical corporation that operates in Illinois shall upgrade the state’s electrical distribution systems in order to achieve the state’s decarbonization standards.

“Fast charging stations for passenger vehicles often sit idle waiting for power,” said Muhammed Patel, a member of the Clean Vehicles and Fuels team at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The act assures that we can address these delays in the short term while giving us the long term framework to plan and invest adequately.”

State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said all electric ratepayers will be forced to pick up the tab whether they own an EV or not.

“The 70-year-old couple who are on a fixed income are going to pay for the upgrades now whether they use or see it or not,” said Ugaste.

The measure advanced out of committee but with several lawmakers voting no. It now heads to the House floor for consideration.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said his goal is to have 1 million electric vehicles on Illinois roads by the year 2030.  As of July of last year, only 76,000 EVs were registered in Illinois.

Read more here.

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Illinois has the worst rainy-day fund in the nation

Posted in BOHICA, Clown Car, Deception, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, WTF on April 3, 2024| 1 Comment »

Illinois has the worst rainy-day fund in the nation and has only enough cash to last for 15 days. It’s the only state that wouldn’t last a month.

By Bryce Hill | Illinois Policy Institute

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is only proposing directing an additional $170 million in 2025 to the state’s rainy-day fund – officially known as the Budget Stabilization Fund.

It’s not like the state is saving cash: the new 2025 budget comes with $2.3 billion in new spending. The small contribution will mean Illinois’ rainy-day fund balance will reach $2.3 billion – just more than 15 days of state spending under a $52.7 billion general funds budget. Total reserves will likely remain the lowest in the nation.

Every other state in the nation can last for more than a month – with most at two to three months – solely using their rainy-day funds.

Billions in federal pandemic aid and stronger-than-expected post-pandemic revenues allowed Illinois to build its rainy-day fund up from practically nothing in 2019.

Although it’s grown, the fund’s balance remains far too low. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s own target of 7.5%, or $3.95 billion, would cover just over 27 days of state spending.

Experts with the Government Finance Officers Association recommend states keeping enough in reserve to run for 60 days.

More here.

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Legislation would require third background check, mandatory training for gun purchases

Posted in Clown Car, Politics, Springfield, Taxes on April 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Steve Woods | Unsplash

By Catrina Petersen | The Center Square

Despite Illinois having nearly four million background checks done on gun owning residents in 2023, Illinoisans who want to buy a firearm would have to undergo state-approved training and three background checks if a proposed bill makes it across the finish line.

A Second Amendment advocate says this latest gun-restriction bill is a tactic to keep firearms out of law-abiding citizens’ hands.

House Bill 3239, sponsored by state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, would obligate Illinoisans who want to buy a firearm to go through eight hours of training and other requirements. The bill is in the House Judiciary Criminal Committee, which is scheduled to meet in Springfield Tuesday. Her office said she will not be calling the bill this week.

William Kirk, president of Washington Gun Law, said the measure woud require residents who want to purchase a firearm to go to their local law enforcement department and go through a background check with fingerprinting.

“Once that permission slip is given to them, they would have 180 days in which they could purchase a firearm. They have to turn that card into the [federal firearms licensee]. The FFL has to take a receipt of it. It’s like a punch-card, you get to buy one per permission slip,” said Kirk. “Illinois also has the goofy [Firearm Owners Identification] card as well, so anyone who has a FOID card has to undergo a background check, then of course anyone who has ever purchased a gun knows that any FFL is going to run you through a federally-mandated background check and then you have to go through a background check when you get your permission slip from local police.”

A FOID card is required in Illinois for residents to own or purchase firearms and ammunition. According to numbers from Illinois State Police, over 2.4 million Illinois residents possess FOID cards, nearly 19% of the state’s 12.7 million people. The greatest number of these cards have been issued in Cook County, with over 730,000 active cards at the end of 2023. Champaign County had issued 34,144.

“Illinois residents will have to go through a background check, to get a background check to get a background check,” Kirk said.

Read more here.

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Pensions eat up $11.6B of Illinois’ budget

Posted in 300, Barrington Education Association, Pension Funding, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on April 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Despite taking up 20% of the state’s general funds and $11.6 billion in total, experts said lawmakers still underpaid the five statewide government retirement plans.

By Bryce Hill & Dylan Sharkey | Illinois Policy Institute

Pension expenses are the single-largest item in the state budget, taking up nearly $10.5 billion,  or 20%, of the state’s general funds budget, and nearly $11.6 billion across all state funds.

Illinois’ pension contributions are far below what actuaries determined is required to begin paying down the state’s $142 billion in pension debt – the gap between what the state will have available and what state retirees must eventually be paid. Payments across all funds in 2025 are more than $4.5 billion short of actuarially determined contributions, according to the Illinois General Assembly’s Commission on Pritzker also proposed adding three years to the state’s current funding plan and raising the funding target from 90% to 100%.

Pritzker also proposed adding three years to the state’s current funding plan and raising the funding target from 90% to 100%.

Pritzker is correct to target 100% funding to solidify the state’s pension systems. However, his proposal ignores Illinois’ insufficient pension contributions on an actuarial basis – meaning they won’t meet real-world needs as defined by the experts.

The state’s funding schedule will not contribute above current actuarially determined contribution levels until 2039, but that figure will climb each year the state fails to make an adequate payment. In fiscal year 2023, actuarially determined contributions were less than $14.9 billion, more than $1.1 billion below today’s actuarially determined contribution.

Read more here.

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Eileen O’Neill Burke wins Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney’s primary (too bad Toni, Brandon)

Posted in Cook, County, Look For The Union Label, Organizations, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, Unions on March 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

By Jermont Terry , Adam Harrington , Dan Kraemer | CBS Chicago

Eileen O’Neill Burke was declared the winner of the Democratic primary for Cook County State’s Attorney Friday, 10 days after voters took to the polls.

The Associated Press called the race Friday evening.

“I’m honored to be the Democratic nominee for Cook County State’s Attorney! Congratulations to Clayton Harris on a hard-fought campaign,” O’Neill Burke wrote. “There is so much more that unites us than what divides us. I promise to work tirelessly to help build a safer, stronger Cook County together.”

A Harris spokesperson said Harris called O’Neill Burke to concede the race. Harris’ campaign released this statement:

“After months of organizing, meeting and talking with people from all across this county, and waiting for every vote to be counted, we’ve fallen a bit short of our goal. I want to congratulate Eileen O’Neill Burke on her victory.

“I am incredibly proud of the broad, diverse, grassroots coalition we built countywide with the vision of a criminal justice system that focuses on safety and justice. Where we keep every resident safe–no matter what neighborhood they live in, and where we do so in a just fashion.

“I said throughout this campaign that I would continue to push forward on the urgent work of criminal justice reform. That remains my commitment.

“From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, Cook County.”

Harris’ campaign said it would not be pursuing a recount.

Read more here.

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Cuba Township Annual Town Meeting April 9th

Posted in County, Cuba Township Road District, Lake, Politics, Property Taxes, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Topics Of Interest on March 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

CUBA TOWNSHIP 174th ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Originally implemented to give citizens a uniform place and time to gather, this state mandated meeting provides an opportunity for any registered voter of the Township to speak. Cuba Township voters may propose agenda items, relevant to the powers granted to the electors under the Township code, for the Annual Town Meeting. Proposals must be written and signed by at least 15 registered Cuba Township voters and delivered by March 1, 2024, to the Cuba Township Clerk, Heidi N. Shannon. Please join us. Questions can be directed to the Township office at (847) 381-1924 174th Annual Town Meeting April 9th, 2024; 6:00 pm Cuba Township Office 28000 W. Cuba Road Barrington, IL 60010 Call to Order Pledge of Allegiance Nomination and election of Moderator Oath of office to Moderator Public Comment Approval of Minutes 2023 Annual Town Meeting Supervisor’s Annual Financial Report Highway Commissioner’s Report New Business Old Business Scheduling of Date, Time, and place of 2025 Annual Town Meeting Adjournment

*Agenda approved by township board on March 14th, 2024 Published in Daily Herald March 19, 2024 (4613350), posted 03/19/2024

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Pritzker boasts about Illinois election process. Mockery ensues. 

Posted in Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb and Dumber, Elections, Illinois State Board of Elections, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on March 25, 2024| 2 Comments »

By: Mark Glennon | Wirepoints

With polls showing as few as 37% of Americans confident that our elections are open and honest, you wouldn’t think anybody would be bragging about integrity of the process. That’s especially true in Illinois, where the bungled vote count for Cook County State’s Attorney is rapidly getting even international attention.

But brag away is what Gov. JB Pritzker did. “Here in Illinois, our elections are protected,” he wrote on X (Twitter) last week. “We’re not scared of more of our people exercising their right to vote. That’s why we’ve expanded early voting, curbside voting, and made the vote-by-mail registry permanent to protect your fundamental right.”

The replies were savage — over 500 of them and counting, almost entirely negative.

Here are some of them:

Protected from what…? Is this a bad joke? You have @ToniPreckwinkle trying to steal an election in front of everyone for @ClaytonforCook…. Curbside or graveside…?  Why is it so hard for me to show my ID at the voting booth…?  Curbside cheating…I’d think that a valid form of identification would really help. It’s concerning that showing an ID is considered some sort of inequitable requirement that contributes to systematic racism & is some sort of violation of rights…You mean to make our elections impossible to audit and inherently unsecure…. Wow. This was sent in the literal middle of one of the biggest corrupt election theft jobs in crook county history…What about voter ID ? Stand up for real voting integrity. No, didn’t really think you would. Phoney…Stalin would be proud of you comrade…You made election stealing permanent. A national disgrace.

Those are among the more polite ones. You can see the rest here.

And of course there were video memes, like the one here, which pretty well sums up the replies.

Read more here.

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“Barrington’s News You Can Use” by Karen Darch

Posted in DARCHED, EJ&E/Canadian National, METRA, Politics, Public Safety, School Districts, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, TRAC, Traffic, Unions on March 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Village of Barrington President Karen Darch

“This past Tuesday, our community came together at Barrington’s White House for two Rail Safety Sessions hosted in conjunction with Metra. Since the tragic death of Barrington High School student Marin Lacson in January, we have all placed a renewed emphasis on ensuring that our residents stay safe around the rails in Barrington.

At the Community Rail Safety Sessions, Metra representatives emphasized obeying all warning signals and crossing gates; waiting until a train is fully passed and warning lights and bells have ceased and gates are deactivated before venturing across the tracks (as often a second train might be blocked by the first); never driving or walking around lowered gates; and paying attention to markings on the crossings and platforms.

In addition, Metra representatives reminded us that disobeying a rail signal is not only a serious safety issue, it’s illegal. First-time offenders in vehicles can incur up to a $500 fine for trespassing on the tracks when the grade crossing warning devices are activated. Second and subsequent violations can incur doubled fines. This type of violation requires an appearance in court and may result in a six-month suspension of a driver’s license if repeat offenses are committed.

Finally, if you do find yourself witnessing or becoming involved in a train crossing accident, or if you see a problem on the tracks, find the Emergency Notification Systems “blue sign” (see below) that is located at every rail crossing and call the 1-800 number. This sign gives the public critical emergency contact information at every grade crossing, enabling the public to reach the railroad responsible for the crossing and to identify the specific crossing in the event of an emergency.

I hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend.”

Karen Darch
Village President

Editorial note: Can’t make this up…

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Bill seeks to end euthanasia for cats and dogs in Illinois

Posted in Animal Welfare, Dumb and Dumber, Politics, Springfield, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions, WTF on March 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

By Catrina Petersen | The Center Square

A state lawmaker is concerned about people taking their pets to the shelter post-pandemic, where workers may have to resort to euthanasia.

Senate Bill 3791 from state Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago (of course), would make it illegal to euthanize dogs and cats in Illinois, which animal shelter groups say could further harm animals and taxpayers.

Lauren Malmberg with the Illinois Animal Control Association said there would be higher costs for everyone. Animal control services provide programs that are funded by taxpayers, but the legislation directly impacts shelters, which means donors might pay more too.

“If you are focused on keeping animals alive, rather than what’s best for as many animals as possible, you could spend a lot of money on one animal that could be used to save others, regardless of how you are funded,” said Malmberg.

Simmons’ bill as drafted specifically says shelters can’t euthanize cats and dogs, but animal control services transfer pets to shelters so the law indirectly impacts animal control facilities across the state.

“If those facilities cannot [euthanized] after July 1, that means they would be full and unable to take more transfers,” said Malmberg.

Malmberg said she’s had a 40-year career in helping animals. When she began, the estimation was 18-20 million dogs and cats being euthanized. But now it’s less than a million. In Illinois, intake data shows a 94% to 96% live-release rate. So less than 10% of dogs and cats entering Illinois shelters are being euthanized.

Read more here.

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Study: Illinois has highest tax burden in U.S. for low to middle-income earners

Posted in Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes on March 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Shutterstock | wrangler

By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square

A new study shows that Illinois is not the place to be for low to middle-income wage earners from a tax perspective.

The personal finance website WalletHub has released “The Best States to be Rich or Poor from a Tax Perspective.” Researchers identified the best states where the residents spend the most and least on sales and excise taxes, property taxes and income taxes.

Researcher Cassandra Happe said Illinois is the worst state in the country to reside for low-income earners.

“They came in 40th overall for the sales and excise taxes for low-income earners, 45th overall for the property taxes, and 47th for the income taxes, so across the board, not a great scenario,” Happe said.

The total tax burden as a percentage of income in Illinois for low-income earners is nearly 14%. That is compared to less than 7% in Alaska.

It’s not much better for middle or high-income earners. Illinois ranked 49th in the country for middle-income earners and 45th in the nation for high-income earners.

More here.

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