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Archive for the ‘Fat Bastard’ Category

Illinois business group warns of ‘backbreaking’ progressive income tax

Posted in Cost of Living, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on November 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at an Advocate Health Care event at District 21 Health Center in Illinois. | Photo: BlueRoomStream / Screenshot

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

Manufacturers say legislators at the Illinois State Capitol have done enough damage and a progressive tax would be too much.

Last week, former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn proposed a 3% surcharge on incomes over $1 million. The effort comes after voters in 2020 disapproved of changing the state’s flat tax to a tax with higher rates for higher earners. All the talk comes as Chicago’s mayor calls for “progressive revenue” from Springfield.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said state lawmakers are already talking.

“I believe that we need to have a system that is more progressive and less regressive than the one that we have now,” Pritzker said. “I think it is something that is being talked about by members of the General Assembly.”

Pritzker was asked about whether voters are ready for another push.

“I do think a graduated system is better than a flat tax system, and so if there’s a possibility for us to have a system like that, it’s better than the one we have,” Pritzker said.

On Tuesday, Technology and Manufacturing Association Executive Vice President Dennis LaComb said even the talk about such policies will turn prospective businesses away from Illinois.

“The rhetoric to revive a progressive tax is not only reckless but dangerous—prospective businesses will hear that and avoid Illinois, struggling working families will no longer be able to afford to live here and move elsewhere, and manufacturers and businesses looking to expand in this state will have to account for added taxes,” LaComb said in a statement.

Read more here.

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Pritzker says ‘Donald Trump and his cronies can fuck all the way off’ to standing ovation from public teachers’ union – YouTube

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Fat Bastard, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, Wirepoints on November 2, 2025| 2 Comments »

Watch the video here.

Our thanks to Wirepoints for the graphic and post.

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The Chicago/Springfield way: “Elections board deadlocks on $10M fine for Senate President Don Harmon”

Posted in Capitol News Illinois, Deception, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Illinois State Board of Elections, Politics, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way on October 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

L to R: Senate President Don Harmon, Governor JB Pritzker and Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Emanuel “Chris” Welch

By Ben Szalinski | Capitol News Illinois

Article Summary

  • The Illinois State Board of Elections deadlocked, 4-4, on partisan lines when determining whether Senate President Don Harmon violated fundraising restrictions in 2024.
  • The board fined Harmon $9.8 million for accepting greater campaign donations than the law allowed in 2024. He appealed, leading to Tuesday’s hearing before the full board.
  • After the split vote, the board postponed official action on the fine until its next meeting in November.
  • A hearing officer and attorney for the board had recommended the board find Harmon in violation of state law.

This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.

Read the full story here.

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Gov. JB Pritzker won $1.4 million via gambling, 2024 tax returns show

Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, Commodius Maximus, Fat Bastard, Girlie man, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, The Chicago Way on October 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Gov. JB Pritzker and his wife, MK Pritzker, greet supporters at a campaign rally at Crossing Park Field House in June. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The governor and first lady MK Pritzker more than tripled their income in 2024 to $10.7 million, according to documents released by his campaign. A good chunk of that came at a casino.

By Mitchell Armentrout | Chicago Sun*Times

Last year brought good fortune to Gov. JB Pritzker in his investment portfolio — and at the casino, too, according to 2024 income tax returns released by his campaign Wednesday.

In his joint filing with first lady MK Pritzker, the billionaire Democratic governor reported an adjusted gross income of almost $10.7 million, more than tripling the roughly $2.8 million they reported in 2023.

The latest windfall was boosted by $1,425,000 in gambling winnings, their federal filing shows, in addition to $4.2 million in capital gains, nearly $3.9 million in ordinary dividends and more than $800,000 in taxable interest. Pritzker doesn’t take a salary as governor.

A campaign spokesman said Pritzker “had winnings and losses from a casino” in Las Vegas, but didn’t name his game(s) of chance, nor exactly where he beat the house.

Gambling options have proliferated in Illinois under Pritzker, who signed legislation in 2019 that legalized sports betting, authorized six new casinos and expanded the pool of tens of thousands of slot machines in bars and restaurants to help fund his signature $45 billion capital infrastructure upgrade plan.

Pritzker’s billionaire family, whose wealth is rooted in the Hyatt hotel chain, has held financial interests in casinos for decades. Before he was first elected in 2018, Pritzker previously invested in a company that had a 1% stake in Elgin’s Grand Victoria Casino.

The governor, with an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion, doesn’t own a piece of the action anymore, and he’s had his investments in a blind trust since taking office. That allows him to profit off the investments but removes him from decision-making in an effort to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

Read more here.

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Illinois checks, balances? Not under Pritzker

Posted in Clown Car, Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes on October 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

As veto session begins and power goes back to the Democratic majority state legislature, the consequences of a single-party state are more evident than ever.

By Lilly Rossi | Illinois Policy Institute

Pritzker could have used his veto power when the regular session ended to address the numerous bills that will make it harder for those living, working and paying taxes in Illinois.

Instead, he was a rubber stamp for Illinois’ Democratic majority, signing 433 of 436 bills into law.

Of those 436 bills that passed both chambers, 59 were introduced by Republicans.

Only three bills were vetoed and the state budget implementation bill had a $161 million error in capital spending that Pritzker corrected by vetoing just that line – passing the rest of the bill. That means less than 1% of bills received some type of veto.

Senate Bill 2510, the fiscal year 2026 budget appropriation bill, was chopped, swapped and passed within 24 hours. The need for Pritzker to fix the state budget after the fact shows the recklessness of a dominant political party putting a record $55.2 billion budget together at the last minute and in secret.

Veto session is when the legislature has the opportunity to override any gubernatorial vetoes. But this year, Pritzker has made sure there is a light load with only three vetoes to consider.

Read more here.

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It’s not your Mother’s League of Women Voters anymore (And it hasn’t been for some time)

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fat Bastard, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, League of Women Voters, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Unions on October 13, 2025| 4 Comments »

What follows is from the League of Women Voters of Palatine, Barrington and Schaumburg Area’s website:

“No Kings 2 Rally — Unite and Rise for Democracy

The League of Women Voters is an official, national partner of the No Kings II rally. We are marching on October 18 to support the Bill of Rights, oppose federal overreach, and reject cuts to essential services. Join us!

We are calling on friends, neighbors and the community at large to unite at a nearby protest and rise up for our democracy.

This is our time. It’s our time to be present, brave, and loud, working together as a concerned community to speak out for our neighbors and the Constitution.

The League has made simple signage that you can print and take along.

And if you can’t attend, we hope you’ll raise your voice with a window sign, or by helping us promote the event and encourage others to attend via social media or a good old fashioned phone call!

There are three nearby locations:

  • Palatine — Volunteer Plaza at the Clocktower — 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Arlington Heights — Recreation Park (NOTE new location!) — 3:00 pm – 5:00 p
  • Schaumburg — North Roselle and Schaumburg Roads — 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Look for a member of LWVPA holding an LWV sign at the Palatine and Arlington Heights locations to meet up. In Schaumburg, look for an LWV member holding purple and gold balloons. If you are able, try to attend more than one event. For example, Palatine at 11:00 am and then Arlington Heights at 3:00 pm. Help us make these rallies the largest yet!”

Note: The LWV website states: “The League of Women Voters of the Palatine, Barrington, and Schaumburg Areas is a nonpartisan political organization and does not support any political party or candidate.” Really? This may have been true at one time, but we’ll leave it up to readers to decide if it is today.

And it should be noted there is no disclosure statement revealing who or what is funding this political campaign, and that is what it is. The staggering of the rally hours provides partisan candidates the opportunity to appear and speak at all three rallies.

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Editorial: We strongly support this bipartisan plan to fix Illinois’ broken state elections

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Deception, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, The Chicago Way, Topics Of Interest, Unions on October 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

People gather where former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley met for a Fair Maps Illinois panel discussion on Aug. 19, 2025. |Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Illinois elections are broken — with roughly half of legislative races uncontested after politicians drew maps to lock in power. Now, two political veterans, one a Democrat and one a Republican, think they’ve found a way to fix it.

One is Ray LaHood, a Republican congressman from 1995 to 2008 and transportation secretary under President Barack Obama. The other is Bill Daley, son of former Mayor Richard J. Daley and commerce secretary under President Bill Clinton as well as chief of staff for Obama. The two met with the editorial board Sept. 23 to talk about gerrymandering and what to do about it. They sit on different sides of the aisle politically, but they’ve come together for a cause that’s bigger than partisan politics — they’re fighting a pernicious problem that has sapped the health of democracy here in Illinois and likely will worsen matters if nothing changes.

We support them in that fight.

Scott Stantis editorial cartoon for Sun, Oct 5, 2025, on gerrymandering reform. | Scott Stantis/For the Chicago Tribune

Last Sunday, in the first part of this two-part editorial, we wrote that in Illinois, the most urgent threat to democracy is the state of play before votes even are cast — political maps drawn deliberately to disenfranchise voters. Unlike congressional maps, which are about federal representation, state legislative maps have a direct impact on who ends up writing Illinois laws and controlling the state budget.

We understand that the national contest over bare-knuckled gerrymandering is one in which Illinois Democrats never would unilaterally disarm, and that’s understandable. We’re focused squarely on the maps that determine who governs the state of Illinois. And right now, the system allows the party in power in Springfield to draw districts to maximize its advantage. Voters don’t choose their politicians; politicians choose their voters.

It’s a reality everyone acknowledges, yet it continues to defy repeated attempts at fixing. On the campaign trail in 2018, Gov. JB Pritzker condemned the practice and vowed to veto an unfair map, but he quickly broke that promise once in office.

So how to change this sorry record of futility?

Daley and LaHood think they’ve cracked the code. And they want to take the issue to voters in November 2026 in the form of an amendment to the state’s constitution.

Read more here.

Related: “Editorial: With mostly powerless voters, Illinois democracy hangs by an elongated thread”

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Gov. JB Pritzker’s office scrubs photo with intervention worker later charged in fatal Mag Mile crash-and-grab

Posted in Deception, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Politics, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order, Pritzker’s Rules of Order on September 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Kellen McMiller with Gov. JB Pritzker on Sept. 5, 2025, at an event in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. (Governor’s office photo)

By Jeremy Gorner | Chicago Tribune

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said Thursday he was “extremely troubled” to learn that a community violence intervention worker he posed with in a photo earlier this month at an event on Chicago’s South Side was arrested days later in an organized smash-and-grab burglary that led to the death of an innocent father-to-be.

But a Pritzker spokesperson insisted his office had nothing to hide when it removed the photo from a news release on the governor’s state website, saying the office scrubbed the picture after the worker was arrested in the burglary that left motorist Mark Arceta of Skokie dead when his sport-utility vehicle was hit by one of the getaway cars.

Pritzker’s defense followed the disclosure Thursday by the crime reporting website CWB Chicago that 35-year-old Kellen McMiller stood next to Pritzker in a photo taken during a Sept. 5 event for the state’s “Peacekeepers” program, which intervenes in street conflicts to prevent gun violence. CWB Chicago reported McMiller had four outstanding warrants at the time the photo was taken, before authorities say he was one of several people implicated in the Sept. 11 burglary of a Louis Vuitton store on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

Read more here.

Related: “Days before fatal Mag Mile crash-and-grab, accused man posed with governor at ‘peacekeeper’ event — while wanted in 4 states”

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$3.3B in road funds sit idle, yet Illinois drivers face record-high gas taxes

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Economy, Fat Bastard, Illinois Policy Institute, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes on September 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

If Illinois state lawmakers are not going to spend the $3.3 billion sitting in the state’s road fund, drivers should get a break from the taxes going into it. Illinois gasoline taxes are No. 2 in the U.S.

By Ravi Mishra | Illinois Policy Institute

An accumulation of over $3.3 billion of unused dollars in Illinois’ road fund shows Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s automatic gasoline tax hikes are not necessary, and lawmakers should halt them.

Illinois      drivers have been paying more for gas every July since 2019, when Pritzker doubled motor fuel taxes and tied annual tax hikes to inflation. The state gas tax is now 48.3 cents per gallon, costing each driver an extra $143 annually and ranking Illinois as No. 2 in the country for highest gas taxes.

Road Fund balance has ballooned in the past six years

From 2018 to 2024, state road spending increased nearly $1 billion, but because of constant tax and fee hikes, revenues have surged even faster and grown nearly 95% in the same period. In 2024 alone, the state’s road fund collected over $5 billion while spending under $4 billion.

The fund reserves have ballooned. Cash balances grew from $624 million in 2018 to $3.3 billion as of 2024, a 428% increase. Balances are projected to continue growing to nearly $3.5 billion by 2026. Illinois’ “lockbox” amendment prevents these funds from being redirected to other expenses, yet lawmakers continue to allow automatic gas tax hikes regardless of need.

Drivers are paying more than necessary

Motor fuel tax rates were doubled in 2019 from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents. Since then, rates have risen automatically to match inflation, ballooning to 48.3 cents in 2025, the second highest in the nation.

Read more here.

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Pritzker Blames Trump for Charlie Kirk Assassination

Posted in Ethics, Fat Bastard, OP/Ed, Politics, Washington Post, Wirepoints on September 11, 2025| 1 Comment »

Pritzker making his comments on Kirk on Wednesday

Washington Post editorial: “a disgracefully ill-timed comment” by Pritzker

By Mark Glennon | Wirepoints

Here’s what JB Pritzker said Wednesday about the murder of Charlie Kirk:

“It’s got to stop. And I think there are people who are fomenting it in this country. I think the president’s rhetoric often foments it. We’ve seen the January 6 rioters who clearly have tripped a new era of political violence. And the president, what did he do? He pardoned them. I mean, what kind of signal does that send to people who want to perpetrate political violence? Not a good one.”

Even the Washington Post editorial board couldn’t stomach that, writing, ”Though Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) decried the violence, he couldn’t help himself from taking a dig at Trump. ‘I think the president’s rhetoric often foments it,’ he said, a disgracefully ill-timed comment.

Other condemnations of Pritzker are flooding social media.

What makes this more extraordinary is that Pritzker’s words have been among the most incendiary in American political history.

Read more here.

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