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Illinois state spending balloons as state economy stagnates

Posted in BOHICA, Clown Car, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, Fat Man Walking, Girlie man, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Organizations, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on December 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

At least 49 tax hikes under Gov. J.B. Pritzker have driven state spending to record highs, even as Illinois’ economic growth has lagged the U.S.

By Ravi Mishra | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois lawmakers frequently boast about economic growth and development, yet Illinois has posted one of the slowest gross domestic product growth rates in the nation while the budget has soared.

Illinois’ budget doesn’t reflect economic reality

Illinois’ budget has grown at an alarming rate during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s tenure. While government spending is a component of GDP, rapid increases in public spending can crowd out private economic activity. Higher taxes used to finance this public spending can hurt consumption and private investment, a dynamic that seems to be playing out in Illinois.

Since 2018, Illinois’ economy has grown just 7.4% – among the slowest of any state. In that same time, the state budget has grown over 36%, nearly five times faster than the economy. The U.S. economy has grown 18%, 2.5 times faster than Illinois’.

If not the economy, what has driven the state’s budget surge?

Pritzker’s administration has enacted at least 49 tax hikes since 2019. Some of the most egregious examples include:

  • Doubling state gas taxes and tying annual increases to inflation thereafter, creating a $3.3 billion surplus in the state’s road fund.
  • Halting the repeal of the franchise tax, which had been agreed to in 2019.
  • Capping the retailers’ discounts – the portion of sales taxes retailers were allowed to keep as reimbursement for collecting the taxes – effectively raising sales taxes on brick-and-mortar businesses.

Not only have these hikes hit taxpayers and employers but have also weighed down Illinois’ economic performance. Illinois already has had among the highest corporate tax rates in the country, but recent changes have only made the system more complex and burdensome. The tax environment has led to the state losing businesses, and combined with high overall burden, has contributed to years of population decline.

Read more here.

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WATCH: ‘Partisans’ who want to should ‘GET UP and MOVE’ from Illinois, Pritzker says

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Elections, Fat Bastard, Fat Man Walking, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, The Center Square on August 31, 2025| 1 Comment »


Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Southern Illinois on Aug. 28, 2025 | Illinois.gov

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

If you’re not willing to stick around and help make the state better, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says you can “get up and move.”

Pritzker made the comments Thursday afternoon in Southern Illinois when asked about the movement to split the state into two.

“Look, if you want to leave the state, I would like you to stay, I’d like you to get involved and make it a better place by working together with us,” Pritzker said. “But if you want to leave, then get up and move.”

G.H. Merritt, the chairman of New Illinois, a movement to split the state in two, said 70 of the 102 counties in Illinois have a state split movement growing.

“One would think that if you’re at the helm of a state and this is going on, you would at least be a little curious about why are these people thinking this,” Merritt told The Center Square. “Why are these people wanting to do this? He has no curiosity about that.”

Pritzker said splitting the state was a partisan idea and won’t ever happen.

“That’s not how it works. You know, if they really want to get involved, they should show up, vote, make sure that their voices are heard,” Pritzker said.

Read more here and watch the YouTube video here.

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New poll: 50.2% of Illinois voters view Pritzker unfavorably

Posted in Clown Car, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Fat Man Walking, Girlie man, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on August 8, 2025| 2 Comments »

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker | BlueRoomStream

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

A new poll shows that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s approval rating has flipped negative for the first time.

The Illinois Policy Institute’s newest Lincoln Poll conducted by M3 Strategies July 15-18 found that 50.2% of likely voters in 2026 view the governor unfavorably and 47.2% view Pritzker favorably.

M3 surveyed 752 individuals and reported a +/- 3.57 percentage point margin of error.

The previous Lincoln Poll in late January showed a slim majority of Illinois voters approving of Pritzker’s job performance.

Illinois Policy Institute Senior Fellow and former Illinois state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, said he would have advised Pritzker not to run for a third term.

“Third terms are often called the third-term curse, number one. Number two, running a general election for governor doesn’t match with running in a far-left Democratic primary for president,” Batinick told The Center Square.

Batinick said he predicted months ago that the governor’s poll numbers would drop.

“The stuff that he’s trying to do to go to the far left to be relevant in the Democratic primary for president is costing him with rank-and-file voters here in Illinois. They’re like, ‘You know what? I’ve got a high property tax bill. I don’t care about Texas legislators. I want you back in Illinois doing the things that matter to us.’ When you look at that poll, taxes was the number one issue,” Batinick said.

Read more here.

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JB Pritzker officially announces re-election campaign for Illinois governor

Posted in Clown Car, ComEd Four, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Fat Man Walking, Fox News, Girlie man, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Overhead, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on June 26, 2025| 1 Comment »

By FOX 32 Digital Staff

The Brief

  • Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday he’s running for a third term, highlighting gains in fiscal stability, abortion access, and worker protections.
  • He launched his campaign with a statewide tour and a video contrasting Illinois’ progress with Washington’s dysfunction.
  • Pritzker, seen as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, may need a new running mate as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton runs for U.S. Senate.

CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday that he will run for a third term, pledging to build on the economic and social progress his administration has made since taking office in 2019.

Pritzker, 60, launched his campaign with a video titled “Keep Illinois Moving Forward,” positioning the state’s gains under his leadership — from balanced budgets to abortion access — as a stark contrast to what he called “chaos in Washington.”

“These days, Illinois is standing at the center of the fight: the fight to make life more affordable, the fight to protect our freedoms, the fight for common sense,” Pritzker said in a statement. “We don’t just talk about problems. In Illinois, we solve them. Because we know government ought to stand up for working families and be a force for good, not a weapon of revenge.

Pritzker begins his re-election push with a two-day tour across the state that includes stops in Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Belleville, and West Frankfort.

Illinois does not impose term limits on governors. The last governor to serve three terms was Republican Jim Thompson, who held office from 1977 to 1991.

More here.

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Editorial: Rahm versus JB in a presidential primary? Bring it on.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Man Walking, OP/Ed, Open Meetings Act, Perjury, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, RINO, Springfield, Unions on June 24, 2025| 1 Comment »

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, left, and Gov. JB Pritzker seen in photos from 2019 and 2025, respectively. | José M. Osorio and Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Neither has said anything even remotely official, but it’s clear that both Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel currently are publicly exploring a run for president of the United States, even if both men are too smart to enter a race they have concluded they cannot win.

Bring it on, gentlemen, say we.

Each man represents a different faction of the Democratic Party and has articulated its goals. Pritzker, who has endeared himself to the party’s progressive wing, would surely have to run to the left of Emanuel, who has staked out an explicitly centrist position. Broadly speaking, the differences between the two typify the internal debate Democrats will have to face before (or if) they can sufficiently unify to regain power. Of course, Pritzker would find it relatively easy to tack right in a general election, should he win the primary, and Emanuel would surely figure out how to at least dance a little in the opposite direction in the primary. If necessary.

Should Pritzker decide not to run for an additional term as governor, of course, that could potentially tee up Emanuel to run the state (in the Democratic view) and leave the presidential race to Pritzker. No doubt that’s in our governor’s mind, but it seems more likely to us that he will decide his candidacy will be far stronger if it is launched from the governor’s mansion than as a private citizen. Hard to argue with that.

“We’re going to continue to be friends, but if we’re running for the same position, it will be awkward,” Emanuel told NBC News.

Awkward? Maybe. It’s far too early to assess anyone’s chances and either or both may yet demur. But we think a presidential campaign by either or both men can only be good for Chicago and Illinois.

Read more here.

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Maria Peterson announces run for IL State Representative, District 52

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Man Walking, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Perjury, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on June 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

NORTH BARRINGTON, Ill. – Today Maria Peterson is launching her campaign for State Representative, District 52, joined by dozens of supporters and Former Gov. Pat Quinn as keynote speaker. Peterson ran for this seat in 2024, and lost by just 47 votes.

Peterson stated, “Last election, we came within just 47 votes of winning – we were so close to bringing much-needed change to this district. When I knocked on more than 10,000 doors over the past 18 months, I heard that conversation over and over. Families spending more than 1/3 of their paychecks just on housing. Parents paying $16,000 a year for childcare. Neighbors worried they can’t afford healthcare or their property taxes in the future. This isn’t abstract policy – this is real life in District 52.”

“Since the last election, I have committed countless hours to electing Democrats locally, and worked with Barrington Giving Day, the Rotary Club, and others to help families who are drowning in property taxes, paying more for childcare than their mortgage, and skipping doctor visits due to costs. I am ready to take this and years of fighting for our community to Springfield.”

Peterson has received the endorsements of over two dozen federal, state, and local elected officials. She faces IL Veterans for Change Founder Jesse Rojo and Barrington District 220 School Board Member Erin Chan Ding in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026.

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Related: “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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Pritzker preps for presidential run carrying weight of Illinois failures

Posted in Economy, Fat Man Walking, Illinois Policy Institute, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order on May 23, 2025| 1 Comment »

Outcomes for Illinoisans have dropped since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office. The nation’s Democrats need to see where he’s taken Illinois before following his lead on the national stage.

By Patrick Andriesen | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appeared on CNN, The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, made what sounded like a stump speech in New Hampshire and been the subject of a Newsweek article speculating about a run for president.

Pritzker himself hasn’t announced if he’s running for a third term as governor or might be occupied with a run for president in 2028.

But before deciding whether Pritzker should be leading the nation, there’s a basic question to consider: How has Illinois done since he took office?

Illinois’ economic growth since Pritzker took office has been the seventh worst in the nation, and the worst among the 10 most-populated states. Other measures of the state economy are also disappointing.

Economic growth trailed the nation

Illinois’ economic growth trailed the nation during Pritzker’s tenure, ranking 44th for percentage growth in state gross domestic product. Illinois’ GDP grew by 30.6% between 2018 and 2024 without adjusting for inflation, ranking seventh worst in the nation.

Illinois’ GDP growth trailed neighboring states as well as the nation under Pritzker’s administration, driven in part by years of outmigration as residents left the state for lower-cost locales.

Andriesen’s report continues here.

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Illinois lawmakers push new $2.7B sales tax on haircuts, Netflix, Uber and other services

Posted in BOHICA, Fat Man Walking, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on May 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Illinois lawmakers are looking to expand sales taxes to include things such as streaming services, gym memberships, vehicle repairs, hair care and other services to bail out Chicago’s failing transit systems and put more money in government budgets.

By  Bryce Hill and Dylan Sharkey | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois lawmakers are looking to collect $2.7 billion statewide by expanding sales taxes from mainly goods to many services such as streaming services, rideshares, gym memberships, car repair and more.

Members of the Illinois General Assembly said their Democratic peers are in stealth mode trying to pass the massive tax increase before adjournment May 31. They are claiming the money is needed to solve Chicago’s Regional Transit Authority fiscal crisis.

“We want you to be on alert. It is time for taxpayers to guard your wallet in the state of Illinois. We are already taxed to the max,” said state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria.

Illinoisans would find themselves paying sales taxes on:

  • Netflix and streaming services.
  • Rideshare services such as Über and Lyft.
  • Gym memberships.
  • Barbershops and beauty salons.
  • Car washes and car repair.
  • Plumbing, electrical and other repair.
  • Lawn care and landscaping.

Spain said a longer list of the taxable services is found at StopILServiceTax.com.

The money generated would mean nearly $2 billion for the state, $50 million for county governments, $390 million for municipal governments and $315 million for the RTA at current baseline tax rates. Other proposals would raise the RTA sales tax rate or cut the statewide rate.

Read more here.

Editorial note: “Complete list of over 80 service tax hike categories being proposed for Illinois:

  • Aircraft lease or rental (≤ 60 days)
  • Alteration and garment repair
  • Armored car services
  • Bank & financial institution service charges
  • Barber and beauty services 
  • Battery, tire, and allied services
  • Boat repair
  • Camera repair
  • Campgrounds
  • Carpentry repair and installation
  • Carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning or repair
  • Communication services
  • Dance schools and studios
  • Dating services
  • Demolition
  • Dry cleaning, pressing, dyeing, laundering 
  • Electrical & electronic repair or installation
  • Employment and executive search agencies
  • Excavating and grading
  • Extermination services 
  • Farm implement repair of all kinds
  • Flying service and flight instruction
  • Furniture repair and cleaning
  • Fur storage and repair
  • Garbage collection & disposal (nonresidential commercial)
  • Golf & country club dues and other commercial recreation fees
  • Gun repair
  • House & building moving
  • Household appliance, TV, and radio repair
  • Investment counseling
  • Information services
  • Janitorial & nonresidential building maintenance/cleaning
  • Jewelry and watch repair
  • Landscaping, lawn care, tree trimming & removal 
  • Machine operator fees
  • Machine repair of all kinds 
  • Massages (unless by a licensed massage therapist)
  • Mini storage
  • Motor repair
  • Motor vehicle, RV, and recreational boat rental (without driver)
  • Motorcycle, scooter, and bicycle repair
  • Oilers & lubricators (vehicles and machines)
  • Office & business machine repair
  • Painting, papering, interior decorating 
  • Parking facilities 
  • Pay television (incl. streaming, VOD, pay per view)
  • Personal transportation services 
  • Pet grooming
  • Photography & photo retouching services
  • Pipe fitting
  • Plumbing (incl. drain cleaning, pipe unplugging) 
  • Reflexology
  • Retouching photographs
  • Roof, shingle, and glass repair
  • Security & detective services
  • Sewage services 
  • Sewing and stitching
  • Shoe repair and shoeshine
  • Sign construction and installation
  • Services related to installing/maintaining/upgrading specified digital products
  • Software as a Service (SaaS)
  • Storage warehouses/lockers for raw agricultural products 
  • Storage of household goods
  • Storage of tangible or electronic files/documents/records
  • Swimming pool cleaning and maintenance
  • Tanning beds or salons
  • Taxidermy
  • Telecommunication services
  • Telephone answering services
  • Testing laboratories (excludes human, animal, environmental tests)
  • Tin and sheet metal repair
  • Tree trimming and removal
  • Turkish baths & reducing salons
  • Vehicle repair 
  • Vehicle wash and wax 
  • Video game services and tournaments
  • Water conditioning and softening
  • Weighing
  • Welding
  • Well drilling (repair only)
  • Wood preparation (stripping, cleaning, sealing)
  • Wrapping, packing, packaging of merchandise (except processed meats/fish/fowl/vegetables)
  • Wrecker and towing”

Source

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Pritzker’s speech in New Hampshire drives presidential campaign buzz

Posted in Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Fat Man Walking, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order on April 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Pritzker’s speech in New Hampshire drives presidential campaign buzz | Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

By Maeve Reston | The Washington Post

MANCHESTER, N.H. — In a fiery address to New Hampshire Democrats on Sunday night, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker condemned what he described as President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs” while also blasting the “do-nothing” Democrats in his party — stating it is “time to fight everywhere, all at once.”

The billionaire Democratic governor repeatedly brought the crowd to its feet with acidic attacks on the morals and ethics of the president, adviser and top donor Elon Musk, as well as members of the president’s Cabinet. He slammed their efforts to dismantle government programs that the most vulnerable Americans rely on and said the Democratic Party must “abandon the culture of incrementalism that has led us to swallow their cruelty.” It is time for his party, he said, to “knock the rust off poll-tested language” that has obscured “our better instincts.”

Pritzker was most searing in his condemnation of what he cast as the Trump administration’s infringement on the rights enshrined in the Constitution, stating that it should be easy for Democrats to say “it’s wrong to snatch a person off the street and ship them to a foreign gulag with no chance to defend themselves in a court of law.”

“Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now,” Pritzker said to a standing ovation accompanied by whistles and cheers from the audience. “These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They must understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soap box and then punish them at the ballot box.”

More here.

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