Recently the Illinois State Legislature passed a new bill to increase the state personal income tax rate another 66%. The state is going broke, and the politicians need ways to fund all of their activities.
The other day I was talking to my Dad (he's 86), who lives in New Hampshire, about this and how it is going to affect the spending habits of all of the citizens of the state. It was amazing how his insight of Illinois is, and is probably no different than anyone else who does not live in this state.
I asked him if there was an Income Tax in New Hampshire......answer....NO
I asked him if there was a State Sales Tax in New Hampshire and again his answer was NO. So I asked him how the state of New Hampshire funded all of their programs and public services. His answer was that they have other taxes, like Meal Tax, Vehicle Taxes, Hotel and Lodging Taxes, a State Liquor store for hard alchohol, and some others. He followed by stating the in Illinois "we, the citizens" have to fund all of the GRAFT.
I thought about this and sat back for a minute. Is that the view that everyone who does not live in Illinois holds? Well let's think of what would give people outside of the state that opinion.
In the last 25 years most of our Governors have spent time in jail, or about to, aka Dan Walker, George Ryan, Rod Blagoyovich, and others to name a few. In a lot of out cities and towns Mayors have been found guilty of crimes and have also been charged or convicted or have also gone to jail. In my town alone, there have been a few firings of late for official misconduct in the management of the fire department, the police department, etc.
In the county where I live, the former board president Tod (toddler) Strozier was under investigation for hiring cousins, relatives, some of who were fired for misconducts or misappropriations of funds. The recently elected Cook County Assessor (Joe Berrios) is under questioning from the Inspector General's office for hiring two of his relatives into his office.
Last night on the news the Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas was under investigation by the Better Government Association for having a $97,000.00 per year personal driver, who was filmed running errands to the cleaners and fast food places for the Treasurer, on work time, and also having on her staff, a cleaning lady who cleans her home twice a week for $1400.00 per month from her personal funds, but also has a salary of about $57,000.00 from the County, to clean her offices, even though the county has cleaning custodians who also clean the very same offices.
The corruption and political entitlements in this state are rediculous and a slap in the face to all of the citizens who live here. I cannot speak for other states bacause I don't live there. But in this state there must be a class in the public schools on how to be corrupt, or how to use the system. We have one of the lousiest school performance records around, and it's not getting any better.
Unfortunately, the average, hard working family, will now have to forego some of their small luxuries and give that money to the state to support all of the corruption. A lot of this new source of funds will go to pay the State Pension Fund, so after these politicians retire, they can still continue to collect off of the backs of the residents, who will be paying for this forever. Is it just a mere coincidence that here in this state they are Democrats running the show? I am not condeming all Democrats outside of this state, just the ones here, because I think they just use the name 'Democrat" for their political club affiliation, because they surely do not ascribe to the "Democratic Principles of the Democratic Party". They have been in control of this states government for the last 25 years.
Will it ever stop! Moving back east, like New Hampshire, Maine, or Vermont, looks appealing all of the time......I wonder if there is room for me?
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