Observations and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W. Pritchard.
According to Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, Illinois ended fiscal year 2011 with $8.3 billion in unpaid bills and other obligations, including $850 million owed in corporate tax refunds, $750 million needed to repay interfund borrowing, and $1.2 billion for state employee health insurance. The $8.3 billion of FY2011 bills and obligations will have to be paid by January using FY2012 revenue and thus exacerbating the state’s structural deficit.
Illinois owes primary and secondary school districts $1.13 billion and public universities $584 million, according to the Comptroller. So what happened to the 67 percent increase in the personal income tax rate and 46 percent hike in the corporate tax rate enacted by the legislature? According to Topinka, those funds have been absorbed by Medicaid and public pensions and do not help pay off any bills.
District Office 815-748-3494 or E-Mail to bob@pritchardstaterep.com
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8 Comments
The revenue for the courthouse expansion is from bonds issued from the sales tax revenue from the old county farm property. There was some extra that was used for the jail study. The courthouse expansion did not depend on the landfill expansion. I am not arguing the merits of the landfill expansion but it is separate in financing. Voters have voted down the jail expansion while recently giving Kishwaukee College 52 million dollars to expand. They would rather spend money on anything but prisoners. I don’t know if we could ever get a jail referendum passed here? There are minimum standards by law we must adhere to for our jail. We may spend over $900,000 this year outsourcing our prisoners. As with many of the problems that we face, they have been created by faulty national policies that local governments can’t control. Our criminal code, our for profit health care system, our unbridled military spending, our foolish tax and “free trade” policies are bankrupting America and starving local governments of revenue.
Mac I have no idea what you are talking about when you say the courthouse expanison has a connection to the landfill. It was not financed with landfill revenue! The very design of corporations makes the directors responsible to put profits ahead of the public good. Thanks to the Robert’s court, corporations growing influence and “personhood” has polluted our democracy. Their wealth as well as foreign money can now help buy elections. So far, the Robert’s court has ruled in favor of corporations against the “little guy” in every case brought in front of it.
It is easy to sit back and criticize governmental leaders. They often have to make difficult decisions that not everyone likes or understands. I believe the majority of local leaders are trying to do their best. On the State and Federal levels money has too much influence on decisions and upon who gets elected to office.
Caterpillar is outside of the Northern District and is in the Central District of Illinois.
The Northern District is busy with Medicare fraud cases, the usual drug cases, and suing the City of Joliet:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2011/pr0804_02.pdf
The courthouse expansion had nothing to do with the landfill expansion. Most people I have spoken with involved in the County judicial system believe we needed to expand the courthouse for staff space and security. The Catepillar fraud has been reported. I don’t believe that these multinational corporations that are shedding American jobs and keeping profits offshore are serving my country. This is one of the underlying causes of our financial problems. It also threatens the future of our country and that is why I am outraged by the lack corporate ethics and loyalty to America.
Stephen there are mounds of documents, minutes, powerpoint presentations, etc., etc. that show the correlation between landfill and courthouse. But, for the sake of argument, let’s remove the courthouse expansion from the landfill expansion… for 40 years of more than 2000 TONS of garbage EVERY DAY we get to finance a bigger jail. Sweet.
I agree with the lack of ethics and loyalty among some corporations. I’ve long promoted American corporations paying American minimum wages regardless of the origin of their labor. But ethics and loyalty to their constituents is an endangered attribute in local, state and national government. And I am outraged about that.
If our economy continues to contract corporations will never hire enough Americans to get us out of this financial mess. With the federal government cutting spending during a recession parts of Illinios may end up looking like Detroit. Catepillar recently threatened to leave Illinois because of an “unfriendly” business climate. In July, an employee whistle blower accused Catepillar of selling parts made in Illinois and attributing the profits to a Swiss subsidiary. This alleged fraud saved them from paying 2 billion in U.S. taxes. Is there no limit to the greed of these corporations?
Greed. It’s a terrible thing. Unless it serves: The Good People. Then greed is a virtue because its the separator from how the other half lives. If Caterpillar sold parts made in Illinois and attributed the profits to a Swiss subsidiary then those with knowledge should report it to Fitzgerald for prosecution. I hear he has plenty of time on his hands since kicking Blagojevich out of The Good People’s club. Greed for Good Causes is how to build courthouses and jails from the fees generated by taking in 17 counties (including Cook) worth of garbage for the next 40 years — regardless of the impact it might have on residents and school children. Should there be a limit to the greed of The Good People with Good Causes?
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I hate to sound in agreement with Mac, but …
We did have the following situation
1. A strong argument was made for an expanded jail.
2. A referendum to fund said jail failed
3. The need for the expanded jail increased even after diversion programs were introduced? became part of the discussion. Memory fails
4. The land fill does provide money over and above tax revenue that can be used for whatever purposes the County Board chooses.
5. Other issues were involved as I thought I heard that Waste Management was threatening to abandon us altogether unless we capitulated. In this case, the revenue-mega dump tie in might have been making the best of a bad situation. (I don’t agree but do want to complete the argument)
Loosely paraphrasing Thoreau (I think) suspicions are aroused when one finds a trout in one’s milk. (I’m sure he said more clearly than that)