It’s February. You know what that means. A Lawrence Msall sighting! Yes, just like ground hog day when Punxsutawney Phil proverbially appears from his hutch to predict the spring forecast, Lawrence Msall appears each February to complain about public sector employees and the millions of dollars of taxpayer monies that could be saved if we (public sector employees) just gave back a little more and were just like private sector employees-but without the pay!
Usually Mr. Msall is complaining before the county board about how Cook County is being robbed yet again by its employees, but the county budget was passed in November 2009 with little or no fanfare, so Mr. Msall has packed up his show and gone southwest. All the way to Springfield to spread his happiness, and he has taken the media along with him!
The Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago’s UNIONIZED newspaper, is writing a series of articles and editorials detailing the state’s monetary woes, and the Civic Federation’s suggestions on how to fix them. The Civic Federation has constantly rallied against taxes in Cook County to support employees and programs, but now is in favor of raising taxes across-the-board? They would like to see the state raise the state income taxes, add a new social security tax, add new ’sin’ taxes and end corporate tax breaks. What? No raising the gas tax and license plate fees again?
“It’s doomsday for the State of Illinois.” We need to raise revenues and break the unions. Yep, those lousy union workers are the problem in Illinois. They’re greedy. All they do is take, take, take. This is the new Chicago way of dealing with the unions. Deem the union the enemy and wage war in the media, much like what’s going on with the CTA.The stalemate in Springfield between Madigan and Cross has nothing to do with this financial mess. Oh wait, it’s an election year! Need to keep legislative jobs is more important than keeping the state from going broke!
AFSCME Council 31 has come out against any more givebacks statewide. Our state employees have already made concessions in their contracts and will not give up anymore. Cook County is going down this road, slowly now, but we’re on this road. When President Preckwinkle takes office in November, the remaining .5 of 1% sales tax will be history and the county will be further in debt than the projected 200 million for 2011. Then what?
If the state is looking at increased income taxes and sin taxes, where’s the only place left to generate much revenues? All homeowners should be quaking in their boots. We can’t have an increased sales tax in Cook County because of our neighboring counties and states are lower. Everyone pays sales taxes for goods and services, but let’s go after the working class and even worse, those who have earned their retirement after long years of work! Sounds like a Civic Federation idea! Penalize the working class!
This is just the beginning of the tax season. Get ready to feel the pain.
To read more and to follow the continuing series, go to www.suntimes.com/news/maxedout.