The Great Swiper

Cal Skinner's no-nonsense piece on what Ralph Martire (Center for Tax and Budget Responsibility - heh, heh), A+ Illinois, et. al. have in store for businesses and tax payers of Illinois is excellent.

He says, in part:

The folks at Advance 300 don’t seem to have a clue about the geo-political dynamics of Springfield politics. But they are back on the internet after a hiatus.

They have been pushing for Ralph Martire’s shell game, which will raise and broaden income and sales taxes, promising a cut in property taxes. (This group of tax hikers gave his tax hiking group $10,000.)

Good ol’ Ralph is interested in income redistribution . . .

. . . Anyone with a brain ought to be able to figure out that business pays a higher percentage of the property tax than corporations do of the income tax.

While business pays a huge share of real estate taxes --41%-- business only paid 15.7% of the income tax in Fiscal Year 2006. (I say “only” because I remember in the early 1970’s when business paid over 20% of the total.)

But, my guess is nothing will be able to penetrate the District 300 tax hikers’ mindset.

What does it matter if business has a lower tax burden and homeowners have a higher tax burden?

What does it matter that there will be a huge tax shift from business to people?

After all, it’s for the kids, right?

Now Cal's numbers are for for District 300 (Algonquin, Dundee, Kane County, etc.), the principles are universal.