The summary omits the amendment's deletion of the "one-tax" rule, opening the door to more--a major omission.In other words, right now, there is one income tax in Illinois that applies evenly to every form of income, and that rate is set at 5.95%.
Under the constitution as now written, "no more than one" income tax can be imposed on individuals or corporations. The amendment, however, strikes that prohibition, as you can see in its full text below.
That means, for example, that the state would be free to impose a separate tax on retirement income with different rates. Or maybe the state would impose separate taxes on income from particular sources that politicians decide they disfavor. The ballot makes no mention of that whatsoever.
If Pritzker gets his way, this will end, and the Democrats can then tax each form of income using a separate tax rate. So if you work at Starbucks and make minimum wage you might still pay a 6% income tax rate. But if you're a radiogologist working for Major Hospital, your salary will be taxed at a much higher rate; and those stocks you have, dividends will be taxed at some other rate; and if you get a bonus, that will be taxed at a different rate; and if you realize any capital gains--meanwhile the actual billionaires, like Pritzker himself, will probably pay next to nothing because of how the law is structured.
The ads for the scheme keep saying "97% won't see their taxes go up!" but that's a bald-faced lie, because once they have this shit in place they will raise taxes on everyone who actually pays them.
They're going to raise taxes across the board; the (un)Fair Tax scheme gives them political cover because they don't have to raise taxes on all income at the same rate. That's why Pritzker's lieutenant governor threatened us with a 20% tax hike if we didn't okay this. They're going to raise taxes regardless. I think that raising those taxes ought to hurt them, and hurt them a lot.
That's the only way to be fair.
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Biden emits more racism. Press doesn't care.
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Gadzooks, today was a complete cluster. Had to be at my far offsite by 9:30; I got there at 9:10 and ended up being there all the way until 4:02. No lunch break, so on my way back to the office I stopped to get some food--and by the time I had my food in hand it was 4:45, so I said, "Fuck it!" and went home instead, arriving there at 4:52.
I could have driven back to the office. It would have taken me about fifteen minutes from where I was. And then I would have turned right around and headed home.
*sigh*
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"50 years ago the owner's manual told you how to adjust the valves. Today it tells you not to drink the contents of the battery." That's how much smarter we've all become in 50 years.
Nearly all vehicles now use hydraulic valve lifters, which are self-adjusting; you set the valve lash one time and then forget about it for the life of the engine.
In the mean time, of course, stupid people have learned to hire smart lawyers in order not to have to work for a living, and all it takes is drinking a few sips of battery acid. "No one told me not to drink it!"
Honestly, I think that cases of "do something egregiously stupid and then sue because no one told you not to do it" ought to include having all voting rights stripped and require that the plaintiff be placed in an assisted living facility for the rest of his life. Arguably, he's too stupid to know what's good for him, after all, if having a glug of sulfuric acid is a delicacy he can't resist trying.
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Anyway, I'm worn out and I've got a headache from having lunch five hours late, so this will have to do.