Happy Illinois Cost of Government Day
Last Thursday, Americans For Tax Reform released their annual report on Cost of Government Day. The Cost of Government Day identifies when the average American worker has worked enough to pay for the total spending and regulatory burden of government. That day, this year, was July 13th.
When the Cost of Government Day is broken down by state, Illinois ranks 41st in the Nation. The Cost of Government Day for us is July 17th. So, Illinois workers, thanks to our state and local policies you work a full four days longer than the average American.
To give you some perspective. The number 1 ranked state is Alabama. Their Cost of Government Day was June 25th. Number 50 was CT, which will reach Cost of Government Day on July 30th.
By the way, hanging on my wall is proclamation by Gov. George Ryan stating that Cost of Government Day in 2000 was June 16th, nationally, I don't have Illinois' rankings for that year. But, in 2001 I do know that Illinois Cost of Government Day was July 5th -- 12 days earlier than this year.
22 comments:
I for one am happy that I can help make the friends of Richie Daley, Jerry Joyce and John Stoger RICH.
$$$$$
I am happy to be a stupid piece of cattle led to the slaughter
the City is better
County helps poor people
19th ward are great people according to Hickey
Beavers tells me if White People are bad that Black People can be bad too
My parents left monarchies (turned communist though) and oligarchies so I could live in well...er...an oligarchy
I am glad Freddie Barbara has homes in Florida, Oak Brook, Hinsdale, Wisconsin
and made 100's of millions off the City
I am glad that the County Hospital is named for John Stroger, and honest, competent, articulate saint of a man who is still running county government after a stroke
a hospital that is better than most third World hospitals and most tents in Africa
...umm, look at where Alabama ranks nationally on several other lists (education, employment, average salary, etc) and you'll see an almost direct corollary to having the least amount of taxes invested in themselves...
Kinda scary that you'd imply we ought to all be more like Alabama, Greg.
nw burbs, Chicago schools are already more like Alabama, probably worse, so what does that tell you? I highly doubt that taxing poor people more, as you suggest should be done in Alabama, will solve much of anything.
These reports are riddled with dubious assumptions about what could really be accomplished without regulation, and applies the cost of all levels of government to people, rather than corporations, which is in itself a huge assumption. If you really want to know what your tax burden is, look at your total tax payments as a percentage of your income, and get out a calendar to see how long you have to work. Then ask yourself what services you can do without if you want to cut that. Prisons? Highways? Schools? Take your pick.
We can cut a lot
like all the arts programs that are the personal playgrounds of Shirley Madigan or Maggie Daley to pretend they are the noveau rich
Schools have a ton of pork like the administration, the pensions, the corruption
Prisons, don't have all the non violent drug offenders and get them into programs, including faith based programs that seem to do better at helping people
"Prisons? Highways? Schools?"
So I acn assume all Democrats would cut those first, but that is hardly where the first cuts should be made.
$13 million for the Illinois Patronage Wives Arts Council.
$5 million for the Muntu Dance Theater.
$6 million for the Radio Broadcaster Hall of Fame
$20 million for various Jewish Federations
$760 million for the Chicago White Sox
$4 millions for minro league baseball in Marion
$480,000 for Blago tollway signs
$80,000 for Michael Madigan's college roomate's horse show
$7 million for a gun target range
$14 million for the Lt. Gov office
$18 million for the Comptroller office
$9 million for Blago's hairbrush handlers
$28 million for PRIVATE colleges
$4 million for private school books
$14 million for Blago's appointments to commissions of campaign donors
$40 million for horse racing winners
$360 million for patronage hires
$5.9 BILLION for millionaire state employee do-nothing pensions who didn't earn it in the first place.
Off the top of my head.
Plenty of cuts to make without hurting one single poor person in IL. Plenty. Sure it hurts the politically connected, but taxpayers really don't care about them. If not giving that money back to its rightful owners, at least Blago could pay the medical bills he owes which are almost $2 billion overdue.
The money spent by state government is beyond pathetic and into the ridiculous. We shouldn't even have ANY state income tax.
everything good besides private school books and private colleges
the money should follow the students
private school kids are real kids too whose parents pay taxes
Jeff Trigg should get a little more sleep. Even if you eliminate the comptroller's office, those duties will still have to be performed by somebody. Blago's hairbrush handlers don't cost anywhere near $9 million; just shows that you''re going off your rocker.
But even with all those cuts, you're talking savings of what, $10 for every man, woman and child in Illinois, each year? And businesses would be screaming for a share of that savings. And you haven't even gotten serious about what can be cut.
Rest up, Jeff; think about what you're writing.
Yes, private school kids are real kids too and so are the taxes their parents pay. I'd say it's better to give those parents their taxes back as there is no better way for the money to follow students. And that keeps the private schools private instead of taking real people's money that don't even have kids.
"And that keeps the private schools private instead of taking real people's money that don't even have kids."
Is this what Jeff Trigg stands for? "Hey Parents: Educate your own kids!"
Who needs public schools beyond students and their parents? Maybe employers? Maybe towns that want to recruit employers? Maybe neighbors who know that kids in school aren't as likely to commit crimes?
Nah, none of that. Educate your own kids.
Doesn't Connecticut also have the highest per capita income in the country? Maybe they have the latest Cost of Government Day, but they ain't starvin.
Greg-
You're telling me that the cost of government is over half of my income? How's that possible? I don't pay near that much in taxes.
Something here doesn't pass the smell test.
Anon 12:09
"Maybe neighbors who know that kids in school aren't as likely to commit crimes?"
Or maybe they are going to school to learn more crime. Given that students in Chicago public schools are approximately as likely to go to prison as to graduate from college, one might question if public school is effectively educating or acting as a holding cell for Chicago's youth.
Get rid of Todd Stroger
I think it's probably more than $9 million for Blago's hairbrush handlers figuring in lifetime pensions and benefits and travel to California movie studios and New York and even to Springfield once in a blue moon.
$10 per individual is certainly a start. I never claimed my list was all inclusive, just off the top of my head. Frankly, it's pretty sad to just shrug off even saving every person a fraction of a penny. I believe it is Florida that spends like 25% less than Illinois. I have no doubt they could knock off 25% of the current budget without hurting anyone but the politically connected. That's more like $1,000 for every man woman and child. Fractions of pennies add up. I'd sleep much better knowing they weren't throwing our money away on baseball teams and soccer fields for private colleges and horse shows and racing and hobby winemakers and .... But you go ahead and defend sick spending because it's only a fraction of a penny here, there, and everywhere.
Parents responsible for making sure their own kids are educated? No, we can't have that. We need a diaper changing government program also because that's not the parent's responsibility either. The neighbors don't want to smell soiled diapers. And a feeding program. The All Kids diaper patrol and feeding station. Yeah, that'll solve all our problems. Parents shouldn't have any responsibility raising their kids. The government is soooo much better at that. Just look at Chicago public schools, a perfect example of why parents shouldn't care about their kids education. Oh, and by the way, my argument was that people without kids shouldn't have to pay for private schools. I know, such a radical concept.
And if you really cared about employers needing educated workers and neighbors not wanting little criminals running around you'd immediately recognize the current system is failing regardless of how much money is thrown at it. You'd also admit teacher's unions often are doing more harm than good and their contracts need to be reformed. Parents who care about their kids education and who take responsibility for it have kids that do a lot better in school. Radical concept I know. Right along with being able to choose a school that best fits their kid and their life. But we can't have that.
Jeff, man, you're funny.
NEXT THREAD!!!
Jeff,
The only communities in Illinois which don't have schools affecting their property values are retirement communities -- and even the vast majority of those actually are within school districts, meaning the quality of the schools affect the property value just the same.
Schools are about much more than just money -- though that's all conservatives ever seem to consider. Schools are about training the next generation of American leaders and they're about community and investing in our communities' future.
Like it or not, good schools have a positive influence on your home's value -- even if you don't have kids.
Chicago Public Schools are doing a bad job
Anon 11:53,
"Schools are about training the next generation of American leaders and they're about community and investing in our communities' future." and since our public schools are failing that, why continue to fund them when so many good alternatives exist?
JBP
the tinfoil is obviously a bit tight around the head of whoeved conjured up all of those calculations. They're way off in most cases, high of course.
For example, the real cost of the "millionaire do nothing State employee" pensions this year is not even half of $5.9 billion. It's actually about $1.3 billion due to the budget reductions taken to balance the State budget. The actual average pension for those "do nothing" Troopers, teachers, and professors out there is about $30 grand a year. Give it a rest.
I feel much better now knowing that teachers can retire at age 50, trooper at age 48, and professors at age 58 and make only $30K.
For a minute, I thought we were wasting money on having middle class, middle aged people on the dole, while the rest of us work to pay their bills.
Hey wait a second, don't we have to pay their medical bills too? And the medical bills of their spouse? So a 49 year old former Illinois Conservation worker can be retired from his job counting fish, make 30K a year, and have full medical coverage.
Am I ever happy, that Governor Blago has taken these "reductions to balance the state budget", but don't we still have to pay for it, even though Blago didn't fund it?
JBP
The 49 year old can only retire if he started working for Conservation at age 13, whic ain't likely.
Post a Comment