High-Dollar Puppeteers

Our researcher Shannon has a good post over at Wonkish on the forces behind the big businesses groups raising hell in the state right now over the Governor's Healthcare/Education/Gross Receipts Tax proposal. She posed a fundamental question: Who does the State Chamber of Commerce represent?

The answer: Big Business. Well, not just big business. Big Out Of State Business.

The Chamber’s wallet is filled by multi-billion dollar corporations from out of state that have financial interest in Illinois - the same type of corporations Blagojevich claims have been skirting paying their share of taxes for too long. Take a look below at the Chamber’s main contributors (those who contributed over $5,000), and you will see some notable characters - Ameren, Harrah’s. Who among these would be most affected by the Gross Receipts Tax, and how much money are they willing to put up to stop it?

Now, we won't know who is funding the state chamber's current radio ad blitz and promotional tour around the state, but it is sure to be a similar cast of characters. Obviously, from a policy perspective, these corporations have a definite interest in defeating any proposal that shifts more responsibility toward their businesses. Additionally, being out of state, they won't benefit from any of the other items in the budget.

But, by donating to the Illinois Chamber, do these businesses taint that operation? Any effort by the Chamber to claim the mantle of defending small business becomes woefully transparent.

I'll put my question simply: Does it hurt the Illinois Chamber's argument to be associated with devil incarnate... er... Ameren right now?