More Taxes

The State Legislature has been working on increasing the state income tax and the sales tax on cigarettes. I did not see it mentioned about cutting spending. They claim that most of the income tax increase will be temporally, but twice before the Legislature has raised taxes only temporarily and the taxes are still with us. They raise taxes and increase spending, then expect us to pick up the tab.

The economy of our State is at a disadvantage, the State Capital raises taxes while our neighboring states welcomes businesses and consumers from Illinois trying to escape higher Illinois taxes. Our State is broke and all the Democratic controlled Legislature can come up with is to raise taxes.

When will the day come when this State starts to have a government that watches over the assets of the people and stops treating tax dollars as something that must be disposed of in the best manner they see fit?

A New Year and New Opportunities

2011 promises to be an interesting year.

In the 8th Congressional District in 2010, we voted for "change" and to move in a new direction. I hope it is "change" we can count on, not the status quo.

Expectations are too high and accountability will be at the forefront of the voters.

First on the agenda - stop the spending. There is no reason spending has to be increased over the prior year just because the prior year's budget was used up. In a lot of cases, the budgets are used up so they don't lose the money going forward. If they have to find ways to use the money at the end of the year, guess what....they don't need all of the money they already have in their budget, let alone an increase.

Not only should spending increases be stopped, spending should be cut. Across the board cuts. It's not an easy decision, and I don't envy our new Congressman for having to make them. The bottom line is that we don't have choices in our homes when revenue slows down, we must cut our own spending.

We EXPECT Congress to act responsibly and do the same. We do not expect anything less than what we must do in our own homes. In fact, we expect them to do it in the "People's House".

Next up on the agenda - Obamacare. Defund, repeal, and replace are all musts. Taking a step back and looking at the make up of Washington D.C., we see a Republican House, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic Executive Branch.

Reality would say that the President will veto any repeal of his signature legislation, Obamacare. Unfortunately this is probably accurate, so we must continue to pressure ALL Congressmen and Senators to defund this slap in the face to the American people.

Only by defunding it can we hit the pause button. We will not be able to rewind this tragic bill unless we make changes in 2012. But those changes MUST start now. The Republicans in Congress must understand that they were the lesser of two evils in November's elections, not the choice many would make if given a more viable option.

Next on the agenda must be tax cuts. Holding the tax rates stable from 2001 and 2003 tax changes is not sufficient. A 2 year temporary hold on the tax rates only provides stability for Congress and Washington, D.C.

2 years is not a long-term solution to the joblessness, the economic rebound, or growth and entrepreneurship in the coming years. Anytime someone starts a business, there is budgeting and forecasting for the short-term, 1-5 years, and the long-term, 5-10 years or longer.

How can anyone budget and forecast anything when rates are unstable? Not only individual tax rates, but corporate tax rates. People are taxed at the corporate level, then taxed at the individual level, then taxed again on their discretionary income through sales tax, use tax, etc.

Finally, people are taxed again when they die. They are taxed again on all of the things they have already been taxed on TWICE while they were living.

Is taxing more stimulative? It only serves to fill the pockets of the out 0f touch politicians in Washington D.C. and in Springfield.

We, as the citizens of the 8th District, MUST pay attention to what the politicians are doing. We MUST hold them accountable, and we MUST be VOCAL. This is the only way they will know we are watching them. It is the only way to remind them that they work for us, not that we work to pay their salaries.

2011 promises to be an interesting year. We must not yield, we must not let up, and we must keep going.

If we don't, who will be to blame?

We, The People will be.

Congressman Joe Walsh will be holding town hall meetings

Dates, times, and locations for the remaining town halls are below.

Lake Zurich
Sunday, December 12 12:00-1:30 PM
Lake Zurich Police Department
200 Mohawk Traill
Lake Zurich, IL

McHenry
Monday, December 13 7:00-8:30 PM
McHenry West High School
4724 West Crystal Lake Road
McHenry, IL

Schaumburg
Tuesday, December 14th 7:00-8:30 PM
Schaumburg Township Center
1 Illinois Boulevard
Hoffman Estates, IL

Gurnee
Thursday, December 16 7:00-8:30 PM
Gurnee Villlage Hall
325 North Oplaine Road
Gurnee, IL

Don't Worry Raise Taxes

The Illinois Senate today voted to ban caffeinated alcoholic beverages, a move aimed at halting sales of a drink combination that critics contend can spur people to drink to dangerous levels. The measure would prohibit the production, manufacture and distribution of such products.

Meanwhile, a plan in the House to allow for smoking on casino gambling floors has stalled and also wouldn’t be eligible for more debate until next year.

The House adjourned its scheduled session Wednesday and isn’t expected to return until early January.

I have not heard about any plan to reduce the State debt or start paying off the very long back log of overdue bills. But our lawmakers seem to have more important things to worry about then whether the State of Illinois will go bankrupt or not. Maybe they know all they have to do is raise our taxes high enough and they will have more money to spend.

Is it Budget time yet?

Same-sex couples are one step closer to having the option of civil unions, the bill has passed in the House and will now go on to the Senate for almost sure approval.

A House committee approved a bill that would abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
The state has not used the death penalty since former Gov. George Ryan called for a moratorium in 2000.

No news yet on the State Budget. The current State Legislature has a lot on its plate, maybe too much for it to deal with an unbalanced state budget. Doctors, hospitals, health care centers, and other private companies have past due bills that are several months old, that Illinois cannot pay. All these people must wait for their money until more important business is taken care of first.

What State Budget?

In Springfield this week the Illinois House defeated a measure that would have allowed people to use marijuana for relief of chronic pain.

The medical marijuana bill got 53 votes, but needed 60 to pass. Another 59 lawmakers voted against it, and one voted present.

Sponsoring Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, argued the measure was aimed at giving people in pain a better quality of life, particularly after doctors have tried multiple medications that have not helped a person suffering from a debilitating illnesses.

Gov. Pat Quinn previously expressed support for the idea, saying those who are seriously ill should have access to any medical treatments that may help relieve their pain.

But no word on the State budget or the massive debt the State is facing. Illinois has a huge back log of unpaid bills but the State Legislature would rather work on medical marijuana and same sex marriage. Does the State of Illinois have to declare bankruptcy before the law makers in Springfield start to do something about it?

Cut Federal Spending

The First step is understanding what the problem is.

Forty-one percent (41%) of voters now recognize that the majority of federal spending goes to just national defense, Social Security and Medicare. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% disagree and say it’s not true, while 20% are not sure.

Federal budget documents provided by the Obama administration confirm this fact and show that the share of the budget consumed by these items and interest on the federal debt continues to grow.

In February of this year, before the campaign season began, just 35% knew that national defense spending, Social Security and Medicare made up a majority of all federal spending. Forty-four percent (44%) said it was not true.

So somehow despite all the noise and fury of the election season, there has been a net increase in public understanding of the budget. However, the data suggests that there’s still a very long way to go.

“Anybody who wants to talk about cutting federal spending and changing the federal budget must first gain an understanding of where the money is being spent,” notes Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports. “Over the past several decades, politicians from both political parties have worked overtime to hide the truth from voters, and that has led to the voter frustration roiling the land in 2010.”