Illinois General Assembly demands more revenue?
I received the following two e-mails yesterday. Both deal with the Illinois General Assembly and both are time sensitive. Therefore, I am posting them this morning. I hope to return to “what the House of Representatives should do” tomorrow.
From: Americans for Prosperity
It’s no secret that the state of Illinois is in a fiscal crisis. It’s taken about ten years of pay-to play politics, sweetheart deals, poor public policy decisions, and the complete mismanagement of state funds to get us to this point.
Illinois’ budget deficit is approximately $14 billion, the state’s pension and retiree health care debt is approximately $130 billion, unfunded Medicaid liability has doubled since 2007 and Illinois’ unemployment rate has hovered around 10% for the last two years. Yet, state government continues to spend more than it takes in (an average of $3 for every $2 it receives from our tax dollars).
This week (January 4-11, 2011), the Illinois General Assembly is convening for a lame duck session. There are several scenarios being discussed behind closed doors on whether lawmakers will be asked to vote on revenue enhancements (I.E. tax increases) during the lame duck session.
CLICK HERE to contact your lawmaker and ask him/her to vote "NO" on tax increases during the lame duck session.
http://www.capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=21319501&type=ST
We certainly won’t be given advanced noticed as to how or if this is going to occur. What we do know is that as a matter of principle, it would be a slap in the face to voters if lawmakers were to approve a tax increase or complicated reform packages during an 8 day lame duck session. Especially, when so many lawmakers are on their way out of office and won’t be held accountable to voters for their votes.
Please CLICK HERE to contact your lawmakers today
http://www.capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=21319501&type=ST
and ask him/her to vote ‘NO’ on tax increases during the lame duck session.
Sincerely,
Joe Calomino
State Director
Americans for Prosperity—Illinois”
From: Illinois Family Institute
“IFI E-Alert: Act Now to Stop A Massive Expansion of Gambling
by David E. Smith, IFI Executive Director—Illinois Family Institute
http://www.illinoisfamily.org/
Lame Duck legislative session resumes in Springfield ...
Illinois state lawmakers are returning to Springfield for another 8 days to finish off the 96th General Assembly Session. Since this legislative session includes lame duck lawmakers—including retiring and defeated members—anything is possible.
One of the proposals making their priority list is a massive gambling bill (SB 737) that would create five new casinos in the Land of Lincoln, including one in Chicago. Sponsored by State Representative Lou Lang (D-Skokie), this 350+ page bill would also create ‘racinos’—video slot machines at the state’s six horse race tracks.
In other words, adding to the 10 casinos we currently have in Illinois, residents of this state face the prospect of having 21 casino or casino-like establishments in the near future, making Illinois a top contender for the most anti-family and predatory gambling state in the nation.
(Not only this current, massive increase in gambling, but this proposed increase is stacked upon an already massive increase which has NOT yet been put into practice. The General Assembly has already allowed restaurants that sell alcohol to put up to five video gambling machines within their establishment. It seems that the goal of this General Assembly is to force the State of Illinois into becoming the gambling Mecca of the United States. Do you believe that gambling will be our salvation as a State? The General Assembly seems to believe that “gambling is the answer!”—my addition)
Take ACTION: Don’t delay in speaking out! This and the other gambling bills are moving fast! Click HERE
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=728&issueid=10773&atid=18026&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=true
to send your lawmakers an email or a fax to tell them ‘NO MORE GAMBLING—PERIOD.’
The problems with gambling are not just with those who lose financially—that’s obvious—but the wider community also loses as gamblers engage in destructive behavior: they commit crimes, run up large debts, damage relationships with family and friends, and commit suicide at rates alarmingly higher than the rest of society.
Gambling is no economic panacea—even in Illinois’ big cities. It would actually add to the homeless problem, bring increases in crime, suicide, domestic abuse, and alcohol abuse while creating broken families and new addictions.
It cannot be overstated—the social costs of gambling far outweigh the perceived financial benefits. (That doesn’t seem to be a concern to the members of this General Assembly. Their mantra seems to be “We DEMAND your money!” “Your money should be OUR money!” “We demand YOUR money!” This gambling is STATE SANCTIONED STEALING! Tell the General Assembly to get their hands out of our pockets!—my addition)
This massive gambling bill must be stopped in the Illinois House. In the November Veto Session, the Illinois Senate passed this gambling expansion bill sponsored by State Senator Terry Link (D-Lake Bluff). If the bill does not pass in the House by noon on January 12th, state legislators will have to start from scratch by introducing this legislation again after the newly elected lawmakers are sworn in to office.
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=728&issueid=10773&atid=18026&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=false
Click HERE
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=728&issueid=10773&atid=18026&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=true
to contact your state lawmakers today
Please tell them ‘NO MORE GAMBLING—PERIOD.’
Read more:
1) Bet on casinos won’t pay off (The News Gazette)
http://www.news-gazette.com/opinions/editorials/2010-12-13/bet-casinos-wont-pay.html
2) Our Opinion: Nix illogical expansion of gambling (State Journal-Register)
http://www.sj-r.com/editorials/x1499828280/Our-Opinion-Nix-illogical-expansion-of-gambling
3) Report says Vegas has world’s fifth-worst economy (Casino City Times)
http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article/report-says-vegas-has-worlds-fifth-worst-economy-195760?issue=12-6-10&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=CASINO&utm_campaign=12-6-10”
I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to declare it. The State of Illinois does NOT have a revenue problem. The State of Illinois has a spending problem. It is insanity to allow this General Assembly to have MORE revenue when it is NOT responsible for the revenue it has already received, borrowed, wasted, and burned! The General Assembly has turned this State into a DEADBEAT State. They will be a DEADBEAT if this obscene proposal passes.
It is insanity to give an alcoholic more alcohol! It is insanity to give a spendthrift State more money! Are we insane?
I received the following two e-mails yesterday. Both deal with the Illinois General Assembly and both are time sensitive. Therefore, I am posting them this morning. I hope to return to “what the House of Representatives should do” tomorrow.
From: Americans for Prosperity
It’s no secret that the state of Illinois is in a fiscal crisis. It’s taken about ten years of pay-to play politics, sweetheart deals, poor public policy decisions, and the complete mismanagement of state funds to get us to this point.
Illinois’ budget deficit is approximately $14 billion, the state’s pension and retiree health care debt is approximately $130 billion, unfunded Medicaid liability has doubled since 2007 and Illinois’ unemployment rate has hovered around 10% for the last two years. Yet, state government continues to spend more than it takes in (an average of $3 for every $2 it receives from our tax dollars).
This week (January 4-11, 2011), the Illinois General Assembly is convening for a lame duck session. There are several scenarios being discussed behind closed doors on whether lawmakers will be asked to vote on revenue enhancements (I.E. tax increases) during the lame duck session.
CLICK HERE to contact your lawmaker and ask him/her to vote "NO" on tax increases during the lame duck session.
http://www.capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=21319501&type=ST
We certainly won’t be given advanced noticed as to how or if this is going to occur. What we do know is that as a matter of principle, it would be a slap in the face to voters if lawmakers were to approve a tax increase or complicated reform packages during an 8 day lame duck session. Especially, when so many lawmakers are on their way out of office and won’t be held accountable to voters for their votes.
Please CLICK HERE to contact your lawmakers today
http://www.capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=21319501&type=ST
and ask him/her to vote ‘NO’ on tax increases during the lame duck session.
Sincerely,
Joe Calomino
State Director
Americans for Prosperity—Illinois”
From: Illinois Family Institute
“IFI E-Alert: Act Now to Stop A Massive Expansion of Gambling
by David E. Smith, IFI Executive Director—Illinois Family Institute
http://www.illinoisfamily.org/
Lame Duck legislative session resumes in Springfield ...
Illinois state lawmakers are returning to Springfield for another 8 days to finish off the 96th General Assembly Session. Since this legislative session includes lame duck lawmakers—including retiring and defeated members—anything is possible.
One of the proposals making their priority list is a massive gambling bill (SB 737) that would create five new casinos in the Land of Lincoln, including one in Chicago. Sponsored by State Representative Lou Lang (D-Skokie), this 350+ page bill would also create ‘racinos’—video slot machines at the state’s six horse race tracks.
In other words, adding to the 10 casinos we currently have in Illinois, residents of this state face the prospect of having 21 casino or casino-like establishments in the near future, making Illinois a top contender for the most anti-family and predatory gambling state in the nation.
(Not only this current, massive increase in gambling, but this proposed increase is stacked upon an already massive increase which has NOT yet been put into practice. The General Assembly has already allowed restaurants that sell alcohol to put up to five video gambling machines within their establishment. It seems that the goal of this General Assembly is to force the State of Illinois into becoming the gambling Mecca of the United States. Do you believe that gambling will be our salvation as a State? The General Assembly seems to believe that “gambling is the answer!”—my addition)
Take ACTION: Don’t delay in speaking out! This and the other gambling bills are moving fast! Click HERE
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=728&issueid=10773&atid=18026&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=true
to send your lawmakers an email or a fax to tell them ‘NO MORE GAMBLING—PERIOD.’
The problems with gambling are not just with those who lose financially—that’s obvious—but the wider community also loses as gamblers engage in destructive behavior: they commit crimes, run up large debts, damage relationships with family and friends, and commit suicide at rates alarmingly higher than the rest of society.
Gambling is no economic panacea—even in Illinois’ big cities. It would actually add to the homeless problem, bring increases in crime, suicide, domestic abuse, and alcohol abuse while creating broken families and new addictions.
It cannot be overstated—the social costs of gambling far outweigh the perceived financial benefits. (That doesn’t seem to be a concern to the members of this General Assembly. Their mantra seems to be “We DEMAND your money!” “Your money should be OUR money!” “We demand YOUR money!” This gambling is STATE SANCTIONED STEALING! Tell the General Assembly to get their hands out of our pockets!—my addition)
This massive gambling bill must be stopped in the Illinois House. In the November Veto Session, the Illinois Senate passed this gambling expansion bill sponsored by State Senator Terry Link (D-Lake Bluff). If the bill does not pass in the House by noon on January 12th, state legislators will have to start from scratch by introducing this legislation again after the newly elected lawmakers are sworn in to office.
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=728&issueid=10773&atid=18026&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=false
Click HERE
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=728&issueid=10773&atid=18026&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=true
to contact your state lawmakers today
Please tell them ‘NO MORE GAMBLING—PERIOD.’
Read more:
1) Bet on casinos won’t pay off (The News Gazette)
http://www.news-gazette.com/opinions/editorials/2010-12-13/bet-casinos-wont-pay.html
2) Our Opinion: Nix illogical expansion of gambling (State Journal-Register)
http://www.sj-r.com/editorials/x1499828280/Our-Opinion-Nix-illogical-expansion-of-gambling
3) Report says Vegas has world’s fifth-worst economy (Casino City Times)
http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article/report-says-vegas-has-worlds-fifth-worst-economy-195760?issue=12-6-10&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=CASINO&utm_campaign=12-6-10”
I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to declare it. The State of Illinois does NOT have a revenue problem. The State of Illinois has a spending problem. It is insanity to allow this General Assembly to have MORE revenue when it is NOT responsible for the revenue it has already received, borrowed, wasted, and burned! The General Assembly has turned this State into a DEADBEAT State. They will be a DEADBEAT if this obscene proposal passes.
It is insanity to give an alcoholic more alcohol! It is insanity to give a spendthrift State more money! Are we insane?
posted by Christian Gunslinger at 4:56 AM
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