According to Biden, "Because Barack made that choice, 150,000 more children and parents have health care in Illinois. He fought to make that happen. And because Barack made that choice, working families in Illinois pay less taxes and more people have moved from welfare to the dignity of work. He got it done."
First, it was a Republican Governor, George Ryan who first started the ball rolling on the Children's Healthcare programs in Illinois. Ryan's KidCare initiative paved the path for Governor Blagojevichs expansion of the program later. Senator Obama played no roll in shaping the legislation, but if we wishes to receive the credit then he should also share disadvantages to how these programs came about. Governor Ryan came into office on the coat-tails of a popular down-state Republican Governor, but immediately after obtaining office he broke nearly every campaign promise by instituting massive new government spending and squandering the State's surplus. As a result, when his KidCare initiative was instituted at a time when the state was operating in deficits, Ryan tried to offset his drunken spending by doubling and sometimes tripling Professional Fees, Licensing Fees, and Operating Fees across the board on Illinois Businesses and Professionals. Just two years later when the soon to be indicted Ryan was replaced by Obama's friend Rod Blagojevich, he would promise to restore fiscal health to Illinois while at the same time promising a massive new expansion of social spending. Sound Familiar???
So what happened when Blagojevich and his Chicago buddies, including Obama, took the reigns in Illinois. Simple, facing a massive deficit during his first year in office, the Governor, with the support of Barack Obama, proposed over $1 billion in new spending, followed by similar increases in every year since. How did he pay for this new spending, he didn't raise income taxes; but... Blagojevich, with no objections from Obama, doubled, tripled and sometimes quadrupled the professional licensing fees of businesses and individuals in Illinois. For myself, my professional fees in Illinois doubled during Ryan's administration, and then tripled just 2 years later thanks Blago. There was no industry or professional that was left untouched, every person operating in Illinois from Auto Dealerships, Truckers, Gas Stations, Doctors, Nurses, Insurance Agents, Hair Dressers, EVERYONE WAS SLAPPED WITH HIGHER FEES.
In 2003, after Blago came to power, in an effort to balance the budget and fund his $1 billion in new spending, the governor with the backing of Obama, decided to issue bonding authority to offset $10 billion of unfunded Teachers Pension System Obligations. Illinois Republicans, joined by teachers unions and taxpayer advocacy groups attempted to block the move and force the state to continue to fulfill it's obligations without indebting the Teachers Pension Plan. The attempt was over-ridden by Blago and Obama's Chicago contingency and 5 years later the State still is barely able to pay the interests on the bonds, let alone determine how they will pay back the debt they tied to Teachers Pensions. Less than 2 years later, these same Chicago Politician would pass legislation essentially capping and penalizing school districts who offered pay raises to Illinois teachers during their final years prior to retirement. Obama said nothing.
It is true that with a 3% Income Tax Rate, Illinois does have a reasonable income tax system. However, Illinois has one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation, and the city of Chicago now enjoys the HIGHEST SALES TAX RATE IN THE NATION at over 10%. Since the retirement of Governor Edgar, Illinois has consistently ranked at in the bottom 20% of all States for Economic Growth. The Governor who ran on an identical platform as Obama, riding the coat-tails of an unpopular and damaging Republican Governor, has failed in 6 years to control Government spending, balance the budget, protect the jobs of Govt. employees, control taxation, and reign in corruption. This Governor, backed and supported by Obama, has not delivered the transparent government he promised. Blago, Obama, Jones and their corrupt Chicago colleagues have ran government from the proverbial "smoke-filled back room".
Obama showed no leadership in Illinois, he did not play an influential role in passing Illinois' health care programs; programs that have been considered a failure and whose enrollment is only 10% of what was expected. Obama's Chicago buddies are proud to taut his support for this health care program, yet while they taut this plan, the Chicago Democrats have cut health benefits to their own State Employees.
Illinois citizens do not enjoy low taxes when you consider the higher costs of goods and services driven by increases in the State's Sales tax (including Chicago's record breaking sales tax) and massive increases in the licensing and operating fees paid by professionals and businesses alike.
Obama's Illinois is not the model of Government that anyone should want to adopt in their state, let alone in Washington DC. If you want to see how Obamis would rule, then I urge you to look at Illinois Government. Look at the current Governor, a man who has divided his own political party; a man who will not run and could not run for re-election; a man who campaigned on a platform identical to that of Obamis and failed to live up to any of his hope and change promises; a man who will join the ranks of many of Illinois' former Governors when he is indicted when he leaves office; a man whose friend, Obamis, fully supported and adopted his policies and campaign platform.
J Brown
August 28th, 2008
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5 comments:
I live in Illinois and I am so with you on this one. When all is said and done I believe we in Illinois end up paying more in taxes than anyone. And our health care is broke because we are paying for the illegals also, be very wary of Obama's health care plan, if anything like ours it won't work.
Michelle Obama said something similar in her speech. She said that her husband had passed tax cuts for "hardworking" people in Illinois. I have yet to see that tax cut, so I have no idea what she or Biden is talking about. Incidentally, by linking Obama to his "accomplishments" in Springfield, Biden just made Illinois' state political disaster a national issue. I hope McCain's people are paying attention.
That's a great point, I guess I missed that part of her speech, yet I wasn't really listening anyways. Tax Cut? Seriously? The only tax cut that I have recieved in Illinois is the Education Expense Credit which is the only thing that Blago has done which was positive. That tax credit didn't go into effect until 2006, well over a year after Obama left office. Of course, that tax credit was more than offset by the increase in my professional fees and subsequent sales tax increases in the state.
"Tax Cut?" That's friggin nuts! But then again, Obamis isn't really appealing to those who want to research the issues.
Weird how he got 70% of the vote in Illinois for his U.S. Senate seat, he must have really done nothing like you say...hahahahaha, try harder, please
#1 Anon (afraid to leave a name)
You're remark has nothing to do with the post.
#2 - Let's take a look at his Senate Run...3 months prior to the election, Obama was consistently trailing his Republican Rival in the polls. Mysteriously, in the fall, copies of his rivals Sealed Divorce Settlement showed up in press, containing personal information that forced his embarrased opponent into removing his name from the ballot. The only challenger that Obama had was Alan Keyes who didn't even live in Illinois at the time. Wow.. What a surprise he won. By the way, I voted for him, a mistake that will never be made again.
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