A Not-So-Subtle Form Of Extortion

The Governor stepped up to the podium and delivered his second State of the State address last week. In doing so he painted a rosy future for the state with increased funding for education and many other areas of state government….but only…and this is  the key caveat….only if the people of Illinois vote to change their state’s constitution in November.

His progressive tax, which will generate one-point-four billion more tax dollars from the residents of the state, must be passed. In fact, his budget is written as if its passage is a foregone conclusion.

In doing so, he is holding a gun to the head of public education. Gut the constitution, pass the tax or our schools get it in the temple. It is why politics in Illinois is a contact sport. J.B. Pritzker is staring down every superintendent and college president in the state. Get in line, support my tax plan, or you’ll pay dearly.

Pritzker’s one shining accomplishment is the fact he’s knocking it stiff selling pot for recreational purposes. He hopes the state’s need for weed will only accelerate.

And he is so positive about the passage of his new tax plan, he’s recommending the addition of 1600 new state employees. We can’t pay the ones we already have on the payroll.

So here’s the highly condensed, cliff-note version of the state of the state. Either pass the new tax plan or junior’s school gets it. Right between the eyes.