June 9, 2009
Hope for the Hopeless
Illinois is hopeless. When John Tillman hears people say that about government
in the Land of Lincoln, he gets pretty peeved.
Tillman, head of the Illinois Policy Institute — a think tank offering what it
calls “liberty-based public policy initiatives” — doesn't think battling big
government is hopeless at all. For instance, the Institute helped generate
support for transparency legislation that passed.
And last week, as the state's legislative session closed, Governor Pat Quinn's
proposed 50 percent income tax hike was soundly defeated . . . by the state's
very blue legislature.
How did that happen?
Well, the first step is always to believe enough in your fellow citizens to
wage a fight for their “hearts and minds.” Hope helps.
Next step? Getting the facts out.
The argument for huge tax increases is always that government can't survive
without the additional money. In a series of media appearances and grassroots
events, Tillman and the Institute kept talking about sensible ways to cut
spending.
Governor Quinn talked about the painful consequences if government didn't have
more money. Tillman spoke about the painful consequences if working families,
already paying high taxes, had to fork over still more dough.
Kristina Rasmussen, the Institute's Executive Vice President, published a
report entitled, “Would My Family Pay Higher Taxes Under Governor Quinn's
Plan?” The answer for the average Illinois family was: Yes — 17 percent more.
Hope wins again. Helped by hard work.
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.
Paul Jacob is President of Citizens in Charge and the Citizens in Charge
Foundation, which sponsors both Common Sense and Paul's weekly Townhall Column.
The opinions expressed in Common Sense are Paul Jacob's and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Citizens in Charge or the Citizens in Charge Foundation.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
This is a Free Speech forum. The owner of this list assumes no responsibility
for the intellectual or emotional maturity of its members. If you do not like
what is being said here, filter it to trash, ignore it or leave. If you leave,
learn how to do this for yourself. If you do not, you will be here forever.
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
