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The
Illinois Chamber will host a second debate amongst the leading
candidates for the Republican nomination in Springfield, March 7.
As with the Naperville debate on January
25, the event will be broadcast live on network television,
ABC's Springfield affiliate Channel 20.
The
debate will be the closing event for the Chamber's
annual Business Summit lobby day. To attend the
Business Summit and the debate, visit the Chamber's website
for information and registration materials visit the Chamber
Events heading on our website: www.ilchamber.org. |
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Chamber Endorses Pamela
Mitroff
 Mitroff, Republican candidate for the
95th Representative District, is the recipient of the first
ever endorsement by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in a
legislative primary race. The unprecedented endorsement
was made by the Chamber PAC Board based on Mitroff's unique
background and support for business issues.
In addition
to her small business experience, Pamela Mitroff was former
Director of Legislative Relations for the Illinois Chamber of
Commerce, advocating on behalf of Chamber members at the
capitol. Mitroff was the Chamber's lead advocate on
health care issues. She currently resides in
Wheaton.
The 95th District race will determine who
replaces Rep. Randy Hultgren in the State House.
Hultgren is running for the state senate. Mitroff faces
West Chicago Mayor Mike Fortner.
Learn more about
Pamela Mitroff by visiting her website at www.PamelaMitroff.com.
Chamber
PAC Supports Sue Simpson for Senate in the
31st
The Illinois Chamber Political Action
Committee has given its support to the former State Rep. Sue
Simpson in her GOP primary contest against incumbent Senator
Adeline Geo-Karis. While the decision to go against a
sitting senator was not taken lightly, the board considered a
compelling case that Geo-Karis would be unlikely to hold the
seat in the General Election. Recent polling has shown
the incumbent to be very vulnerable.
Simpson makes a
strong case for new leadership for the Lake County
district. She is a business executive and township
supervisor in Lake County. in 2002 she filled the seat
of Rep. Andrea Moore when Moore stepped down mid-term.
Simpson's record on business issues during her lone session
was outstanding.
The 31st District is likely to be
targeted by the Democrats whoever wins the GOP primary.
It is entirely within the 8th Congressional District, where
incumbent Congresswoman Melissa Bean in the nation's top
targeted Democrat. |
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It
wasn't hard to notice Gov. Blagojevich trying to placate some
audiences in last week's Budget Address. In his three
previous budget plans Blagojevich had targeted higher
education spending, praised the efficiency of a smaller state
workforce and manipulated the state's contribution to its
pension plans to pay for increased spending
elsewhere.
This year?
Higher education gets an
increase and a tuition tax credit for students, hundreds of
new state employees will be hired and the pension system is to
receive a new infusion of cash from the sale of the dormant
riverboat license. Patrons of this state spending might
not be impressed, but they certainly noticed the
effort.
Employers were not so lucky. The Governor
has trotted out his favorite "tax loopholes" that will cost
employers millions in higher tax payments. He listed the
tax increases for business as follows:
- Impose sales
tax on licensed/custom computer software - $48
million;
- Phasing out the tax credit for
electricity sold by producers of landfill generated
electricity - $25
million;
-Eliminating the exemption for fuel
transferred to out-of-state purchasers - $44
million;
- "Allowing the Dept. of Revenue to
reach-back and collect taxes for overstated losses." No
details were provided, but possible elimination of Net
Operating Losses or further reducation of carry forward period
- $10 million;
- Eliminating the
"continental shelf exclusion" to tighten offshore
shelters. We believe this is changing the defnition of
"United States" to include continental shelf companies in the
definition of unitary business - same attempt as two years ago
- $10 million;
- Raising environmental
impact fees - Cost to business not stated. |
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Governor
Blagojevich formally announced his re-election bid yesterday
with a state fly-around.
The announcement tour continues today. Blagojevich hit upon
themes that he has driven home during the first three years of
his administration:
education, public health and public safety. He continued to
proclaim that he has managed to balance the budget, provide
greater funding for schools and has created a more efficient
state government.
While not
naming his Democratic opponent nor his GOP opponents,
Blagojevich did remind supporters that brave the cold to wish
him well, "You've
seen it all before-- the empty promises, the fake answers.
We've already lived through that nightmare," he said. "The
people who created the mess can't move us forward." Blagojevich also
reiterated his success in not raising income or sales taxes
during his first term.
Blagojevich was not so quick to make a similar pledge
for a second term.
Under intense follow-up questioning, Blagojevich
finally said, as he was climbing into his car, "yeah,
I'm not going to raise taxes on the hardworking people of
Illinois," Blagojevich said. "I won't do it. I don't believe
in it. I think it's the wrong thing to
do." |
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"Gov. Rod
Blagojevich's latest proposal "state-funded preschool for all
3- and 4-year-olds " is another example of him making too many
promises and setting too few priorities.
Even if he had
a viable plan to pay for this nice, but nonessential, gesture,
there are other needs that deserve higher priority. Why should the state
be offering preschool programs when many districts don't even
have all-day kindergarten?" Read
the whole thing... |
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