I know only one person who survived for years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
He was David Bachman.
It s a deadly disease.
Pretty much everywhere else one can read of Jim Edgar’s being a gentleman.
Certainly he was.
But, let’s talk about policy.
He came to Crystal Lake to make a pitch for the Real Estate Tax Cap.
And, despite House Speaker Mike Madigan’s adamant opposition, he passed the bill.
It took a couple of weeks after the artificial legislative adjournment deadline of June 30th. but he pulled it off.
Compare that to former Governor Bruce Rauner’s inability to get pretty much anything passed. All he will be remembered for is his inability to even get a budget passed, and his signing of outrageous sanctuary state and pro-abortion laws.
Edgar challenged my brain with how to reduce the real estate tax burden by replacing it with an income tax.
The problem I had with his Illinois House bill was that only half of the proposed income tax hike’s proceeds would got toward reducing property taxes.
The other half would be poured into the bottomless pit of education.
I figured that was a tax hike not worth the benefits.
Because the distribution formula would be weighted toward underassessed Cook County (compared to McHenry County), we would end up not only paying more than our fair share, but getting back less than our fair share.
Since all property tax is spent locally, I drafter a bill that would allow local taxpayers to replace part of the property tax with a local income tax.
The income tax would be only on individuals and the benefits would go only to reduce residential real estate taxes.
There were problems.
For starters, during the first year, people would pay both real estate and income taxes.
The second year, whatever what collected in local income taxes would be subtracted from school district tax levies.
Another problem would occur the year after a recession, when income taxes would be lower.
The following year, school taxes would increase.
Neither bill passed, of course, and property taxes continue to increase.
Edgar was successful in trading a one-year pause in state employee salaries for a better pension program.
I was in a conference in the Governor’s Office when the deal was explained.
That same Sunday morning St. Louis papers reported the Missouri legislature had passed legislation provided its state employees with a bi-furcated retirement system:
- half would be defined benefit (as Illinois has)
- Half would be defined contribution (like a 401(k))
I suggested Illinois follow that example.
The briefing staffer said the deal has been cut and no changed were possible.
The meeting was an hour wasted.
From a political viewpoint, when Edgar was Governor, the State Republican Party for the first time provided benefit to legislative canidates
A mailing urging Republicans to vote absentee actually mentioned the names of legislators on the ballot.
In retirement, Edgar drifted leftward, opposing Donald Trump’s elections and supporting JB Pritzker’s election.
