Posted on 04/23/2010 11:46:48 AM PDT by markomalley
Thousands of teachers and other union workers descended on the state Capitol on Wednesday and chanted "raise my taxes" to try to pressure politicians to avoid major budget cuts.
The vibe was the exact opposite of what you'd find at a tea party rally. But the loud chants barely resonated inside the Capitol, where lawmakers are trying to exit Springfield in a couple of weeks without voting for a tax increase that could jeopardize their re-election chances in little more than six months.
"If you try to leave town without doing your job, we're going to chase you," warned union leader Henry Bayer at a rally that drew an estimated 15,000 people — the biggest at the Capitol since the era of the Equal Rights Amendment more than a quarter-century ago.
"These 177 people who have a job don't want to do their job," said Bayer, executive director of Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "Yes, people are hurting. That's why we need a tax increase."
But that job has a different definition for each of the 177 members in the House and Senate, and signs of any income tax proposal passing the legislature this spring are hard to find.
Gov. Pat Quinn is out front pushing his 33 percent increase in the income tax rate, but he's getting lonely. Many lawmakers don't want to take more money out of people's wallets as unemployment remains high in Illinois, yet groups that receive tax money said Quinn's proposed tax hike isn't big enough to help bridge a deficit that's expected to reach $13 billion if nothing is done.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Thousands of union workers would be without jobs today had they not descended on the state Capitol on Wednesday and chanted “raise my taxes”
EXCELLENT BLOG HERE:
http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/04/public-unions-protest-in-illinois-give.html
No one has asked the obvious question:
Why weren’t they in the classroom doing their jobs?
“No one has asked the obvious question: Why weren’t they in the classroom doing their classroom doing their jobs? “
Probably a teacher in service day. You know, for professional develoment.
A sir tax on excess benefits over and above those paid in the private sector.
They are big on the “Obama meal” at McDonald’s, where you order what ever and as much as you like and the guy behind you pays for it.
Excellent!
I’m very much in favor of eliminating about 75 percent of ALL govt.
Cause they are mostly worthless leaches.
Just HACKS protesting to continue voraciously feeding on the public teat.
Newer thread with video link http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2499354/posts?page=1
Of COURSE the Tax Eaters are all for a bigger better tit to suckle on...
But that, they will not say.
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