Wednesday, October 07, 2020

Because federal bailout may not be coming, Lightfoot and Pritzker may have to lay off workers and cut spending--which they should have done months ago


As I've observed before--the correct time to layoff government employees was when the COVID-19 lockdown began in March. But Chicago's mayor, Lori Lightfoot, and Illinois' governor, J.B. Pritzker, who are beholden to the public-sector unions that put them in office, not the taxpayers, chose to keep all of their workers on taxpayers' payroll. 

For instance, all Illinois restaurants were closed for weeks. Why did they need health inspectors? Sales tax revenue was way down, so there was, and is, less work for revenue employees. I can go on and on. 

And the lockdowns were more severe in blue states. They Democrats put their economies to sleep. 

Why did they do this?

This passage from Fox Chicago tells us why:

Nearly eight months after the coronavirus hit the nation, struggling cities like Chicago saw a huge drop in tax revenues. 

Empty streets meant no money from sales taxes, and now it appears the city will not get any help from the federal government.
More...
For city taxpayers, it could very likely mean paying more. For some city departments and agencies, it could mean layoffs.
Ah ha! That's it! Lightfoot and Pritzker had their scheme all figured out. The federal government would bail them out. These two Democrats are irresponsible, they remind me of rich kids living off a trust fund who, after they burn through it, expect someone else to pay the bill. 

But now that may not happen they'll have to do what they should have done in the spring. Cut spending and layoff employees. And sadly, raise taxes.

And dopes in blue states elect such leaders. Sad. Very sad. 

Chicago and Illinois, again I've said this before, are not comprised of people with governments. They are governments that have people. And just one of the symptoms of this illness is that they are poor stewards of taxpayer money. 

Illinoisans will decide next month on a constitutional amendment to drop the flat income tax--many states by they way have no income tax at all--for a graduated one. If you believe that Pritzker, Boss Madigan et al will be wise spenders of this cash windfall then you are a fool. 

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