Pantagraph.com | News | Senate OKs more casinos to fund construction plan

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YadaYada wrote on Sep 23, 2007 7:26 AM:

" "Dawn", it easier for me to think of it this way: Lets say that two people pay the same amount of sales taxes in a year; let's choose $1,000. Let's also say that the first person earns $20,000 per year and the the second earns $80,000 per year. The first person pays $1,000 divided by $20,000, which is 5% of her salary. The second person pays $1,000, divided by $80,000, which is 1.25% of her salary. The first person (relatively poorer) pays four times as much out her personal income for the same amount of sales taxes as does the second person (relatively wealthier). This entire issue was initiated when I responded to "Jon", who, on 09-19 at 7:55 A.M., said, " The poor don't pay their share of taxes, might as well get it out of them this way.. " I responded that "Jon" was mistaken, that the poor pay more of their income in sales taxes than the wealthier do. That provoked a controversy, and I hope the issue has been finally resolved by the preceeding simple comparison of relative poorer and wealthier individuals. "

BILLY BOB wrote on Sep 19, 2007 9:44 PM:

" It appears to me that under the present administration assigning funds to specific projects does not matter. Whoever is in the big boy chair can just say "no no" I don't want that money to go there. I want it to go here. Presto ....Chango......Alakapoofie the money is sent to the great abyss. We were told that the lottery money was going to go to ONLY education in Illinois. Another rabbit in the hat trick. We might see the money going to Chicago projects but guaranteed nothing south of I 80 will see a dime. "

Dawn wrote on Sep 19, 2007 4:57 PM:

" What Yada, Yada is trying to say is that the person making less money pays a larger percent of his overall income in taxes than the wealthier person, whenever there is a flat or regressive tax. For convenience; let’s say that the tax rate is 10%. The person making 40,000 dollars a year would pay $4,000 in taxes. $4,000 is 1 percent of 40,000 dollars. Now, the person who makes 100,000 dollars a year will pay 10,000 dollars. 10,000 is only .9% of 100,000 dollars. I hope this helps. "

YadaYada wrote on Sep 19, 2007 2:29 PM:

" Dear "to: YadaYada", you don't grasp the concept. Try this: Jesus sat near the money box in the house of God. He watched the people putting in money. Many of them were rich and gave much money. A poor woman whose husband had died came by and gave two very small pieces of money. Jesus called His followers to Him. He said, "For sure, I tell you, this poor woman whose husband has died has given more money than all the others. They all gave of that which was more than they needed for their own living. She is poor and yet she gave all she had, even what she needed for her own living." "

YadaYada wrote on Sep 19, 2007 2:11 PM:

" "Jon", "Jon", bad mistake being rude to this guy, especially after I treated you respectfully when I disagreed with you. Don't you know that those who are first in this world will be last and those who are last in this world will be first in the kingdom of heaven? Big man paid $47K in taxes; well, aren't you special? You deserve a great, big, old tombstone some poor guy will have to mow around after they plant your stinking carcus in the ground. If ego is the gift that God gives to lesser men, you should be fall-down, knee-walking thankful to Him. It should have been evident to you before you went on a rant that I was being facetious (to liberals) when I made that remark about how much larger the poor class had become during the Bush administraton, thereby justifying lowering the poor's taxes. But, you are either IQ-challenged or blinded by your irreconcilable hatred of poor people. All you readers, be aware, true Conservatives have empathy for the poor. "

LittleMac wrote on Sep 19, 2007 1:53 PM:

" "From each according to his means. To each according to his needs." "Render unto Caesar... " Besides, Jesus said that it would be easier for a guy who's dumb enough to pay 47K in taxes to pass through the eye of a needle than it would be for an elephant to get into heaven. Or, some variation on that theme. "

YadaYada wrote on Sep 19, 2007 1:27 PM:

" Kathy, Illinois is supposed to be broke every year, ideally it will be. Most states have statutory requirements for balancing the budget every year, and I imagine Illinois is no exception. That results in the revenues and expenditures being balanced, a difference of "zero" (i.e. "broke") every year. Governments "raise" money by taxation. Governments are in the business of serving the people; governments are not in the business of being in business. Business is the commerce of the people. Governments should not be conducting gambling operations and using the vigorish for contributing toward education or infrastructure financing. Currently, gambling is prohibited by law in the state of Illinois, unless the state oversees the gambling operation. How wrong can that be? Rather than the people of Illinois always being concerned about finding ways to increase revenues, how about directing efforts to cut expenses, instead? "

To Don B. wrote on Sep 19, 2007 12:49 PM:

" Your grasp of the Federal and State governments/budgets is astounding. We went from casinos in the state to finance school and road repairs/construction to Cheney, Bush, and Iraq. So you don't like the war, or the republicans. Who cares? They are not connected in any way! The best you should do is stick to the topic. The least you could to is stop posting. "

Jon wrote on Sep 19, 2007 12:40 PM:

" Lower the sales tax on the poor?? How pathetic, instead maybe they should pay their share!!! Last year we paid $47K in taxes, not counting sales tax, so please save the crap that they are paying their share. "

to: YadaYada wrote on Sep 19, 2007 12:33 PM:

" Your 8:26 post is statistical skullduggery. If a rich guy and a poor guy smoke a pack per week, they both pay the same AMOUNT of money, even though the poor guy is paying a larger percentage of his income. There's no rich/poor anonmaly here. "

No web site is secure wrote on Sep 19, 2007 11:58 AM:

" Chuckie will one day get a call from dept of revenue with a record of all of his tobacco purchases. (Your web site will give them their records, or face traffiking charges.) They will want all taxes due plus a possible penalty. This is easy money for the State, but like everything else, they arent very prompt in pursuing it. "

Don B. wrote on Sep 19, 2007 11:47 AM:

" State and local governments are running out of options, their money chests drained by Bush's historic floundering in Iraqistan. So more gambling casinos is what you get. Cheney and the gang are cooking up one final thrust to fascism that includes mass censorship, a new propaganda campaign, and an attack on Iran from the air. The Zionist-controlled media has already stirred the American zombies into believing the latest myths about Iran's nuclear capabilities. They have silenced or gagged anyone who speaks out via their media. And they will push to break Iran into factions to facilitate Israel's expansion. Israel has a surplus; America, a huge national debt. America gives over $3 billion a year to the Jewish "state" to build apartheid walls, yet must rely on casinos to raise money for its own needs. "

To: Tax chuckies wrote on Sep 19, 2007 11:45 AM:

" Have you been listening to Jethro Tull again? Reading your post sounds like part of Aqualung. "

tax chuckies wrote on Sep 19, 2007 11:21 AM:

" i say we tax everyone known as chuckie....they are a pompous and arrogant holier than thou bunch and deserve to pay more.....they sit around on park benches with snot running down their noses and smugly rise above the rest of us in their minds "

to chuckie wrote on Sep 19, 2007 11:14 AM:

" fine by this smoker. I buy my cigs on line now through a secure website so that I don't pay tax into Illinois. Rasie all you want, then think of a back up when others follow "

Kathy wrote on Sep 19, 2007 10:36 AM:

" Illinois is broke, does anyone have a better money raising idea? People will always spend their money foolishly so it might as well help pay for roads. Voting "yes" does not mean you have to gamble. It means you understand people and that their money will be coming into the state. More restaurants, more malls, more everything a tourist needs plus additional jobs with benefits. If they don't gamble in Illinois they'll go somewhere else. "

Super great Idea wrote on Sep 19, 2007 10:28 AM:

" Raise taxes on alcohol, gasoline, and property tax, that will teach you to comment about my beloved one eyed closed cigarette consumer. Gasoline is the most harmful product we humans consume, then we have homes that consume and emit harmful toxins in the air, Alcohol should be taxed to the point where you can't afford to put your shot glass up to your mouth and feel as if your not hurting anyone either. I say 23.75% tax hike 15% property tax hike, and a 5000% tax hike on gasoline, hey look I fixed the budget now just pass new taxes that effect everyone so everyone is paying their fair share of taxes, oh yeah that would be being fair, that just does not happen any longer, instead we punish one group of people to make another feel powerful...... Stupid does as stupid is....... "

Digs Deeper wrote on Sep 19, 2007 10:19 AM:

" This is horrible for our future generations, and teaches our youth that it is OK to waste every last red cent in your pocket. Next they will have a bail out welfare program for those whom have gone in debt gambling as well. Welcome to the land of it is only OK to do it if we tell you that you can.... Just legalize pot, then their would be no need for higher taxes or gambling sites here in Illinois, this state would be the best funded state in the nation if they would just take that step, before the rest of the states cash is on the legalization of Marijuana, of which the government can no longer keep illegal since it has medical value and illegalizing it is doing more harm than good, just like legalizing gambling is doing more harm than good.. "

High Five wrote on Sep 19, 2007 9:55 AM:

" High Fives all around to Garfield! That is a perfect point. Well said! Same could be said for the bar scene. Great way to put it! "

tax the prostitute wrote on Sep 19, 2007 9:22 AM:

" I like the idea of taxing prostitution.. Seems like a good source of revenue. Billion dollar industry getting away tax free "

Garfield wrote on Sep 19, 2007 9:07 AM:

" Why not legalize prostitution- at least no longer make it a crime. If you take a girl on a date- pay a restaurant and theatre and later have consensual sex it is not a crime. If you cut out the middle men ie. the restaurant and theatre owners it is a crime. What should be illegal is the price you have to pay for popcorn, soda, etc at the movie. That is obscene. "

DAH wrote on Sep 19, 2007 9:00 AM:

" Will BLAGO THE CLOWN be a special attraction. WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO BESIDES IN THE POCKETS OF THE REPS,SENS AND THE CLOWNS STAFF. MAYBE THE POOR AND THE REST OF THE STATE WILL RECEIVE SOME???????????? "

Chuckie wrote on Sep 19, 2007 8:29 AM:

" Don't expand gambling. Rather, increase tobacco taxes. Yes, this is the answer. Ciggy smokers won't care. They will keep puffing away regardless. I love the look of the head tilted slightly and one eye closed because the smoke is getting in the other eye while the ciggy is gripped in the teeth. "

YadaYada wrote on Sep 19, 2007 8:26 AM:

" I respectfully disagree, "Jon", it is proven beyond any doubt that the poor spend a larger per cent of their income on tobacco and alcohol products than the more affluent do, therefore the poor also pay a larger percent of their incomes on taxes for those products. Since liberal pundits profess that the working poor class has grown dramatically over the past seven years, then it stands to reason that the working poor are paying even more taxes over the past seven years. To compensate for this anomoly, therefore, Democrats should LOWER sales taxes on the poor.....don't you agree? "

YadaYada wrote on Sep 19, 2007 8:17 AM:

" Gambling at casinos is a recreation for most of the people who actually go to casinos. And, the people who go to casinos are a minority of the population. So, when times are good, gambling proceeds are good as well. But, when times are not so good, folks start cutting-back on expenses. The first expenditures people cut are non-essential expenses; recreation expenses being among those type expenses. "When", not "if", gambling proceeds subside, then where will the money come to pay for state construction obligations? The state will be forced to raise everyone's taxes, of course. So, if more money is needed to operate the state now, then our legislature is compelled to finance the projects more responsibly. Toss the bums out of office who voted so wrecklessly. "

tax turf wrote on Sep 19, 2007 8:16 AM:

" Let corn, business, sweat, ingenuity and investment pay the bills. Don't pollute are tax stream, don't dillute are central Illinois contribution. Please raise my taxes instead. "

ken wrote on Sep 19, 2007 8:03 AM:

" Gambling this year next year it will be prostitution. "

Jon wrote on Sep 19, 2007 7:55 AM:

" The poor don't pay their share of taxes, might as well get it out of them this way.. "

huh? wrote on Sep 19, 2007 6:26 AM:

" "Blagojevich called the Senate action a good first step." Didn't Chicagovich continuously blast Judy T. for advocating a similer plan? "

listen wrote on Sep 19, 2007 6:11 AM:

" The state of Illinois can not expect to educate its children, or pave its roads on the backs of the poor. Like it or not gambling is not a sport, but a poor choice of investing. "

JMK wrote on Sep 19, 2007 4:16 AM:

" Might as well just tax it out of people and cut out the casino middleman. "

OGS Choice to Gamble wrote on Sep 19, 2007 2:30 AM:

" I would rather have a choice to gamble than have no choice when it comes to raising my taxes. Nevada does not have a state income tax. Wouldn't that be nice? Hmmm, I say let the gamblers gamble their paycheck and protect the investors from the criminal elements on Wall St. who steal entire retirements. Can you say Enron or World Com? "

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