By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – One of the people who cares about making Illinois government more ethical.
David Greising, president of the Chicago-based Better Government Association, says a recent comment by Lt Gov Juliana Stratton is interesting. She said last week that all Illinoisans could see an income tax increase of twenty percent or more if the proposed graduated income tax fails at the statewide ballot. Greising says that could indicate the governor’s office is losing confidence that the question – changing Illinois’ taxing structure from flat to graduated – will attain the sixty percent vote needed to pass.
And Greising looks to the last two crooked governors and the aftermath of their reigns.
“The chief post-Ryan reform, the office of the Legislative Inspector General, shows the importance of independence and enforcement,” he said. “The post-Blago reforms show how politically inexperienced outsiders can get rolled by the political insiders, who in turn can game the reforms to serve their own purposes.
“These lessons and others should remain top-of-mind as we seek to overhaul Illinois government over the next few months.”
Greising spoke to a virtual audience via City Club of Chicago.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
