It turns out there are two types of politicians in Illinois. Not Republicans and Democrats, but those who pay taxes and those who don’t.
It’s a definition that crosses party lines. The taxpaying politicians – Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Pat Quinn – are having a sanctimonious week at the expense of those who don’t – Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republicans Bill Brady and Jason Plummer.
Quinn, who’s running one of the brokest states in the union, suggested Giannoulias should pay taxes even though he’s entitled to a refund. When Giannoulias said he’d donate his windfall to charity, Quinn suggested he should donate to the very office that Giannoulias runs: the Illinois Treasury.
“I think a good charity would be the people of Illinois,” Quinn said. “We have a lot of good causes.”
Typical Democrat. Thinks the government can spend money better than the taxpayers.
Quinn, who has always been a bi-partisan scold, criticized all tax-dodging politicians, although he only mentioned his opponent by name.
“You get a public salary, you should pay income taxes to the state and the federal government,” he said. “I don’t think there should be a Brady loophole where people who make millions of bucks then end up paying no taxes whatsoever.”
Chicago Politics
Kirk, who is less of a goody-goody and more of a politician that Quinn, found a way to say that a Democrat who doesn’t pay taxes is worse than a Republican. Especially if that Democrat is his opponent.
“The Giannoulias family transferred this incredible $394-million bill” to the Federal Deposit Insurance Company when Broadway Bank collapsed, Kirk said.
Highly scientific studies have shown that when hardcore Republicans and Democrats are presented with negative information about a member of their own party, their brains react to block it out. Perhaps that’s what was going on in Mark Kirk’s head. Or perhaps he just didn’t want to miss a chance to say “Broadway Bank” again.
Probably the latter, because he did go on to say, “If you are dependent on a salary paid by the taxpayers, you ought to pay tax.”
As Rich Miller pointed out on Capitol Fax, this tax issue has divided members of each party: “This is obviously a game of every man for himself.”
And no man wants to be seen sticking up for a tax dodger. Kirk and Quinn both paid tens of thousands of dollars to the government last year. They’re more than getting their money’s worth in the ability to take shots at their opponents.
