…For Illinois businesses, that is: the new Governor is doing everything that he can to encourage a mass corporate exodus to Wisconsin, short of actually calling out the local National Guard to provide covering fire for the refugee columns. This is less of an exaggeration than you might think: the official slogan that Governor Walker is using is “Escape to Wisconsin.” They’re kind of serious about it, too: the Lt. Governor is going around and calling companies worried about the proposed Amazon* tax that’s about to destroy the business model of thousands of individuals and corporations in Illinois.
One thing that’s kind of entertaining about this situation – well, there are many things that are entertaining about this situation – is watching folks attempt to push back on this by arguing that taxes are still technically higher in Wisconsin than they are in Illinois. Indeed: the Democrats took the Governorship in 2002, the state Senate in 2006, and the state Assembly in 2008 – and then they promptly hiked taxes like they were, well, Democrats. Which is a major reason why the state government flipped so overwhelmingly Republican in November – and why the lightning push to cut business taxes and regulation in January has Democratic screams of outrage for counterpoint. I’m sure that Governor Walker would love to wave a magic wand and retroactively erase the bad business decisions of the Wisconsin Democratic party in an instant, but unfortunately this is the real world, where magic wands are not particularly known for working. Believe me: if they did then the Democratic party would have invested in that technology years ago: it’s precisely the hardware that they need to make their economic policies work.
In the meantime, he and the Wisconsin GOP will happily take advantage of the Democratic-controlled Illinois state government’s desire to squeeze yet a drop or two more of blood from the stone. And they’re not the only ones: most of the states surrounding Illinois are either disassociating themselves from the mindset that has possessed that unhappy state’s ruling elites, or else were never particularly enamored of the mindset in the first place. Bad news for the citizenry of Illinois, of course – but then, they keep electing these people. At what point do you throw up your hands, intone “Karma. It’s what’s for dinner” – and go help people that want to be helped?
Moe Lane (crosspost)
*Something to remember: Amazon.com will still be a highly profitable company if its affiliate program (note: I am a member of said program) goes away. And the company definitely likes to play hardball with state governments on this topic.
Jeff Emanuel
dems are like muslims...
harlan Friday, January 14th at 11:07AM EDT (link)Once a territory has been declared islamic, (i.e. Spain), it is forever islamic and to be recovered if lost by any means necessary.
Once dems have a bloated social program or an obscene level of taxation, it is forever theirs to do with what they please.
There is no turning back. It is the will of allah.
Don't do that again, harlan.
Moe Lane (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 11:22AM EDT (link)Thanks in advance.
The Kim Kardashian of blogging.
Check out my blog at http://moelane.com/.
http://moelane.com/filthy-lucre-filthy-lucre/
http://twitter.com/moelane
My (combined) wish list.
My thanks, Moe. [nt]
Martin Knight (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 1:23PM EDT (link)Wisconsin likes sticking it to Illinois
Finrod (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 11:32AM EDT (link)When you enter Wisconsin from Illinois on (I think) I-94, there’s a sign that reads something like ‘Welcome to Wisconsin / No tolls required’, which anyone that’s driven on all the toll roads around Chicago gets instantly.
PETA and the ASPCA are pure evil. See here and here.
Thank you Governor Walker...
deevee Friday, January 14th at 11:43AM EDT (link)for opening Wisconsin for businesses. We need the people and legislators in control not unelected and unaccountable “greeny” or “greedy” bureaucratic regulators.
hey, you're talking about my beloved home state!
Cheetah772 (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 11:49AM EDT (link)It’s always nice to see my beloved home state mentioned on the front page. I live in Maryland, and putting the weather aside, I miss Wisconsin. I think it’s the best state to live in! Ha, ha. Where I used to live (Waukesha) was once considered one of the top 100 places to live in America. Waukesha is a Republican stronghold, but I’ve heard that it did lean toward Democrats, but reversed its leaning back to Republicans. That’s a good thing!
By the way, GO Packers GO! Maybe in Super Bowl, we will see Green Bay Packers play Baltimore Ravens! Isn’t Maryland your home state?
Anyway, I pray that Governor Walker will do a good job of cleaning up the mess made by Democrats in Wisconsin. Thanks for mentioning my home state!
Daniel 2:20 And he [God] changeth the times and seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.
Waukesha County is Deeeeeep Red
neomom Friday, January 14th at 2:32PM EDT (link)City of Waukesha – not so much…
Go Packers!
Waukesha County is Deeeeeep Red
neomom Friday, January 14th at 2:32PM EDT (link)City of Waukesha – not so much…
Go Packers!
Liberal Brains, got a problem, raise taxes.
johnt Friday, January 14th at 11:49AM EDT (link)And we poor dopes don’t appreciate their intelligence and statesmanship. No wonder they scorn us and blame us for shootings.
I do wonder how many in Wisconsin get the message?
“a man’s admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him”. Tocqueville
Its bigger than taxes
neomom Friday, January 14th at 2:36PM EDT (link)WI is the birthplace of American Progressivism… The Madison editor of the magazine “The Progressive” Ruth Conniff wrote this…
“Inauguration Day dawned dark and cold. The kids headed back to school, and our born-again Christian governor announced at his prayer breakfast that the Creator, not government, gives us our freedoms. ”
Oh, the horrors….
Escape to Wisconsin
grateful_red (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 12:23PM EDT (link)This was the old tourism motto that Wisconsin had – There were bumper stickers…
Some of my high school freids used to cut the “to” out of the center.
BTW – my georgia liscence plate is – WIN8IVE = wisconsin native
TBSS
grateful_red (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 12:25PM EDT (link)Oh yes – I forgot
After further review – The bears still suck
I'm disappointed
Neil Stevens (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 12:28PM EDT (link)Nobody’s been caught ranting on the title alone
RS contributing editor and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
there are different sorts of sanctuary, and this is the right one!
Cheetah772 (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 12:48PM EDT (link)Don’t you get it? the “right” one?! Ha, ha, ha!
On a more serious note, I did catch that, and I thought that is funny. Illegal immigration is all about breaking law and some cities or states are in favor of that, so it’s wrong. But in Wisconsin, we need more job creation, and I think it’s a great idea to make it a sanctuary state for corporations and small businesses fleeing Illinois. It’s IL’s loss that it passed a significant tax hike (66% to be exact), so there will be serious and profound consequences from that.
Daniel 2:20 And he [God] changeth the times and seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.
Don't do that to me, Moe
NickLevi86 (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 1:06PM EDT (link)I almost obliged Neil, I’m so used to newly elected Republicans failing epically once in office.
That said, Good for him. It’s an intelligent move. New Hampshire, next door to MASS and us here in Maine, has been “tax-poaching” business for years. We’ll see if our new GOP Gov. LePage can live up to his campaign promise of making the Welcome to Maine sign at Portsmouth/Kittery into “Maine: Open for Business.”
“Any love letter is incomplete without a Ronald Reagan quote”
–my sophomore year roommate
www.robbinsblog.wordpress.com
*Thank* you. I was starting to get a little worried.
Moe Lane (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 1:08PM EDT (link)I mean, *I* thought that it was hysterical, but…
The Kim Kardashian of blogging.
Check out my blog at http://moelane.com/.
http://moelane.com/filthy-lucre-filthy-lucre/
http://twitter.com/moelane
My (combined) wish list.
Heh. Anytime.
NickLevi86 (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 1:17PM EDT (link)and, well played.
“Any love letter is incomplete without a Ronald Reagan quote”
–my sophomore year roommate
www.robbinsblog.wordpress.com
great post Moe - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Saturday, January 15th at 11:09AM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com and Charlotte Observer columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Another one who almost got caught by the title
shaitra (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 1:49PM EDT (link)It definitely got my attention Moe.
Some years ago Illinois put up a billboard on 94 just south of the state line which said something like the last company out of Wisconsin, turn off the lights. I suspect Walker remembers that billboard too.
Another one who almost got caught by the title
shaitra (Diary) Friday, January 14th at 1:49PM EDT (link)It definitely got my attention Moe.
Some years ago Illinois put up a billboard on 94 just south of the state line which said something like the last company out of Wisconsin, turn off the lights. I suspect Walker remembers that billboard too.
No instructions
gamechange11two Sunday, January 16th at 1:02AM EDT (link)Hello Fellow Conservativesl
Checking where the server parses. No agenda here.
That should read:
gamechange11two Sunday, January 16th at 1:08AM EDT (link)Hello, fellow conservatives!
I forgot to observe punctuation while was entering syntax.
Also forgot to enter words while entering statement.
gamechange11two Sunday, January 16th at 1:23AM EDT (link)Mike Pence, 2012!!!