States from New Jersey to California are slashing budgets in response to their fiscal crises, but Illinois is trying a different way, adopting a whopping 67 percent hike in the income tax. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has the appropriate response.
CHICAGO (WLS) - As Illinois prepares to raise income taxes, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels tells Don and Roma he's trying to keep from laughing at our plight.
"Oh you guys are nothing if not entertaining over there. It's like living next door to 'The Simpsons', you know the dysfunctional family down the block? Watching you guys, I mean I shouldn't make too light of it, I think this is really a bad situation," Daniels said.
Daniels says in this economy, raising taxes is the wrong thing to do.
"If you want to bring new jobs to your state the last thing you do is make it more expensive to hire people, and so we've been working for six years, we're now at the top of everybody's list of a good place to do business, and going in the other direction really is something that we're not prepared to do, and I hope you guys find a way not to also,” Daniels said.
NPR's piece, noting that 40 states have projected budget gaps for the coming year, says everything from service cuts to tax increases to business-fee hikes will be tried. Daniels and other governors (like Wisconsin's) will be ready to take advantage of those that go the taxing route.
