Pritzker Is Keeping Illinois Locked Down Not For Health But For A Federal Bailout
Most governors are lifting restrictions and encouraging commerce. We’re returning to work, opening stores, and sending kids to school. But not in Illinois.
J. D. Carl
By J. D. Carl
October 2, 2020
It’s a testament to the American spirit that mere months after the arrival of a new, deadly virus on our shores, we’ve taken the steps necessary to protect the vulnerable and return to our daily lives.
Having moved past the initial shock and panic due to the frightening presence of an unknown virus, we’ve learned much about SARS-CoV-2 and have accustomed ourselves to new social practices. Across the country, state governors are lifting restrictions and encouraging commerce. We’re returning to work, opening our storefronts, and sending our children to school.
Most Americans are, anyway. In Illinois, unfortunately, life hasn’t changed much since spring. Although hospitalizations and deaths in the state have remained flat since mid-June, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker refuses to fully reopen the state. While much of the country returns to normal (more or less), he’s reimposing and heightening restrictions.
Pritzker says his restrictions are based on science. In reality, they’re political calculations based on opportunism and election-year math.
In Illinois, in addition to the momentous choice for president, voters are facing a critical question on the November ballot. It’s whether to adopt Pritzker’s signature policy proposal: a constitutional amendment that would allow Illinois lawmakers to tax state income at graduated rates, starting with a major tax hike on businesses and “the rich.â€
Pritzker is also lobbying Congress for money. Long before the arrival of the coronavirus, Illinois has repeatedly been designated as one of the worst-run and most financially unstable states in the country. Yet instead of making the hard fiscal choices to pay for the state’s spending, Pritzker is using the coronavirus as a pretext for a blue-state bailout from taxpayers in other states.
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https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/02/pritzker-is-keeping-illinois-locked-down-not-for-health-but-for-a-federal-bailout/
