Lies, Loopholes, and Leftist Lunacy: Illinois is Paying the Price
From $1 trillion energy disasters to pension crises, job outsourcing, and political pay raises—Illinoisans are footing the bill for failed leadership.
Four years ago, my colleagues and I warned that Governor Pritzker’s so-called “green energy revolution” would be a costly scam—financially unworkable, technically unreliable, and politically driven. Today, the business community is finally echoing our concerns: Illinois is on a dangerous path to full electrification, driven by ideology, not reality. From $1 trillion energy mandates to subsidizing foreign workers at Rivian, from backroom pension sweeteners to lawsuits defending Medicaid access for illegal immigrants—Illinois taxpayers are being misled, overtaxed, and underrepresented. It’s time to expose the deception, challenge the delusion, and demand accountability.
Brad
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My colleagues and I warned businesses and residents FOUR YEARS AGO that Pritzker’s green energy scam would be wildly expensive and unworkable.
We know it is also unworkable no matter how much you spend. But, Pritzker will spend whatever amount of your tax money he can to try to prove that wind and solar backed by expensive batteries and nuclear is all that we need in Illinois for electrification of all facets of life.
Pritzker is lying. And now the business community is speaking up. Finally.
The headline above is from a press release by key business groups. The opening paragraph states:
“A new report issued by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA), Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI), International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150, and the Illinois Pipe Trades Association (IPTA) warns a government-mandated push toward full electrification in Illinois could impose more than $1 trillion in costs by 2050, driving up energy bills for businesses and consumers by more than 2,000 percent, threatening energy reliability and the state’s economic stability.”
Read the entire press release HERE
Illinoisans are already suffering from high utility bills that have been rising substantially for a few years. We have abundant coal and natural gas turbines that consistently provide over 60 percent of our electricity in the MISO area every day.
We need to use energy that is reliable and affordable and truly clean.
My colleagues and I will call, again, for comprehensive energy hearings and hope the business community joins us.
Video of the Week: Why Do My Electric Bills Keep Increasing?
More Denial, Delusion and Deception
Governor Pritzker recently put out this braggadocious press release announcing that next-generation battery technology company Pure Lithium Corporation will be relocating its entire operation from Boston to Chicago (thanks in part to Illinois taxpayers funding the move through the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois program (REV Illinois)).
While he continues to give away millions more of OUR hard-earned money, he completely ignores his backhanded policies that have USED and abused Illinoisans during his reign as governor.
Between 2022 and 2024, Rivian Automotive, Inc. (an American electric vehicle manufacturer and automotive technology company) has filed over 2,000 H-1B and 400 green card applications while receiving $827 million in Illinois state incentives.
Illinoisans are essentially PAYING to have jobs taken away from them!
Meanwhile, there is some good news. Because of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, federal taxpayers won’t pay Pritzker’s promise of a $6.5 billion subsidy to Gotion for its battery plant in Manteno, Illinois:
Where Chicago Goes, There Goes Illinois
Chicago’s pension crisis is mounting and has seen debt soar by 13% over the last five years alone. The 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the city shows their unfunded liabilities at almost $36 BILLION.
Read the in-depth analysis here:
Even though Chicago is a financial dumpster fire, you wouldn’t know it from the last-minute pension sweetener that Democrats pushed through at the end of the recent Springfield legislative session. It will add millions in new debt for Chicago’s police and firefighter pensions that the city simply cannot afford.
As usual, Illinois’ Democrat Supermajority is flying by the seat of their selfish pants and not making healthy, common-sense decisions that are good for everyone. While sweetening some deals, they are simultaneously ignoring the teacher shortage which would require constitutional pension reform to keep up with government pension debt.
National research from EdWeek and the Equable Institute showed that increased expenses as a result of pension debt have led to budget squeezes that could have gone toward teacher recruitment, support and compensation.
Teachers Unions Anyone???
Why Is Illinois Suing ICE?
A Democrat-run, multi-state coalition wants to keep Medicaid enrollment information away from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Illinois and 19 other states are arguing that the mass transfer of this data violates the law by exposing confidential information, including immigration status.
The coalition is also suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over HHS’s June decision to provide ICE access to Medicaid data.
The problem is, federal law does not currently allow illegal immigrants to enroll in non-emergency Medicaid. Despite this, data from the Congressional Budget Office showed that at least 1.4 million illegals are enrolled in TAXPAYER-FUNDED programs, including Medicaid.
In Reverse, the DOJ is Suing States Over In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens, Including Illinois
“The Department of Justice has finally—after three decades—started enforcing the federal law that prohibits states from offering in-state tuition to illegal aliens unless they also offer in-state tuition to everyone else—including all citizen students from out of state.“
Failed Lawmakers Are Rewarding Themselves
Elected officials are supposed to be part-time public servants who work for the people they are sworn to represent.
Not so in Illinois.
Being a Springfield player is a self-serving gig that enriches the greedy and the incompetent.
When they recently passed their colossal $55.2 billion budget, Democrats voted unanimously to give themselves each $5,000 raises. Every Republican opposed the measure.
On The Chopping Block
If cleared by the U.S. Senate, more than $5 million in federal taxpayer funds could be withheld from public media across Illinois.
Proponents of this measure are praising that “tax dollars will NOT go towards indoctrinating children with leftist ideology”.
Democrats like Illinois Senator Dick Durbin are pulling the fake fire alarm saying that “public broadcasting stations are often the only source of local news and emergency alerts”.
Nice try, Senator.
Outdoor Adventures From A-Z
With plenty of summer still ahead, take some time to explore all the incredible outdoor experiences Illinois has to offer (like the Shawnee National Forest, pictured above). From Arboretums to Ziplining, this guide is a treasure trove of the opportunities we can all enjoy across our great state!
https://www.enjoyillinois.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/
Will I lose my only TV station in Effingham if PBS funding is removed? WSIU is the only station I can get.
Speaking of lies, Epstein? So disappointed!