Pritzker has been honestly incredible for the state of Illinois. Starting from the position of "I am already so filthy rich that the Illinois/Chicago machine cannot bribe or corrupt me" is...
Pritzker has been honestly incredible for the state of Illinois. Starting from the position of "I am already so filthy rich that the Illinois/Chicago machine cannot bribe or corrupt me" is something that we haven't seen in a very long time, if ever. Ever since the pandemic especially, he seems to have taken the term "fuck-you money" to heart - he needs neither the governorship nor any particular post-government career, so he can just go right towards what he feels is right.
Living in Chicago, he's pretty popular across the board. People I talk to--in the office, in bars, my cab drivers--speak pretty favorably of the job he's done. Plenty of early (and some remaining)...
Living in Chicago, he's pretty popular across the board. People I talk to--in the office, in bars, my cab drivers--speak pretty favorably of the job he's done. Plenty of early (and some remaining) skepticism of his financial background, but the consensus I pick up is that he's interested in leaving a positive legacy and that's reflected in his politics.
I'd like to point out that he seems to have actually pulled off all of these promises. Minimum wage is set to increase to $15/hr next year, assault weapons bans are moving forward (much to the...
He laid out an ambitious platform: raising minimum wage, expanding preschool education, banning assault weapons. He aimed to invest in infrastructure and increase the percentage of contracts going to businesses owned by women and minorities. He vowed to end cash bail, which penalizes low-income defendants.
I'd like to point out that he seems to have actually pulled off all of these promises. Minimum wage is set to increase to $15/hr next year, assault weapons bans are moving forward (much to the chagrin of my gun loving friends), preschool education is on the rise (though we need to reallocate more funding, since it's drying up), I'm actually on a full ride scholarship thanks to his push for more early childhood educators.
I've seen more work done on infrastructure in the last few years (there's talk of expanding the rail line south of Chicago to allow folks better access to the city and jobs). His ending of cash bail really needed better messaging - the right and even center see it as being "weak on crime" and that it allows criminals to just walk free.
Overall I'm very happy with my governor and support him in his efforts to drag Illinois kicking and screaming to the fore of progressive politics in America.
Even if he's a good candidate, two billionaire presidents in such a short period must be a bad precedent to set. "US politics is increasingly explicitly for dynasties (almost Bush, Clinton, Bush,...
Even if he's a good candidate, two billionaire presidents in such a short period must be a bad precedent to set.
"US politics is increasingly explicitly for dynasties (almost Bush, Clinton, Bush, ___, Clinton) or the obscenely wealthy."
"US politics is increasingly explicitly for dynasties (almost Bush, Clinton, Bush, ___, Clinton) or the obscenely wealthy." Well, one of those is a blank, and one of those is alt history, and...
"US politics is increasingly explicitly for dynasties (almost Bush, Clinton, Bush, ___, Clinton) or the obscenely wealthy."
Well, one of those is a blank, and one of those is alt history, and without that alt history the second one isn't really a part of a dynasty. So its really just that HW Bush's kid coasted on his family name. I dont think its fair to paint Hilary Clinton as part of a "dynasty", both she and Bill were competent politicians in their own right who just got married.
Whether or not she became president, she's still a major force in US politics. To suggest that even four in twenty of the leaders of the two main parties should come from the same families...
Whether or not she became president, she's still a major force in US politics.
To suggest that even four in twenty of the leaders of the two main parties should come from the same families indicates pretty strongly - to me - that the system isn't selecting for ability at that point. That's from a population of, what, 350 million?
It looks like who you know not what you know to me. Now tbf that's an inevitable reality of pretty much every government system we have, to be sure, but I still think it's something that is illustrative of a problem. Ideally it should be identified as an issue to be guarded against.
It's reminiscent of Hollywood. What are the odds that so many of the current banner-names are the offspring of other banner-names? It really calls into question whether it's ability or nepotism and cronyism driving the selection process - to the point that it undermines the whole thing, rendering it kind of absurd.
Sounds like a pretty standard liberal, but I suppose there's something to be said about actually tangibly following through on the very basics like abortion protections without coming up with...
Sounds like a pretty standard liberal, but I suppose there's something to be said about actually tangibly following through on the very basics like abortion protections without coming up with excuses or self-sabotaging. Supporting those kinds of very basic fundemental rights alone is not something that excites me though. Like, how about instead of pushing for a one time $15 min wage increase (which is already behind inflation by the time you get it) you fight to pin minimum wage to the rate of inflation. Settling for the basics is kind of what keeps our country spinning its wheels and sliding to the right.
It doesn't instill a ton of confidence that he backed Clinton twice either, it was pretty obvious during her second campaign that she was not the right candidate even from a pragmatic perspective.
Given a choice between him and a republican, obviously I would choose Pritzker, but a true progressive is always better in my book when available.
Criticism aside, something that someone like Pritzker could do to prove himself would be to use his money to support progressive candidates and push to reform the democratic party's habitual sidelining and sabotage of progressives. That would be something that catches my interest, because pushing the democratic party out of its neo-liberal rut is the only way we ever stop the erosive cycle of going back and forth between lukewarm, vaguely center corporate candidates who talk big and the extreme right. Progressives with power and support are the ones who will deliver the kind of things that truly wake Americans up to how much better their lives should be as members one of the single wealthiest nations on earth.
Pinning wages to inflation would be great. If everything else goes up (somehow it feels like everything I buy/pay for manages to rise "above inflation"), why on earth shouldn't pay? I'm getting a...
Pinning wages to inflation would be great. If everything else goes up (somehow it feels like everything I buy/pay for manages to rise "above inflation"), why on earth shouldn't pay? I'm getting a 3% rise this year. 2.5% plus a discretionary 0.5% because headline inflation remained above 6%. It's just all a terrible joke. Rental costs go up more than 3%, house price rises leapfrog rentals... I feel like I'm in a sort of horrible Big Bang. I move towards my goals, but they slip away from me faster and faster.
Being from Illinois I'm happy with how he handled the pandemic, how he's reshaping Illinois. The problem i have is there is still too much waste. I'm on the wealthier side, but not super rich by...
Being from Illinois I'm happy with how he handled the pandemic, how he's reshaping Illinois. The problem i have is there is still too much waste. I'm on the wealthier side, but not super rich by any means, but definitely in the top 10%. However, I'm paying $30k/yr in taxes in Illinois alone (property+income). It's a massive drain. Most of it goes and sits in a school bank account. I'm ok paying taxes if I'm seeing it being reinvested into the community (better public transportation, building up local economy, after school programs etc.) That's not happening in the burbs. So we'll be looking to leave the state. I'm trying for a remote job to give that flexibility. It's unfortunate since my family is here and I grew up here, but it's way too expensive for the return.
To clarify if I may – are they are running a fiscal surplus, and just stashing the surplus tax revenue in a bank account? I agree that it sucks when tax revenue isn't spent efficiently....
To clarify if I may – are they are running a fiscal surplus, and just stashing the surplus tax revenue in a bank account?
I agree that it sucks when tax revenue isn't spent efficiently. Unfortunately a lot of the knee-jerk cost saving reactions often tend to be counterproductive (for example changing projects for which a lot of money has already been invested in planning them, or cutting programs which will deliver big long-term rewards because it makes this year's budget look better, etc).
Pritzker has been honestly incredible for the state of Illinois. Starting from the position of "I am already so filthy rich that the Illinois/Chicago machine cannot bribe or corrupt me" is something that we haven't seen in a very long time, if ever. Ever since the pandemic especially, he seems to have taken the term "fuck-you money" to heart - he needs neither the governorship nor any particular post-government career, so he can just go right towards what he feels is right.
I'm so fucking glad he was the governor during the pandemic rather than the likes of Bruce Rauner.
Living in Chicago, he's pretty popular across the board. People I talk to--in the office, in bars, my cab drivers--speak pretty favorably of the job he's done. Plenty of early (and some remaining) skepticism of his financial background, but the consensus I pick up is that he's interested in leaving a positive legacy and that's reflected in his politics.
I'd like to point out that he seems to have actually pulled off all of these promises. Minimum wage is set to increase to $15/hr next year, assault weapons bans are moving forward (much to the chagrin of my gun loving friends), preschool education is on the rise (though we need to reallocate more funding, since it's drying up), I'm actually on a full ride scholarship thanks to his push for more early childhood educators.
I've seen more work done on infrastructure in the last few years (there's talk of expanding the rail line south of Chicago to allow folks better access to the city and jobs). His ending of cash bail really needed better messaging - the right and even center see it as being "weak on crime" and that it allows criminals to just walk free.
Overall I'm very happy with my governor and support him in his efforts to drag Illinois kicking and screaming to the fore of progressive politics in America.
I removed the "hero" part from the title because I don't think it's healthy to idolise people.
Archive link
Suggestions of a run for President, getting himself known. Pritzker seems good from what I've read, and gets things done
Even if he's a good candidate, two billionaire presidents in such a short period must be a bad precedent to set.
"US politics is increasingly explicitly for dynasties (almost Bush, Clinton, Bush, ___, Clinton) or the obscenely wealthy."
"US politics is increasingly explicitly for dynasties (almost Bush, Clinton, Bush, ___, Clinton) or the obscenely wealthy."
Well, one of those is a blank, and one of those is alt history, and without that alt history the second one isn't really a part of a dynasty. So its really just that HW Bush's kid coasted on his family name. I dont think its fair to paint Hilary Clinton as part of a "dynasty", both she and Bill were competent politicians in their own right who just got married.
Whether or not she became president, she's still a major force in US politics.
To suggest that even four in twenty of the leaders of the two main parties should come from the same families indicates pretty strongly - to me - that the system isn't selecting for ability at that point. That's from a population of, what, 350 million?
It looks like who you know not what you know to me. Now tbf that's an inevitable reality of pretty much every government system we have, to be sure, but I still think it's something that is illustrative of a problem. Ideally it should be identified as an issue to be guarded against.
It's reminiscent of Hollywood. What are the odds that so many of the current banner-names are the offspring of other banner-names? It really calls into question whether it's ability or nepotism and cronyism driving the selection process - to the point that it undermines the whole thing, rendering it kind of absurd.
Are we sure Trump was a billionaire?
He played one on TV, and for America, that's enough.
Forbes thinks so.
Sounds like a pretty standard liberal, but I suppose there's something to be said about actually tangibly following through on the very basics like abortion protections without coming up with excuses or self-sabotaging. Supporting those kinds of very basic fundemental rights alone is not something that excites me though. Like, how about instead of pushing for a one time $15 min wage increase (which is already behind inflation by the time you get it) you fight to pin minimum wage to the rate of inflation. Settling for the basics is kind of what keeps our country spinning its wheels and sliding to the right.
It doesn't instill a ton of confidence that he backed Clinton twice either, it was pretty obvious during her second campaign that she was not the right candidate even from a pragmatic perspective.
Given a choice between him and a republican, obviously I would choose Pritzker, but a true progressive is always better in my book when available.
Criticism aside, something that someone like Pritzker could do to prove himself would be to use his money to support progressive candidates and push to reform the democratic party's habitual sidelining and sabotage of progressives. That would be something that catches my interest, because pushing the democratic party out of its neo-liberal rut is the only way we ever stop the erosive cycle of going back and forth between lukewarm, vaguely center corporate candidates who talk big and the extreme right. Progressives with power and support are the ones who will deliver the kind of things that truly wake Americans up to how much better their lives should be as members one of the single wealthiest nations on earth.
Pinning wages to inflation would be great. If everything else goes up (somehow it feels like everything I buy/pay for manages to rise "above inflation"), why on earth shouldn't pay? I'm getting a 3% rise this year. 2.5% plus a discretionary 0.5% because headline inflation remained above 6%. It's just all a terrible joke. Rental costs go up more than 3%, house price rises leapfrog rentals... I feel like I'm in a sort of horrible Big Bang. I move towards my goals, but they slip away from me faster and faster.
Being from Illinois I'm happy with how he handled the pandemic, how he's reshaping Illinois. The problem i have is there is still too much waste. I'm on the wealthier side, but not super rich by any means, but definitely in the top 10%. However, I'm paying $30k/yr in taxes in Illinois alone (property+income). It's a massive drain. Most of it goes and sits in a school bank account. I'm ok paying taxes if I'm seeing it being reinvested into the community (better public transportation, building up local economy, after school programs etc.) That's not happening in the burbs. So we'll be looking to leave the state. I'm trying for a remote job to give that flexibility. It's unfortunate since my family is here and I grew up here, but it's way too expensive for the return.
To clarify if I may – are they are running a fiscal surplus, and just stashing the surplus tax revenue in a bank account?
I agree that it sucks when tax revenue isn't spent efficiently. Unfortunately a lot of the knee-jerk cost saving reactions often tend to be counterproductive (for example changing projects for which a lot of money has already been invested in planning them, or cutting programs which will deliver big long-term rewards because it makes this year's budget look better, etc).
Yes, stashing it away. The other year they build a new 30m (10m over budget) pool that can't be used by the public only school and scheduled events.