Editorial: Texas is talking tax cuts. Illinois? More hikes.

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

The phrase 'there are two Americas' has many meanings.
It can mean that there are two justice systems: one for the rich and one for the poor.
It can mean right and left. Rural and urban. Ketchup and … the right way to eat a hot dog.
When it comes to taxes and spending, state leaders often split into two camps, too — one that talks about priorities and restraint, and one that talks about hiking and expanding.
Call them Texas and Illinois.
Exhibit A: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced on the social platform X that state lawmakers this week will be tackling property taxes in a special session.
First on the agenda: legislation to cut property taxes.
Second on the agenda: legislation to limit spending by government entities that impose property taxes.
You don't have to like everything they do in Texas, and we sure don't, but you can't summarily dismiss this kind of thinking, which rarely even enters the discussion in Illinois.
While Texas is getting ready to talk about ways to cut taxes and limit spending, our most recent legislative session ended with a handful of new tax hikes and a 'to be continued' on transit that promises to include conversations about other potential tax increases.
Importantly, Abbott's message isn't just about people-pleasing tax cuts — it's a call to make relief happen without breaking the bank. Tax cuts and spending cuts have to go hand in hand, otherwise the cycle starts all over again as deficit spending goes up and tax hikes come calling down the road to plug the hole.
And to that end, we know it's not all sunshine and roses in Texas. They have fiscal problems, too, namely that local property taxes have grown dramatically in many parts of the state. In Austin, for example, the city's property tax levy increased from $675 million to over $1 billion from 2018 to 2022, representing a 51.4% increase, according to research from the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
​​In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott and over 80% of Texas voters approved an $18 billion plan aimed at easing the burden on homeowners and businesses. But local governments' overspending has continued to drive up bills, blunting the relief. That's why Abbott is now pushing to rein in local spending as part of the broader fix Texas needs.
Still, acknowledging those problems and working to address them is precisely what stands out to us. We like it when leaders are honest about financial problems and willing to tackle them head-on, even when it isn't easy.
This isn't a pro-Texas, anti-Illinois commentary. This is an endorsement of good ideas, common sense and getting to work addressing big fiscal problems.
We're not saying move to Texas — though Austin and Dallas have their appeal. We like it just fine plunked here in the Midwest next to plenty of fresh water and a climate less prone to life-altering natural disasters. And in the case of the recent loss of young life due to flooding, we're well aware that adequate local government spending on emergency procedures remains vital. We hope Abbott is aware of that, too.
But we're seeing Texas leaders bring a refreshingly different mindset to the debate over government and taxpayer dollars. Where Illinois politicians are more likely to stick their heads in the sand, Texas at least appears willing to confront money issues, or at least speak their name out loud.
Here in Illinois, the best we've managed to do is form working groups to study our state's property tax problem — which is among the worst in the country — and then move on without real action. That pattern reflects a broader political culture of denial, as if ordinary families aren't struggling to cover mortgages and grocery bills.
Not only is tax relief not on the table, but tax hikes are a constant threat here.
Illinois is far from alone in this pattern, of course. But as Texas works to tackle taxes and government spending problems, Illinois should at least start talking about them more honestly.