Ah, yes. Just like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will not consider spending cuts when it comes to the budget.
Pritzker wants to impose a fee on social media accounts just for existing.
I’m not kidding.
You cannot oppose the idea because the fee would raise $200 million for education, which makes up 24% of the general funds budget.
You don’t hate children….do you!?
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is proposing a new fee on social-media companies that he says would raise about $200 million a year for education, as his state confronts a sizable budget shortfall and greater uncertainty around federal funding under President Donald Trump.The plan would require social media firms to pay a monthly, tiered fee tied to the number of monthly active Illinois users whose data they collect, with larger ones paying more. The proposal would also bar companies from passing the cost on to users. The fee could sweep in the biggest platforms — including Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook and Instagram and other large social networks — if they meet the state’s user thresholds.
If Illinois needs education funding, then slash spending elsewhere!
Illinois remains in a downward spiral with a $2 billion shortfall.
Chicago, which we all know actually controls Illinois, already has a 50-cent social media amusement tax.
“The tax is imposed on social media businesses that collect consumer data on more than 100,000 Chicago consumers in a calendar year, based on the number of Chicago consumers from whom a social media platform business collects consumer data within each calendar month,” according to the city.
Chicago also has an 10.25% amusement fee “for paid television and amusements that are delivered electronically, such as video streaming, audio streaming, and on-line games.”
STOP. SPENDING. Slash the budget. I mean, why did Illinois spend $4.4 million to podcasting and production studios?
People like Pritzker try to blame President Donald Trump. Look in the mirror, Pritzker.
The problem is not limited to a bloated budget.
People continue to abandon Illinois due to high costs and limited freedom.
I’m shocked we haven’t heard that Illinois dropped from second in 2024 to ninth in 2025 in United Van Lines’ list of states losing residents.
Then again, it’s hard to spin the state in a positive light. Illinois remains in the top 10.
Or maybe people aren’t using United Van Lines:
Atlas Van Lines found 54% of its clients were moving out of Illinois rather than in during 2025. Allied Van Lines showed a 58% outbound rate for 2025, ranking Illinois No. 1 for losing people. Census estimates showed over 40,000 Illinoisans leaving for the year ending June 2025, with 82,900 leaving in 2024 – 95% for lower-tax states.
Pritzker boasted that Illinois gained 16,108 people. I laugh.
The exodus could mean Illinois loses a congressional seat.
Many Illinois residents said they would leave if they could. I know my parents want to move back to Oklahoma.
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