Tax talk from Blago to Octo-mom

First offering, from the former governor's PR machine ...

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich released the following statement on the proposal from Gov. Pat Quinn to raise the state income tax:

"This is exactly what I said was going to happen. It is unconscionable that the new governor, Pat Quinn, wants to raise the income tax by 50% especially at a time when people are hurting and the economy is in shambles.

"When Pat Quinn and I ran as a ticket we promised the people not to raise their income taxes. For six years I kept that promise. It took him less than six weeks to break it."

Former Gov. Blagojevich is not available for interviews and will not be making any other public statements today.

Next up, Springfield staffer Dan Carden explores the ramifications of Illinois tax policy on Octo-mom ...

Could Gov. Pat Quinn's proposal to increase the personal income tax exemption bring the Octo-mom to Illinois?

Quinn's forthcoming budget plan will ask lawmakers to raise the income tax exemption from $2,000 to $6,000 per person in a household. Exempted income is not subject to the income tax.

So if Nadya Suleman, the California woman who gave birth to octuplets in January, to go along with her six other children, brought her household of 15 to Illinois, under Quinn's plan Suleman could earn up to $90,000 before owing Illinois a dime in income taxes.

The increased exemptions are designed to protect lower income workers from an expected 1.5 percentage point income tax rate hike, taking it from 3 percent to 4.5 percent.

So for all the weeping and gnashing of teeth sure to come in the next few days as Quinn rolls out his budget plan, remember, it could bring the Octo-mom to Illinois! Perhaps lawmakers could also pass a paparazzi tax ahead of time, just in case!