SUNDAY BREAKFAST | 43 Champion of prosperity recounts a happy election night ■ by david sweet
ideas. We need to make Illinois a destination state again.” Tillman’s interest in politics is life-long. Three weeks after the election, John Tillman settles in at Egg Harbor Café in In 1968, all of nine years old, he watched Glenview. Bedecked in a coat and tie and both political conventions (“I was probably having ordered a Sir Dugan Frittata (a three- the only nine-year-old in the country to do egg omelette filled with diced bacon, tomato it”). Growing up in Western Michigan, he and spinach), the chief executive officer of the referred to himself as a Ford Republican. Illinois Policy Institute is eager to relive An introduction to classical liberalism — the writings Nov. 4, when businessman Bruce Rauner was elected governor of of Thomas Jefferson and an ailing state. Milton Friedman, among “I was thrilled with elecothers — spurred the tion night,” he says. “What graduate of Wayne I was most excited about State University to is I felt a sense of relief. I champion free-marknow so many people who ket solutions. The big turning point would have left Illinois (if came during the Democrat Gov. Quinn was administration of re-elected).” President George Though the non-profit W. Bush. Though Illinois Policy Institute the Republican was cannot fund candidates or despised by the left, advocate for a politician, it can encourage politicians to Tillman railed against adopt its policies. And from the his policies as well. right to earn a living to lim“I got involved because I ited taxation, the new Illinois was frustrated with big-govgovernor from the North Shore ernment Republicanism. is on board. Tillman believes He expanded Medicare, much can be accomplished steel tariffs and — despite the heavily more. We were losDemocratic legislature. ing sight of what “He has the power America is all of controlling the about.” narrative now,” Tillman — an entrenotes the Golf preneur who resident. has owned “The Illinois Play It Again governorship Sports stores — is one of the became president most powerJohn Tillman illustration by barry blitt of the conservaful in the country. tive Americans for And all he needs is one Democrat to come over to sustain a veto.” Limited Government in 2004. Three years Tillman’s enthusiasm for freedom and later, he was tapped to run the Illinois Policy prosperity is infectious. He points out how Institute, then a two-man shop. The indeall can benefit. pendent organization, which aims to promote “The great gift of free enterprise is: the personal freedom, entrepreneurial ability entrepreneur has an idea, he raises money, and prosperity in the state, has grown into he gives people meaningful work and he a $6 million institute with more than three builds a business that serves people well,” dozen workers and 180,000 aficionados on its Tillman says. “You see what the free market e-mail list. During his tenure, Tillman has has produced — iPhones, cars. It works well." founded Illinois Policy Action, the Liberty He was heartened by Tennessee vot- Justice Center, the Illinois Opportunity ers’ decision last month to ban forever an Project, and other related groups. Tillman has transformed Illinois Policy income tax, embedding the words in the state constitution. Institute into a media and marketing shop “Tax policy matters greatly,” Tillman says. with a policy arm, meaning he is getting the “Are you going to treat every worker and word out through The Wall Street Journal, business as a tax target to fund the preroga- U.S. News & World Report and other outlets tives of government? I think taxing people’s about its beliefs of how best to run Illinois labor is immoral. We should fund govern- — and the country. ment through sales taxes, excise taxes.” “We tell the story of abstract policy in A Michigan native who moved here dur- human terms. We tell the story of a kid ing the Reagan Administration, Tillman named Jake who goes to a charter school has been stunned by Illinois’ decline. Its 90 minutes away and why that makes his credit rating is the worst in the nation; life better,” he says. “We’re not in a battle its budget is a disaster, despite massive of ideas now — we’re in a battle of emotax hikes; unfunded public pension liabil- tion. Progressives are good at the emotion.” ities exceeding $100 billion are expected In his spare time, Tillman loves to read to cripple the state. Tillman says Illinois’ non-fiction, such as biographies. The oneworkman compensation costs are five times time Colorado ski bum still enjoys hitting greater than Indiana’s. Why wouldn’t a the slopes with his wife Julie and daughter businessman near the border move to the Lauren Brooke. He also holds a goal of visiting Hoosier State – he could save money, which every national park (he has toured about 30). could be used to hire more workers. And despite the historic woes afflicting his “We’re so sophisticated in Illinois in so adopted state, he believes the future here is many ways — the arts, Chicago civic orga- bright, because of the newly elected governor nizations,” he says. “But when it comes to and others. Says Tillman, “I remain an optigovernance, we are close-minded to new mist. I think Illinois will turn around.” ■
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