Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker | twitter.com/jbpritzker
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker | twitter.com/jbpritzker
Franklin County farmer and community activist Karen Tucker thinks Illinois lawmakers have essentially become the state’s worst enemy.
“They’re responsible for the whole mess we see in this state,” Tucker told North Egypt News. “The CEO or management is ultimately responsible for what happens under their watch. In the case [House Speaker Mike] Madigan and his team, it’s been about corruption and bad policy.”
Tucker views the progressive income-tax system being pushed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker as more of the same bad policy. She cites an Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) analysis that finds four of the five slowest-growing states in the U.S. over the last decade have progressive income-tax systems as a strong case for the argument.
“People everywhere are tired of taxes,” Tucker said. “In Illinois, it’s an awful idea that’s just going to drive more people and industry away. We need to stop raising taxes and control our spending.”
With the state losing population in each of the last six-years, Tucker says the prospect of the progressive tax proposal actually becoming law only assures the outmigration will continue.
“Soon, there won’t be anyone left to pay taxes,” she said. “And the thing is, you see no improvement. They just keep adding more stuff for taxpayers to pay for.”
With voters set to decide whether to grant lawmakers the authority to amend the state constitution and allow them the power to change the current flat income tax to a progressive system on Nov. 3, Tucker is focused on the state’s long-term future.
“What we need is to clean house in Springfield and get rid of Madigan,” Tucker said. [Former Gov. Bruce] Rauner wasn’t my favorite, but he had some good ideas. It was just that everything is controlled by Madigan, and until he’s gone I don’t see us getting back on the right track.”
In all, almost 2.5 million Americans have relocated from states with progressive income-tax systems. In Illinois, a recent NPR Illinois and University of Illinois-Springfield survey found rising taxes to be the top reason Illinoisans say they are considering leaving the state.
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