North Egypt News

In another time, Franklin County Republican activist Karen Tucker concedes she might have been willing to at least consider Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive tax proposal.

“I know Illinois is in bad shape, so I’m not totally against the idea of people like Pritzker that earn the most paying a higher rate, but if part of that plan would also make it easier for that burden to drop down on others, that’s where my openness ends,” Tucker told the North Egypt News. “In a situation like that, I don’t think any of us can expect Springfield to do the right thing.”

Tucker argues Springfield Democrats to know her skepticism is more than justified.

In the case of the so-called fair tax Pritzker has been promoting since his days as a candidate, the recent indictment of veteran state Sen. Terry Link (D-Indian Creek) marks the fourth time a Democratic lawmaker finds himself facing criminal charges. Facing tax evasion charges, Link joins former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who faces up to 10 years in prison, and state Sen. Tom Cullerton, who has been hit with a 41-count indictment on embezzlement charges. One-time state Sen. Martin Sandoval has already pleaded guilty to taking $250,000 in bribes from SafeSpeed, a red-light camera vendor.

And then there is longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan, who now finds himself implicated in an ongoing federal corruption probe involving ComEd in which it’s alleged bribes were steered to several of his close associates as part of a pay-to-play scheme aimed at currying favor with him.

“That’s Springfield for you," Tucker added. “All the corruption runs so deep no one can be certain where it begins and ends. I always thought many more lawmakers could and would be indicted if we were to follow the law the way we apply it to everyone else.”