North Egypt News

Franklin County Republican activist Karen Tucker hopes voters have grown as tired of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Springfield act as she has.

“Pritzker is like an overgrown child with too much power and no understanding of how to make the best use of it,” Tucker told the North Egypt News. “With him, everything comes back to typical bully tactics.”

Tucker thinks the governor now trying to ram the progressive tax proposal he’s been selling since his days as a candidate down the throats of voters may offer the best example of all.

With the tax the governor continues to insist will only mean higher tax rates for the state’s most affluent residents far from being a done deal when it appears on the Nov. 3 ballot, Democrat Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton recently warned voters if Pritzker’s proposal fails to get the support it needs for passage on Nov.3, taxpayers could soon face a 20% state income tax hike to cover any looming budget shortfall. Such a steep rise would send rates spiraling to an all-time personal high state income tax rate for residents of 5.94%.

Since then, the governor has essentially co-signed Stratton’s threat, further warning taxpayers it’s either the progressive tax or a 15% cut in government services, which could mean cuts in funding for education and public safety and a state property tax increase.

“It’s an interesting form of bribery,” Tucker added. “What he’s doing is an open threat where he’s only thinking about what he wants. The good thing is I don’t think even our legislators are stupid enough to go along with it. I can’t see how anyone can let this go and I think the governor knows that. He’s just reaching, hoping to pull people’s strings."

In the end, Tucker said she thinks the governor is driven by the thought of covering his own tracks.

“He needs cash for all his pork barrel projects and all the promises he’s made to people,” she said. “It doesn’t matter that the state has no money and he’s driving a dead horse into a ditch. He wants what he wants, period.”