Stop asking families and businesses for a “blank check” for more taxes!
Today the Governor’s tax language gets its hearing in the Senate. I encourage everyone to register their opinion on this proposed Constitutional Amendment to allow for a graduated tax system instead of a flat tax system that we currently have in Illinois.
The administration has claimed that the budget deficit for the next fiscal year is $3.2 billion. But, instead of working to address the deficit, Democrats want to spend even more money – the fiscal impact for the bills introduced by House Democrats totals more than, at a minimum, $12 billion in new, mandatory spending.
Between these spending proposals, and the call for billions of dollars in new taxes, including Governor Pritzker’s tax on the middle class, it’s clear that Democrats are only focused on two things – more spending and higher taxes.
This week is 3rd Reading deadline in the House – which means we will be voting on hundreds of bills by the end of the week. And while many of the pieces of legislation before us are rather innocuous and pass without much debate or opposition, there are also going to be dozens of bills this week that require the state to spend more money.
For months, we’ve been told that the budget deficit for next year’s budget, but instead of working to reduce that deficit, or make reforms to state government, House Democrats simply want to spend more money and raise more taxes.
In fact, House Democrats have introduced bills that spend more than, at minimum, $12 billion in new spending. Yes, $12 billion. Of course, not all of these bills will pass the House, and some may actually have merit, but it’s indicative of the problem we face in state government when all the majority party wants to do is spend, spend, spend without ever addressing our state’s problems.
To make matters worse, in addition to these spending proposals, Democrats want to raise billions of dollars in new taxes, including Governor Pritzker’s tax on the middle class. It’s clear that Democrats are only focused on two things – more spending and higher taxes.
These “solutions” are how we got to where Illinois is today – awash in unpaid bills and unfunded pension liabilities, a growing structural budget deficit, the highest state and local taxes in the nation, and crumbling infrastructure. Democrats in Springfield need to get serious about addressing the root cause of our state’s problems.