Kendall County Times

Former Republican Party Congressional candidate James Marter has some unsolicited advice for Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“I think he should take all the money he’s invested in trying to get his progressive income tax passed and just write a check for all the deficit that he’s created for this state,” Marter told the Kendall County Times. “He inherited a deficit, but he’s made the situation much worse with all the bills he’s run up. And now he wants to add his progressive tax.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Pritzker recently contributed $51.5 million to a ballot initiative committee working to sell the progressive tax proposal he’s been pushing since his days as a candidate. Vote Yes to Fairness, a committee headed by the governor’s former deputy campaign manager, recently received the funds and is already at work promoting a ballot measure that would convert the current flat tax to a progressive tax system.

In addition to being the only individual to contribute more than $250, Pritzker’s latest gift comes on a top of an earlier donation of $5 million.

“I don’t know why he’s so invested in taking more money from the people of Illinois with this regressive tax,” Marter added. “All it’s going to do is drive more people out of Illinois.”

Through it all, the governor has sought to sell the tax as a change that will only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents. Marter is convinced voters aren’t buying it.

“I’ve been to a number of rallies and see people are talking about this tax and they seem to know it won’t do what the governor is saying,” he said. “I tell them if you have an income, whether it’s from earning a living or you’re retired, if this tax passes he’s going to be coming after it. The rich will be gone by then and everybody else here will be left to bear the brunt of this tax.”