Kendall County Times

Kendall County Republican Party Chairman James Marter is warning Illinois voters of what will happen if Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets his progressive tax.  

“I’ve always said if this thing does pass we’ll only have bigger problems to deal with,” Marter told the Kendall County Times. “But no one takes time to think about that; they’re too busy trying to scare people into doing whatever it they want.”

Marter points to the depths the governor and his administration have gone to in advancing the progressive tax plan he’s been selling since his days as a candidate as the latest example of such behavior.

Democrat Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton recently threatened voters that 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.

Marter views it all as being totally unnecessary.

“How about they start cutting spending, reforming our pension system to a modern-day system where people that benefit from it actually have to contribute to it?” he said.  “How about reforming workman’s compensation? They don’t want to fix any of those things because they mean more accountability.”

Marter fears what could happen if Pritzker simply gets his way.

“If this progressive tax passes, we’ll continue to see the exodus of people and it will only get greater,” he said. “People are going to do what’s in their best interests and if they can get a better tax rate somewhere else they will go and businesses will steer clear of Illinois. We’re already one of the highest-taxed states in the country; we don’t need other things to make us even less attractive.”