Amanda Biela, a former Chicago schoolteacher running in the Republican primary for the House seat in the 15th District held by Rep. John D'Amico (D-Chicago), is taking aim at a practice she calls "establishment politics" within the state and policies that she feels burden taxpayers.
One assessment that she's brought from the campaign trail is that the top reason Illinois residents are abandoning their homes is because of extremely high taxes.
"It's easy to connect the dots from Springfield to the mass exodus out of our state," Biela told Chicago City Wire on Jan. 11. "Every time our legislators vote for a tax increase – be it personal income or business – more people decide to take the plunge and leave. In addition, these same legislators are unwillingly to even look at property tax or pension reforms. They're blind to repercussions of their actions while at same time not even willing to entertain the notion of reform."
An Illinois Policy report shows that Illinois recently fell behind Pennsylvania in population, making Illinois the sixth most populous state in the country instead of the fifth. As the population continues to drain from big cities like Chicago, as well as other Illinois communities, places in Pennsylvania like Lancaster County, which has just passed the 500,000 mark, continue to thrive and grow.
Illinois Policy identified Rockford, Joliet and Naperville as additional population centers with high rates of attrition.
As a response, Biela proposes putting a 1 percent hard cap on property tax rates and notes that states like Indiana and California already have these in place.
"As a representative, I would advocate for lessening the tax burden of Illinoisans by first rescinding the most recent 32 percent income tax increase and also the almost 35 percent tax on businesses," Biela said. "Additionally, I would push for a 1 percent hard cap on property taxes similar to what Indiana and California have in place. By lessening the tax burden, you alleviate the pressure pushing people to leave. Real problems need real solutions. The last thing legislators should be doing is turning a blind eye to state's woes."
Biela suggested serious reforms are the answer.
"The more people flee, the harder it becomes for those that stick it out," Biela said. "Since folks like (House Speaker) Mike Madigan and my opponent John D'Amico see increased taxation as the only solution to Illinois' disastrous finances, they're going to continue to return to the well. With each person that leaves, the burden on the rest of us still here grows to cover the incredibly high cost of government and services. As the burden rises, more and more people will leave for greener pastures and it will only get worse. It's a vicious cycle that only gets worse over time if no attempts at reforms are made."
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