Ammie Kessem | Contributed photo
Ammie Kessem | Contributed photo
Northwest Side GOP Club President Ammie Kessem fears what Illinois could become if Springfield Democrats get what they want in the form of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax.
“Illinois’ flat tax is one of the few remaining things that make it still competitive with other states as far as attracting businesses,” Kessem told Chicago City Wire. “It is also one of the few reasons why some retirees still choose to stay in Illinois. You get rid of those incentives and we will see an even greater burden placed upon those that must stay here. The progressive income tax might look good on paper, but if this type of tax reform goes into law. Illinoisans are going to face even more burdens than they already have.”
Despite Kessem and others' dire warnings, Pritzker remains hard at work in trying to push the proposal he has stood behind since his days on the campaign trail over the finish line come November.
The Chicago Tribune reports the governor recently pumped more than $51 million into a ballot initiative committee working to help the tax becomes law of the land. 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 the ballot measure that would convert the current flat tax to a progressive tax system. Pritzker previously chipped in another $5 million for the fund, making him the only individual to have donated more than $250 to the cause.
Kessem argues passage of the tax will only add up to more of the same tax and spend policies.
“Voters would be absolutely foolish to think that the democrat controlled legislature won’t continue to dig deeper and deeper into their pockets,” Kessem added. “As we have seen in the past few decades, the democrat controlled legislature never has scaled back on budgets. Year after year, the citizens of Illinois have had their taxes increased without anything to show for it. Higher income taxes, property taxes, gas taxes toll taxes, taxes upon taxes levied upon them over and over again.”
Alerts Sign-up