Chicago City Wire

Republican candidate for governor of Illinois Darren Bailey laments incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker's inaction on growing school supply prices.

Bailey questions the governor's promise of aiding middle and lower-income people, in light of his initiatives that have affected the state’s hard-working families the hardest. This comes following a series of price increases in school supplies, which Bailey has blamed on the many flawed policies of Pritzker.

"As parents go out and buy school supplies for their children, think about how much more money they would have if Gov. Pritzker had not doubled the gas tax," the current Illinois state senator from Xenia said. "Think about how much more they could afford if we implemented my legislation to repeal the sales tax on groceries. JB Pritzker talks about helping middle- and lower-income folks, but all of his policies have hit these hardworking families the hardest." 

As the cost of school supplies continues to skyrocket, the end is nowhere in sight as the National Retail Federation, according to the New York Post, predicted that school supply prices would still increase by another 40% by the end of 2022.

Ester di Filippo, a Chicago resident and mother of two schoolgirls, told Fox and Friends First, “I do believe that it’s going to be a struggle and a different situation this year,” after revealing that her daughter's TI-84 calculator already costs them $150.

Inflation has been a factor in the 0.9% annual fall in the U.S. Gross Domestic Product between April and June of 2022. The University of Illinois' Flash Index dropped for the third month in a row, from 105.7 in May to 105. This month, which has been a concern to Illinois Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Todd Maisch, told The Center Square, “Small businesses that are discretionary spending, whether it be restaurants or even movie theaters or what have you – I would be most concerned about those folks who would be exposed to a consumer who thinks inflation is here to stay.” 

Bailey has been relentless in the grilling of Pritzker's underwhelming performance in the face of economic difficulties. 

“Being woke is not an economic plan but unfortunately it is all JB Pritzker has to offer," he said, Prairie State Wire reported. "As governor, I will work to ensure state government agencies are more responsive to prospective businesses wanting to locate here and I will reduce business regulations and lower taxes to bring new jobs and new opportunities to Illinois. There is little Illinois can do to prevent a recession but there is a lot our state can do to minimize the effects of a recession on our state.”