WARNING: ANOTHER ILLINOIS STATE INCOME TAX HIKE IN 2018!

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CHICAGO—Springfield Democrats enacted the largest permanent income tax hike in the state’s history, raising the personal income tax rate to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent, and the corporate income tax rate from 7.75 percent to 9.5 percent, but they are just getting warmed up, warned Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). In 2018, Ill. House Speaker and Chicago machine boss Michael J. Madigan (D-22, Chicago), and Ill. Senate President John J. Cullerton (D-6, Chicago), plan on putting on the statewide ballot a proposal to convert the state’s already high income tax to an even higher graduated income tax.
“If put on the ballot, this income tax increase amendment to the state constitution will be presented to Illinois voters, and I can assure you that all state government employees, active and retired, will vote ‘Yes’ on this measure,” said Tobin.
Taxpayers United of America’s executive director, Jared Labell, added, “But sensible Illinois taxpayers will defeat any such proposal if the spend thrift politicians in Springfield attempt to force this disaster upon us.”
“If approved, as with previous state tax increases, almost all of the money will be pumped into the insolvent state pension plans for retired state-government employees.”
“These retired state-government employees are enjoying lavish, gold-plated pensions, while a person in the private sector, who may not have a company pension at all, must scrape by with an average annual Social Security retirement benefit of less than $17,000,” said Tobin.
“Nearly 100,000 Illinois government retirees collect annual pensions totaling $50,000 or more, and 17,000 of those former government employees collect annual pensions totaling $100,000 or more. This is outrageous.”
“These Springfield Democrats need to be taught a lesson. Illinois taxpayers, including those in the Democrat stronghold of Cook County, must call and write their representatives in the Illinois House and Senate and voice their opposition to any further increases in the state income tax. They must tell these highway robbers that if they support changing the state income tax to a graduated income tax, they will be voted out of office,” said Tobin.
Labell concluded, “And if every democrat candidate running for governor continues to advocate for a new disastrous graduated income tax for Illinois, taxpayers will revolt and insure their defeat at the ballot box in 2018.”

GOP Turncoats Collude with Democrats to Raise Illinois Income Taxes

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CHICAGO—Some Republican members of the Illinois Senate and Illinois House of Representatives stabbed taxpayers in the back by voting with Democrats to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of an historic thirty-two percent permanent state income tax hike on July 4 and July 6, said Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“These Republican traitors don’t deserve to be in office,” said Tobin, “and taxpayers in their districts should run tax-cutting candidates against them in the next primary.”
The Illinois General Assembly enacted the largest permanent income tax hike in the state’s history, raising the personal income tax rate to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent, and hiking the corporate income tax rate from 7.75 percent to 9.5 percent, which includes the often-overlooked personal property replacement income tax surcharge of 2.5 percent.
“The sole Illinois Senate turncoat was Dale A. Righter (R-55, Matoon). He deserves to get an earful when he meets his constituents back home. Righter should dust off his resume,” said Tobin.
“Ten House Republicans joined the Illinois Hall of Shame by voting with the Democratic majority to override the Governor’s veto of the state income tax increase. Taxpayers should send a message by replacing them in the next Republican primary. The names of these traitors should be on the minds of all of their constituents. They can’t be allowed to hide.”
Tax Villains of the Month – 11 GOP Members of the Illinois General Assembly:
Sen. Dale A. Righter (R-55, Matoon)
Rep. Steven A. Andersson (R-65, Geneva)
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-115, Mt. Vernon)
Rep. Mike Fortner (R-49, West Chicago)
Rep. Norine K. Hammond (R-93, Macomb)
Rep. David Harris (R-3, Mt. Prospect)
Rep. Chad Hays (R-104, Danville)
Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez (R-99, Springfield)
Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-101, Decatur)
Rep. Reginald Phillips (R-110, Charleston)
Rep. Michael D. Unes (R-91, Pekin)
“The $5 billion from this latest state income tax increase will be funneled into the state’s government-employee pension funds, just like previous tax increases. While Illinois taxpayers are fleeing Illinois for states with lower taxes and more prosperous economies, retired government employees in Illinois continue to enjoy lavish, gold-plated pensions, courtesy of the state’s taxpayers.”
“Government-employee pensions devour a quarter of all the tax dollars the state collects. Nearly 100,000 Illinois government retirees collect annual pensions totaling $50,000 or more, while the average annual Social Security retirement benefit for taxpayers is less than $17,000.”
“It’s time for these Republican turncoats to be replaced with legislators who stand up for taxpayers, have fiscal discipline, and take their oath of office seriously,” concluded Tobin.
 

TUA Denounces Illinois Income Tax Hike in Sun-Times and IL Forum

Last week, the Illinois General Assembly voted to override Gov. Rauner’s (R) income tax hike veto in both the Senate and the House.
This economically devastating legislation would have been impossible to pass without the help of Republican Sen. Dale Righter and 10 Republicans in the House: Andersson, Bryant, Fortner, Hammond, D. Harris, Hays, Jimenez, B. Mitchell, Phillips, Unes.
TUA’s executive director, Jared Labell, spoke out against this most recent plundering of Illinois taxpayers in the Chicago Sun-Times, under the ominous headline “Illinois moves into the top 20 personal income tax states.”
“Jared Labell, executive director of Taxpayers United of America, compared fixing the state’s financial problems, as well as the impact the income tax hike could have, to a game of “Jenga.” The game of stacked pieces relies on a sound infrastructure to keep from toppling – which is not unlike a state government, he said.
 “The tax increase isn’t a solution to (the state’s financial problems).””
Read the article here.
This past Sunday, Jim Tobin, TUA’s founder and president, attended Bob Redfern’s Illinois Forum meeting in Champaign, IL.
While addressing the attendees, Tobin denounced the newly passed 32% income tax hike and the $5 billion in tax dollars to be siphoned away from hardworking Illinoisans for the benefit of the politicians, bureaucrats, and retired government employees collecting millions of your tax dollars to fund their lavish government pensions.
Tobin’s complete remarks can be viewed here.
The state income tax increase was pushed through the legislature against the wishes of a majority of Illinoisans, activist groups, and our best efforts, along with other fellow organizations.
One thing is clear: if this is Springfield’s solution, the financial climate in Illinois will never recover.
When the Illinois General Assembly reconvenes in January 2018, we will be prepared to offer our own legislation to make sure that more of your hard-earned money remains in your pocket, and not in the hands of the spendthrift politicians in Springfield.