View Release as PDF
Illinois Senator Richard J. “Dick” Durbin has been a “disaster” for Illinois, according to Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“Since Durbin came on the scene in 1997, this ultra-left-wing senator has ravaged taxpayers year-after-year,” said Tobin. “The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) in Washington, DC, rates every senator and congressional representative, and Durbin has received an ‘F’ for every congress. He has consistently voted against the interests of taxpayers without a bit of remorse.”
“But the bad news doesn’t stop there,” said Tobin. “His overall score is worse than the Democrat average for the Senate, and it has been for every term since he has been in the US Senate.”
“The last congress rated by NTU was the 112th Congress (2012). Out of a perfect pro-taxpayer score of 100, the Republican Senate average was a decent 72%. The Democrat Senate average was a dismal 11%. Dick Durbin’s score was a pitiable 10%. Durbin voted against the interests of Illinois taxpayers 90% of the time.”
“In the 109th Congress (2005), Durbin’s taxpayer score was an incredible 4%, voting against the interests of Illinois taxpayers 96% of the time, against the Democrat Senate score of 12%.”
“In the 106th Congress (1999), Durbin’s taxpayer score was a mind-boggling 3%, voting against the interests of Illinois taxpayers 97% of the time. The Democrat Senate average was 9%.”
“How such a left-wing politician like Durbin has remained in office all these years is a puzzle, but what isn’t a puzzling is the need to throw him and other pro-tax politicians out of office. Durbin is up for reelection this November 4, and Illinois is going down the drain. Unless pro-tax, pro-spending machine politicians like Durbin are removed from office, Illinois’ economic future will be hard to salvage.”
View Release as PDF
William J. “Bill” Kelly, columnist and political activist, is jumping into the race for Mayor of Chicago.
“Bill has been fighting on behalf of taxpayers as long as I have known him. He was our executive director back in the ‘90’s,” stated, Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“It will be a while before all of the players in this race shake out, but we can be sure that Bill will keep it interesting. He will turn over every rock under which Rahm and any other bureaucrat will try to hide their dirt.”
William J. Kelly will formally announce he is running for Mayor of Chicago against incumbent Rahm Emanuel at a June 20th televised town hall and fundraiser at the Palomar Hotel, 505 N. State Street in Chicago.
View Release as PDF
CHICAGO—The president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today condemned House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D) for attempting to bribe house Democrats into voting to make permanent, the 67% increase in the state personal income tax.
“Bribing and intimidating legislators runs in the Democrat party family,” said Jim Tobin, TUA president.
“This January, the ‘temporary’ state personal income tax that raised the rate from 3% to 5% is due to drop to 3.75% and to 3.25% in 2025, and the 9.5% state corporate income tax is required to drop to 7.75% in 2015 and drop further in 2025 to a rate of 7.3%. Gov. Patrick Quinn (D) and Chicago Democrat machine boss and House Speaker Madigan originally promised Illinois taxpayers that the income tax hikes would be temporary. Now, Madigan, who is short of the 60 votes needed to extend the income tax hike, is pulling out all the stops to bribe and intimidate Democrats in the Ill. House.”
“Madigan is basically telling house members that if they don’t vote ‘Yes’, their districts will get no new capital projects, and that they may lose projects they already have.”
“Bribes are standard operating procedures for Springfield Democrats. Gov. Quinn bribed former St. Rep. Careen Gordon (D-Morris) in order to secure her vote for the 67% increase in the state personal income tax. Her Yes vote gave Quinn the minimum 60 votes. “The Chicago Tribune in January 2011 revealed that after securing Gordon’s Yes vote, Quinn gave Gordon a new $86,000-a-year state job.”
“Almost all of the money from the 67% income tax increase is going to shore-up the floundering state government-employee pension funds, which provide retired government employees lavish, gold-plated pensions that are higher than the actual wages of most workers in the private sector.”
“If the Illinois economy stands any chance of recovery, house Democrats must stand firm and reject House Bill 395, which would make the 67% increase in the state personal income tax permanent.”
