Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn wants to raise your state income taxes up to 67%. He claims this is necessary to fill an $11.5 billion state budget gap. What he doesn’t say is that the state will receive $11.5 billion in federal stimulus funds, which would completely fill the gap.
Download our Stop the Income Tax Hike flyer to learn: what you won’t hear from the governor about the gold-plated pensions for local and state employees and ways you can stop government pensions from bankrupting our state.
Included on page 2 of the flyer is a list of the Illinois Top 100 Government Pension Payouts. Look for yourself to see just how lavish these government pensions are.
Download a printable copy of the flyer and share it with your friends, family, and neighbors.
Stop Quinn's 67% State Income Tax Hike
ADDRESS
Chicago, IL 60606
205 W. Randolph Street, Suite 1305
Phone: (312) 427-5128
Fax: (312) 427-5139
Phone: (312) 427-5128
Fax: (312) 427-5139
Website: https://www.taxpayersunitedofamerica.org
Email: info@taxpayersunited.org
Email: info@taxpayersunited.org
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To retired Teacher,
I know what Kelly meant, I am sure you have typed a mistake before. You are pay to be a teacher, the parents work so their money are going to your fricking salary, don’t blame the parents. Why would the parents sit down and read to their kids(I know a lot of parents still do, I did), it’s you that is paid to do it, not the parents. Now if the fricking government will give the choice of where my tax dollars should go, I will gladly sent my kids to private school. At least I can choose some good teachers. I agree that government positions is a burden to all of us. There are some positions that are needed but not all of them. I agree that all government workers should be contributed to a 410K, just like the rest of the citizens.
I am opposed to the tax hike! I agree with Teresa, every time the state is in deficit, the touted solution is to raise the taxes on the hard working citizens. Illinois is one of the states with the highest income taxes in the country and there is not much to show for it; the roads are crumbling, there is more crime in our schools than ever, and people are loosing their jobs right and left. Why can other states function with lower income tax or no tax at all and Illinois cannot find a way to do it without raising taxes once again? When we are being told that there is “no choice but to raise the income tax” I think we should see first a list of all the choices that have been considered before deciding in the name of all the citizens of Illinois that this is the only option.
My wife and I would not be considered “lower income” families, but we certainly are hurting QUITE A LOT. In some respects, we are close to just hanging on. This is the most reprehensible thing this state could right now. My wife and I have not had a raise in 3 years; our life savings are nearly wiped out by the economic collapse; we are worried sick about not having enough money to send our only child to college next year. We are struggling to pay off credit card debt. We’ve tried to refinance our mortgage but cannot because property values have dropped so much. This is NOT a way to shore up confidence in Illinois residents to spend. If they really want to help the so-called “lower income” families of Illinois, perhaps lawmakers would do better to devise a creative way to create better paying jobs for them – and NOT rob from the rich and give to the poor. We will be tracking all of the reps’ and senators’ votes on this. As for defending the poor teachers, I will just say there are a lot of lazy and incompetent ones I’ve encountered. And I certainly don’t feel beholding to them for feathering their retirement nests.
The tax increase nonsense must stop now. Illinois should be looking at lowering the income tax rate. Simply stated the State of Illinois needs to cut back. Eliminate waste and redundancy at all levels of government.
Fee increases also need to be shot down. The working poor and below are the ones hardest hit by fee increases. It is the job of the State to make participatory citizenship affordable to all residents.
Write your representatives and tell them to vote against any legislation raising taxes or fees. The post office could use the money more than the State of Illinois.
We’re being hosed by ALL levels of government. Does anyone know what their school superintendant makes? It’s supposed to be public info, but all you can find out is the salary. What about all the rest of the package? Look into State pensions. The top 100 are all from acedemia. Join a tea party, or start one in McHenry County. http://www.reteaparty.com. http://www.meetup.com/The-Chicago-Tea-Party. “
“If this is really a response to prior fiscal irresponsibility and the current economic crisis, why not put in a three year sunset clause on all tax and fee increases. This would assure the taxpayers that this is temporarily necessary, but would be adressed again as the economoc climate changes. Otherwise, this just looks like typical, opportunistic, Democrat tax and spend legislation. Everyone better join a tea party soon.”
I am amazed that the non-elected governor is considering raising taxes when we are in such a financial melt down. And he believes that he is doing the right thing. It would be the right thing to do under normal circumstances, and if he were elected to do so. Of course, I can simply go to my employer and insist that I will require 1.5% more pay to cover my personal budget. Well, how is it that our government does not understand this? If there is no income to cover what we want to spend, adjust the budget, not the income.
We are so against the increase in Income Tax, we are already suffering enough, people are living paycheck to paycheck, you know in family budgets (at least the families I have talked with) taking even $10 more away means the difference between bankruptcy and not… groceries or no food….
Please sign the petition AGAINST the increase…. Senator Gary Dahl as well as Rep. Tom Cross’s offices have been contacted to help present the petition to Gov. Quinn when it has enough signatures.
Sign petition here:
http://www.ctunite.com/sign_the_petition.htm
I am a teacher at a community college and a participant in SURS. I will retire soon, and my pension is a good one. After almost thirty years of service, I will retire with a pension of about $70,000 per year. It’s that high because I have worked every summer and taught additional courses at night to help support my wife and four children. Those extra classes are probably responsible for about 15 to 20% of the above number. I think I have done a good job for my students, and I think I deserve this pension.
On the other hand, I am a taxpayer like the rest of you. I don’t like high taxes. However, I do think that you should pay as you go. And I think you should honor your commitments. The real reasons for today’s financial dilemma in Illinois is that we either promised people more than we should have, or we have filed to pay the required amounts into the system over time. Our state government has be irresponsible in one or both of the above. Money that should have been set aside for the pension funds was used to pay for other state services. Perhaps the problem is too much spend in other areas. Or, if they were necessary, perhaps our taxes should have been raised modestly a long time ago. In any case, our state government has simply failed to fulfill their responsibilities. To blame teachers, especially those who will be getting reasonable pensions, is a bit unfair.
I hope that as citizens we continue to fight for good government. It’s not unreasonable to resist unjustified tax hikes. However, I would hope that NTUI would use a more reasoned approach in making it’s arguments to the public. As I read the numbers on the flyer, I was surprised as anyone. I wonder how many represented are college presidents and school superintendents. Since education competes for the same managerial talent as the private sector, it not surprising that many of their salaries might explain the magnitude of their pensions. Perhaps the flyer, in all fairness, would include that information as well.
Myth: Illinoisans can afford the state legislature’s proposed 8 cent per gallon increase on gasoline.
Truth: The Illinois legislature has proposed an 8 cent tax increase on a gallon of gasoline costing Illinoisans $500 million annually, making the price of gasoline in Illinois the second highest in the country.
The current state tax per gallon is 19 cents. This rate does not include the 6.25% state sales tax or municipality taxes such as 6 cents per gallon in Cook County and 5 cents per gallon in the City of Chicago.
This proposed increase paired with the unprecedented federal taxes and fees on oil and natural gas producers would reduce investment in new energy supplies resulting in less energy and actually reduce local, state and federal revenue, and further erode our energy security.