Finally! Even Some Union Members Are Against An Illinois Tax Hike

Townhall.com ^ | April 29, 2014 | Mike Shedlock

[Kaslin]

Via email, Ben VanMetre at the Illinois Policy Institute mentions huge tax hikes that Progressives are angling for. The tax hikes are so steep and so universal that even thinking union members are against the hikes.

From VanMetre

State Sen. Don Harmon and advocates for his progressive tax proposal argue that the progressive income tax will provide tax relief for Illinois’ middle class.

Not only is the argument not true, but the progressive income tax was never about tax relief. The proof of that is in the numbers.

Under Illinois law, the individual income tax rate will be 3.75% in 2015. Under the progressive tax-hike plan introduced by Sen. Harmon — and endorsed by A Better Illinois — a higher 4.9% applies to income earned after $12,500.

Under Harmon’s proposal, anyone with a taxable income of more than $22,000 will see their overall state tax bill increase. That plan targets Illinois’ working- and middle-class residents.

So why didn’t Harmon use the sunset rate (3.75%) for $12,500 in his rate structure?
The answer: because part of the progressive tax hike scheme is about making as much of the temporary tax hike permanent as possible while still calling it “tax relief.”
And that’s true for all of the popular progressive tax plans instructed in Illinois recently:

• State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson’s plan makes permanent the 5% rate on income earned above $36,000.
• The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability’s plan makes permanent the 5% rate on income earned above $5,000.
• Sen. Harmon’s plan makes permanent nearly all of the 5% rate on income earned above $12,500.

It’s time for taxpayers in Illinois to know the truth about the progressive income tax. It’s not about tax relief — it’s about making the temporary tax hike permanent and further increasing taxes on the middle class.

Ben VanMetre
Senior Budget and Tax Policy Analyst

"Unfair" Tax details



Everyone who makes more than $12,500 will see huge tax increases. Supposedly this is "fair".

Illinois Union Member on "Fair Tax" Proposal

Live in Illinois and want to fight the proposed tax hike?

If so visit unfairillinois.com today and complete three simple steps to stop Springfield's middle-class money grab.

[cripplecreek]

The GOP really needs to learn to exploit the faultlines in the democrat party.

[pierrem15]

Reminds me of a conversation I had with a Painter's Union official about 10 years ago. He told me he was making about $90K at the time and that his wife worked for the county at about $60K.

I told him their income put him well into the top 5% of households in the US: he looked at me as though I were crazy.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

My late step father was union member his whole life. He was born poor in Texas in the 20s so he was a natural Democrat. But at some point in the 70s, he switched to Republican and never went back. There were a lot of reasons but the main one was the Dems irrational, country-destroying Tax and Spend policies. The Dems always have thought that they can spend whatever they want on vote-buying, social welfare patronage programs and simply raise taxes to pay for it. At a certain point, voters get that and recoil from it. They understand that you have to support yourself and should be able to keep a decent amount of what you earn. Hopefully some in Illinois are at that point.