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A majority of the members of the House have already voiced their
opposition to the gross receipts tax by signing on as co-sponsors of
House Resolution 344. A similar resolution opposing the
governor's tax is being filed in the state Senate. Madigan has
expressed doubts about the governor's plan but last week told a
business group in Springfield that Illinois' budget woes may require
some form of tax increase this spring.
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Sen. Brady urges fiscal discipline, not tax increase
From Sen. Bill Brady
The public's support for Gov. Blagojevich's $7.6 billion gross
receipts tax has been underwhelming, and that's good.
People get it. They understand it's not the "big bad
corporations" the governor likes to talk about that will pay; it's
the consumers in their communities -- from South Beloit to Cairo,
from Nauvoo to Naperville -- who will pay the Blagojevich tax. An
extra 10 cents for a gallon of gas; an extra $8,000 for a new home;
higher property taxes; more for visits to their doctor's office or
an emergency room; higher costs for food products, cable television,
electricity and their telephone service.
But that plan isn't dead yet, and its many opponents must
maintain their efforts. We also need to keep our eyes on that
magician's other hand. We must be vigilant to any alternative to the
governor's disastrous gross receipts tax, whether it's a massive
income tax increase and sales tax expansion or some other offspring
that just sounds better because it's not as oppressive or as big.
Illinois doesn't need a tax increase, and we need to oppose any
and all attempts to shove the state's hands deeper into the
taxpayers' pockets. Illinois needs the fortitude to deal with
financial deficits and the backbone to say "no" to programs that
might be worthwhile but certainly are not affordable today. We need
the fiscal discipline to pay our bills rather than asking our
children and grandchildren to shoulder the burden of this
administration's unrealistic view of Illinois finances.
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 Rather than raising taxes, Illinois should stimulate its economy
with business-friendly policies that encourage investment,
entrepreneurism and job creation. Hundreds of millions of dollars in
business investments and business expansions in Illinois are being
shelved because of the threat of this new tax burden. Mark my word,
our neighbors in Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky and Iowa are
already eagerly developing their economic development marketing
plans to lure Illinois jobs away from Illinois.
Look at the facts. Illinois has the 14th-highest tax burden in
the nation and is the eighth-worst job-producing state under the
anti-business policies of the current administration. Our businesses
already pay more taxes than our surrounding neighbors and more than
the national average.
Rather than raising taxes to pay for the governor's social
initiatives, we should fix our beleaguered pension system, we should
reform our Medicaid program with a patient-centered system of health
care, and we should rein in new spending. Like Illinois families, we
need to balance our budget.
As Abraham Lincoln noted long ago, government does best when it
does for citizens what they cannot do for themselves. We've lost
track of his wisdom. Not every good idea needs to be a law, but
every new law should be a good and affordable idea.
This is the year to prove to the people of Illinois that we can
balance our budget, fund education and other priorities without
raising taxes. We have an opportunity to once again set a
straight-line course toward financial responsibility and fiscal
discipline in Illinois. We simply must have the discipline to act
responsibly.
[Bill
Brady]
[Text from file received from
Citizens for Bill
Brady]
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