Illinois Business Alliance responds
to revenue projections released today, calls on the governor to show
compassion to struggling business owners, workers across the state
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[September 15, 2020]
Illinois Business Alliance President
Jared Carl has issued the following statement responding to new
state revenue projections and comments made by Gov. J.B. Pritzker
regarding his graduated income tax increase proposal.
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"Across Illinois, every business owner and worker
is glued to the news, waiting to hear when the state's lockdown will
end and when they can begin down the long road toward rebuilding
their lives and restoring their livelihoods. Instead, today Gov.
Pritzker delivered devastating news.
"The governor announced that he is forging ahead with his plans to
raise taxes on businesses, including small businesses, and will not
work with the General Assembly to remove the graduated income tax
amendment from the November ballot.
"We had hoped Gov. Pritzker would show compassion toward the
struggling business owners, job creators and employees across
Illinois who are doing their part to help defeat the COVID-19
pandemic. Instead, Gov. Pritzker's statement illustrates the vast
disconnect between those feeling the intense pain of the economic
shutdown and the politicians and ideologues leveraging the crisis
for political gain.
"Small businesses employ nearly 50 percent of the private workforce
in Illinois. These are the same small businesses who were forced to
shut their doors to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"And these are the same small businesses who would
bear the brunt of Pritzker's tax increase plan. Economic forecasters
have predicted that it could take years for state and national
economies to recover from the devastation wrought by the coronavirus.
Raising taxes on businesses now, when the national and state economy
is in peril, would dramatically worsen the situation."
In March, the Illinois Business Alliance called on
Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly to remove the graduated
income tax amendment from the ballot. The governor's actions in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in the closing of
all "non-essential" businesses, hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans
filing for unemployment, and tremendous harm to the state economy.
Given the economic devastation inflicted on Illinois businesses and
the working class, the Illinois Business Alliance has repeatedly
argued that now is not the time to raise taxes on businesses, which
is what Gov. Pritzker's "fair tax" would do.
About the Illinois Business Alliance
The Illinois Business Alliance is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit business
league that exists to improve Illinois' business climate. Learn more
about the Illinois Business Alliance at www.ilbusinessalliance.org/.
[Jared Carl, Illinois Business
Alliance] |