|
“I think it's a direct result of 20 years of progressive
policies that have done nothing but make it harder to work here,
or difficult to start and maintain a business here,” state Rep.
Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, told The Center Square.
“Those policies altogether have created an unsustainable
environment.”
With some lawmakers in Springfield now again pushing to
eliminate the state’s flat income tax system in favor of a
progressive tax structure, McLaughlin worried about what could
come next for already stressed-out taxpayers.
“It's going to put a greater and greater burden on those that
remain,” he said. “We're at a tipping point and I think it's
evident that even the governor and Democrats are panicked, they
are panicked that we don't have the revenue to sustain their
spending and they're starting to talk about it.”
McLaughlin reflected on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget address last
month when the governor discussed taking a more conservative
approach to the budget, despite his proposal being the most
expensive state spending plan in state history.
“When the governor took the podium … for his budget address, he
used words like cost cutting and efficient,” McLaughlin said.
“That was astounding because it was an admission of failure by
the governor.”
Data analyzed by Illinois Policy shows that of the 23 states
that are now losing residents to domestic migration, 70% of them
have progressive income taxes. States with flat income taxes
added nearly 84,000 residents from other states while those with
progressive income taxes lost more than 302,000 residents
through domestic outmigration. |
|
