Tell Ill. Senate Republican Leader: Don’t Conspire with Democrats!

Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate
Bill Brady

Springfield—Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady so far has refused to oppose a massive 30 cent per gallon increase in the Illinois gasoline tax.

“This is ridiculous,” stated lifelong taxpayer advocate and President of Taxpayers United of America, Jim Tobin. “Less then two years ago Democrats held Illinois hostage for a five billion dollar income tax increase. Now the senate Republican leader doesn’t want to oppose Democrats who want to pass a two billion dollar increase to the gas tax? Refusing to stand in the way of this massive tax hike on poor and middle class taxpayers is a massive betrayal.”

“It’s not too late for him to change his mind,” continued Jim Tobin. “All it might take are some everyday taxpayers to remind Senator Brady that it is taxpayers, not empty CTA buses that matter. That is why I urge taxpayers to contact this senator, and remind him that he has a duty to the people to resist Springfield Tax Raisers.”

If you want to tell  Senator Bill Brady to oppose this TWO BILLION DOLLAR gasoline tax increase, you can find his contact information at the Illinois General Assembly website here: http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=2542 or call his office at (309) 664-4440.

Massive Gas Tax Increase From Springfield

There is a terrible secret that has leaked from Springfield. Lame duck tax raisers are planning to pass a 30 cent gasoline tax increase on January 7 or 8 as a farewell gift. This tax gouge will give Illinois the highest gas taxes in the nation.

Information started to break as the Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel and a union of tax thieving mayors called for a massive fuel tax increase to fund what they described as “infrastructure projects.”

We know better than to believe that.

This state gas tax increase will heavily damage the Illinois economy, and chase even more taxpayers out of the state. For the year ending in 2018, Illinois continued a 5-year population decline and lost an additional 45,000 residents.

The bill will be voted on either the 7th or the 8th of January, so we do not have much time. We do not have the bill number, and we do not know in which chamber the bill will originate.  The only information we have is that it will happen on those dates, and the sources of this information are credible.

We must take this threat seriously and we need all hands on deck to defeat this. I strongly urge you to call your state representative and state senator and tell them to vote NO on any new gas tax. You can contact them by going go to http://ima-net.org/illinois-legislator-e-contact-lists/ to get their phone numbers and email addresses. If you do not know who your local politician is, you can find them and their contact information with an interactive map here. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/

This is a fight that we can win. France, one of the highest taxed countries in the world protested a recent gas tax similar to the one being proposed in Springfield. They donned yellow vests and took to the streets demanding the government reverse the tax. They won! The tax was reversed.

TAXPAYER ALERT!

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Dear Taxpayer,

The Springfield tax-raisers—of both political parties—are planning to hit taxpayers with another tax increase, and this one is a cowardly sneak-attack that you must fight immediately in order to stop it.

As you are reading this, the state’s car rental companies are working with Illinois lawmakers to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill that would tax and regulate the promising peer-to-peer car sharing industry. The Chicago Tribune and the Sun Times have already reported on this anti free market bill, but pro bureaucracy lawmakers seem hellbent on pushing it through.

The state’s car rental companies, which are facing competition from startups, are behind this proposed legislation in order to crush competition.

Peer-to-peer car rental companies allow individuals to rent their car out. Currently, there are more than 6,100 car owners in Illinois who rent their vehicles out to others.

Lawmakers want to override Rauner’s veto to Senate Bill 2641, by passing requirements for companies like Turo and their members to provide detailed cost estimates, abide by stricter vehicle recall requirements, and pay an additional 5 percent state tax with the possibility of additional local taxes.

Lobbyists for rental companies said this money goes to infrastructure and that rideshare companies should have to pay the same tax. However, rental companies are exempt from paying sales tax on the vehicles they buy, a break worth an estimated $200 million a year.

The Illinois State Senate took one step closer to eliminating peer-to-peer car sharing in Illinois by overriding a bill vetoed by Governor Rauner. Prodded by Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, the Senate passed a bill that would regulate individual car owners using a company like Turo as a rental car company.

The Senate acted without a single hearing regarding this stealthy tax increase. Now the battle moves to the Illinois House of Representatives.

Please contact your Illinois House Representative and tell him or her to vote NO on Senate Bill 2641. It’s urgent that you call your legislator today. The Springfield office switchboard is 217-782-2000.

Thanks for helping stop this sneaky tax hike!