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CHICAGO—A report released Sept. 28, 2018, by the non-partisan Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, shows that Illinois is now the 5th worst state in the country for state and local taxes, surpassing California, which comes in at number 6. A link to that report can be found here.

“Last year, Springfield Democrats shoved a $5 billion state income tax increase down the throats of Illinois taxpayers,” said Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “Now, the Democrat candidate for Illinois Governor, J. B. Pritzker, should he win, will clobber the Illinois middle class with another huge increase in the state income tax. This will be the payback for the votes he will get from the 107,000 retired government employees who receive over $50,000 a year in retirement benefits for doing nothing.”

“And in two years, Pritzker will push approval of the Income Tax Increase Amendment, which would convert Illinois’ flat-rate state income tax to a graduated income tax, with a top rate possibly higher than California’s.”

“The money from last year’s $5 billion income tax increase was funneled into the bankrupt state pension funds for retired government employees, but the funds are in such bad shape that the money hardly mattered. These leeches are getting lavish, gold-plated retirement benefits while the middle class is fleeing Illinois in increasing numbers. For four straight years, Illinois has led the nation in population outflow, and this will increase if Pritzker has his way. The state’s middle class will shrink, so even more tax increases will be necessary to prop up the state.”

“Pritzker’s proposed two state income tax increases will put Illinois into a death spiral. That will be the end of

our state, unless voters wake up and elect persons who will vote against additional tax increases.”