Time for a fair tax for Illinois

Illinois state senator Don Harmon (D-39) and Illinois state representative Christian Mitchell (D-26) have introduced complementary bills in the 98th General Assembly to scrap Illinois' flat 5% income tax and replace it with a fair tax. What, pray tell, is a fair tax? It's a progressive one that provides lower rates to lower income levels while higher rates apply to higher income levels. Under their proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution, Article IX, Sec. 3, end of the current regressive flat tax and implementation of a progressive tax would lower the tax burden on the 94% of Illinois residents making under $205,000 annually, the amount at which their lower tax rate would hit the current 5%. Yet, the new tax structure would provide sufficient revenue to avoid cuts in critically needed state services, especially education. Moving to a progressive income tax would bring Illinois in line with the 34 other states who have wisely adopted a progressive income tax. Besides avoiding painful services cuts, the fair tax puts extra money into the hands of folks who will spend it and spend it fast, stimulating the state economy. It's time for Illinois to live up to its progressive outlook on social issues and adopt a progressive income tax for economic issues. Current polling shows 77% of Illinoisans support a fair, progressive tax. For more information on this most important legislative initiative in the 98th General Assembly, visit www.abetterillinois.org.

Mr. & Mrs. Billionaire fooling no one

Illinois gubernatorial candidate Billionaire Bruce Rauner put on his folksy, down home working shirt and trotted out his photogenic wife for a little marital repartee for the camera in his first post primary victory ad yesterday. OK, maybe its only "Half Billionaire Bruce" as he's always a bit coy about his fabulous wealth even though he earned 5.3% of a billion in 2012 alone. If he weren't tossing million dollar chits around like they w...ere quarters from his personal fortune to buy the governorship, he might already be working on his second billion. But I digress. The banter that made this commercial memorable was Billionaire Bruce touting he's a Republican while Mrs. Billionaire shot back she's a Democrat. That's the signal for Democrats and independents to realize if she can tolerate his anti union, anti teacher, anti minimum wage worker, anti gay marriage advocate, anti Medicaid expansion nonsense 24/7/365, so can those of us who actually have a heart and soul for those marginalized by Rauner's policies. Her claim of preferring the donkey over the elephant stems from her record of pulling a Democrat Primary ballot in 2004, 2006 and 2008. But when there were contested Democratic races for both US Senate and governor in 2010, Mrs. Democratic Billionaire suddenly disappeared at Primary time. It could be she was indisposed or maybe, Mr. Billionaire advised he was running in 2014, and she'd better get with the GOP program. Then there is the matter of, you guessed in money; lots and lots of money. Our self avowed Democrat sure doesn't put her campaign money where her mouth is. Since 2009, she gave 91% of the $238,150 in campaign donations to the animal that never forgets. When just considering federal races that percentage jumps to 98%. As recently as 2012, the lady claiming to be a Democrat gave $2,500 to not one, not two, but three GOP presidential candidates, including fellow billionaire (or near billionaire) Mitt Romney.

Speaking of never forgetting, Democratic and independent voters will remember on November 4, that money talks and baloney walks...straight into political oblivion.