Kane County Reporter

Republican state Rep. Dan Ugaste (Geneva) sees the progressive tax system being proposed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic supporters as a “bait-and-switch” scheme.  

“We’re seeing a bait-and-switch type of situation when Democrats propose one thing, initially telling us something about how well it’s going to work for us, and then something else takes its place,” Ugaste said in a video posted to YouTube. “It started with the governor telling us he wanted to create a fair, progressive tax that would only tax the wealthy.”

Since then, Ugaste said the plan has had several machinations, among them Pritzker going from telling taxpayers 97 percent of them would see a tax decrease to more recently insisting that at least that many will not face a tax increase.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker

“At the same time, the Senate Democrats, when they passed the bill through, not only did they pass the constitutional amendment, they identified the rates that were going to be put in place,” he said. “These showed an increase in rates from what the governor originally proposed.”

Ugaste said recent history should also leave taxpayers feeling skeptical.

“We have no reason to believe that they’re going to hold true to their word,” he said. “In 2011, they told us that the temporary tax increase was going to be used to pay down our pensions as well as our pending bills. That did not happen. In 2017, we were told we needed a tax increase to do the same thing. Once again, that has not happened. Fixing the structural issues is what’s going to help this state. More efficient government, less spending and creating more economic opportunities for our citizens is what’s going to move Illinois forward again.”