Kane County Reporter

Republican state House hopeful Ben Bierly wants to see taxpayers assume the full scope of their powers in the ongoing debate over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive tax proposal.

“Free governments may do only that to which the people freely consent and no more,” Bierly told the Kane County Reporter. “Officials who violate that principle have no business continuing in government.”

With the progressive tax Pritzker has been selling since his days as a candidate on the Nov. 3 ballot, Democrat Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton recently warned voters if Pritzker’s proposal fails to get the support it needs for passage on Nov.3, taxpayers could soon face a 20% state income tax hike to cover any looming budget shortfall. Such a steep rise would send rates spiraling to an all-time personal high state income tax rate for residents of 5.94%.

Since then, the governor has essentially co-signed Stratton’s threat, further warning taxpayers it’s either the progressive tax or a 15% cut in government services, which could mean cuts in funding for education and public safety and a state property tax increase.

“It seems that the dynamic duo running our state’s executive office have forgotten we live in a free society where governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” said Bierly, who is now running against Democrat John Connor in the 43rd House District. “To that end, governments are destructive of our freedoms when they use threats and violence to institute their chosen policies.”

Bierly argues it’s easy to know all the damage such policies have caused.

“People will continue to leave the state, even abandoning property if they have to, so that they may once again recapture and enjoy economic freedom,” he said. “Under our current tax burden, we’ve been losing over 50,000 people per year in net migration and we can expect that figure to climb higher if we increase taxes. This means that we will have fewer people who are less able to shoulder the increasing burden of state and local government, leading to a downward spiral of revenue for both.”

Bierly argue there’s a better way.

“We need to reduce government and government spending while prioritizing spending for schools and infrastructure,” he said. “We can do this by balancing the state retirement contracts so that local governments are enticed to keep public retirements reasonable for the people. I suggest this is a matter for the legislature to fix together, working toward a common goal instead of seeking individual power at the people’s expense.”