Kane County Reporter

Former Illinois Senate candidate Ben Bierly (R-St. Cloud) said he is angry at lawmakers in Springfield who continue to issues with the state’s finances.

“I see where Gov. [J.B.] Pritzker is trying to add seven increased taxes to the budget as a way of pulling in more revenue,” Bierly the Kane County Reporter. “We’re never going to tax our way out of our hole. That approach only makes the situation worse, which explains how we lost 79,000 people last year to outmigration. That’s revenue we’re no longer collecting, along with that from all the businesses that are now gone.”

Bierly said he’s not surprised that Democrats are pushing another progressive tax, which voters had already rejected last year.

In November, voters overwhelmingly shot down a similar proposal when the initiative gained over 47% of the 60% support needed for passage. The measure came up short despite Pritzker pumping millions of dollars of his own money into a campaign designed to get it passed by voters.

“They really want to maintain spending when it’s clear they need to be working on doing what’s best for people, which is reeling it in,” Bierly said.

House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) said that most of the revenue generated from this tax would go toward paying down the state’s $141 billion pension fund debt.

Bierly believes that the tweaks won’t mean much of a difference to cash-strapped taxpayers.

“I think people will come out the same way they did before in rejecting this thing, and opposition may be even greater,” Bierly said. “Ticking people off is a good way to get people motivated, and I think having to deal with something this again so soon after you’ve already spoken will have that effect.”