Metro East Sun

Doug Jameson finds bitter irony in the latest Democratic proposed tax increase being billed as a progressive tax.

“There’s nothing forward thinking about it,” Jameson told the Metro East Sun. “It would amount to a death knell for the state. We as citizens of Illinois shouldn’t exist just to support the government.”

Jameson said he thinks Democrats are serious about wanting to change the state constitution so that it allows them to change the current flat tax structure to one where taxing the wealthy more heavily would be the law of the land.

Springfield, Illinois | By Éovart Caçeir at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10535377

“J.B. Pritzker has said this is what he favors,” Jameson said of the Democratic candidate for governor. “And we all know, (House Speaker Mike) Madigan (D-Chicago) has never met a tax increase he didn’t like.”

Jameson, a Belleville Republican challenging Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) in the 113th District, added any additional tax increase right now would only further put the cash-strapped state behind the eight ball.

“Every time government takes another dollar from you it limits economic freedom,” he said. “Right now, Illinois already has the highest taxes in the country and increasing taxes will only add to out-migration. The erosion of our tax base only means having to raise taxes even higher on those of us that are still here.”

In the end, Jameson said people have to stand up and be heard about the direction they feel the state needs to go.

“The feedback I’m getting is that people are fed up and you can’t talk to them about a tax increase,” he said. “We just can’t afford to increase taxes, though it’s not a surprise Democrats would be proposing this because it’s always been their modus operandi.”

The 113th House District includes all or parts of Belleville, Swansea, Fairview Heights, Washington Park, Fairmont City, Caseyville, Madison and Granite City.