Metro East Sun

Mike Babcock wants to see lawmakers in Springfield run the House the same way voters have to run their own homes.

“Every household has to have a balanced budget in order to manage their affairs and government should be no different,” Babcock told Metro East Sun. “We should all live by a balanced budget. Revenue coming in should never be less than expenditures going out.”

Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) reports some of the new spending programs and revenue-generating suggestions for closing the state's structural deficit proposed by Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker could swell the deficit and require tax increases totaling as much as $18 billion to finance.

Illinois State House Speaker Mike Madigan

By IPI estimates, that could increase the taxes on a family with a household income just over $79,000 by up to $3,500 annually and potentially raise the current income tax rate from 4.95 percent to as high as 9.95 percent. In addition, the state could experience the loss of up to 132,000 jobs and up to $31.3 billion in economic activity.

At least part of Pritzker’s plan centers on enacting a progressive tax, for which he has offered few details in terms of how much revenue he may be seeking to raise or what tax rates might be in place for each income level.

“The people of this state have absolutely had enough and are completely fed up with the taxes Mike Madigan has placed on them,” said Babcock, a Wood River Township supervisor running against Rep. Monica Bristow (D-Godfrey) in the 111th House District. “He has driven thousands of people and businesses out of this state and now he and Pritzker want more. We simply can’t afford this and I will not support any more tax hikes period. What we need is a balanced budget.”

In contrast, Babcock said his opponent has already expressed support for a progressive tax as well as a mileage tax plan that’s been proposed.

“It’ll just lead to more people leaving Illinois and we can’t have that,” he said. “People need to know that Pritzker is no different from Madigan and the two of them in power together will only mean bad things for Illinois.”

The 111th District includes Madison and Jersey counties.