Former Illinois state Sen. Dwight Kay (R-Edwardsville)
Former Illinois state Sen. Dwight Kay (R-Edwardsville)
Former Illinois state Sen. Dwight Kay (R-Edwardsville) wonders who exactly Chicago's 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez thinks he is serving with his “conception fees” proposal, designed to discourage couples from having too many children.
“I can’t imagine who would propose such a preposterous tax considering the silliness of the tax itself and all the other taxes that have already been strapped to the backs of residents across the state during the Pritzker administration," Kay told the Metro East Sun. “I can’t imagine how [Lopez's] constituents have to feel. What happens if a family is expecting twins?”
Lopez’s proposal is one of several he has introduced as barriers to couples having children, among them requiring a license to give childbirth and creating a so-called “toddler escrow.” The proposals come in the wake of the tragic death of an infant in Lopez's ward in which the child's father has been charged with first-degree murder.
Chicago's 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez
| http://www.the15thward.org/
“I'm tired of these sick bastards killing babies because they are too immature to be parents,” Lopez posted on Twitter, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report. “Time to start requiring childbirth licensing, conception fees or toddler escrows in order to be a parent. If love doesn’t motivate good behavior, perhaps hitting their pockets will.”
Kay conceded that he can relate to everything Lopez is feeling in the case of the young boy, but he does not believe Illinois can afford the things he’s proposing.
“I’m not surprised, but I’m appalled that someone would spend their time thinking about something like this to force on the general public,” Kay said. “I suspect it may be the byproduct of all the taxes lawmakers have been able to get away and the thought that this could be just one more.”
Kay says the idea sounds even less rational when you consider that Illinois is already losing population at record levels and the top reason people cite for wanting out are runaway taxes.
“I guess I can really say that now I’ve heard it all,” Kay said.
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