Metro East Sun

Former Republican House candidate Mike Babcock isn’t surprised to see Gov. J.B. Pritzker now turning to threats and intimidation in hopes of netting the latest tax hike he’s seeking.

“The fact that he can’t communicate any better or make his point any clearer tells me what I already know, which is he doesn’t have a sound argument for any of it to begin with,” Babcock told the Metro East Sun. “If he did, he wouldn’t have to be making all these threats right now.”

The progressive tax plan the governor has been pushing since his days on the campaign trail is far from being a done deal when it appears on the ballot next month. 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’s all really unfortunate because we truly can’t afford more taxes right now,” Babcock added. “We’re already being taxed to death and the progressive tax is a killing machine when it comes to adding more debt and spending. This will only run more people out of Illinois and leave less of us to foot all these bills.”

Babcock said Pritzker’s insistence about the plan only be a tax on the state’s richest residents simply doesn’t add up.

“Sooner or later, it’s going to hit all of us because the economy can’t bear it,” he said. “It’s just bad leadership that we would even be having this kind of conversation at this point and time.”