Illinois State Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) has some stern advice for Gov. J.B. Pritzker when it comes to his graduated income tax proposal.
“The governor needs to get his own taxes in order before he comes to the fine people of Illinois asking for more of our hard-earned revenue,” Wehrli said at a recent press conference where several GOP members highlighted how Pritzker’s push for a tax hike comes at a time when he and members of his family are under federal probe for allegedly dodging property taxes.
"The governor continues to tout this tax increase as a fair tax,” Wehrli added. “I’m here to question what the man knows about fairness.”
Illinois State Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville)
Several media outlets have reported that Pritzker is under investigation stemming from an alleged scheme in which he and family members including his wife ordered workers to remove all the toilets from one of their Gold Coast mansions as a way of saving $331,000 on their property tax bill. Pritzker has since repaid the money.
“So let me ask you this, if you rob a bank and then return the money, are you still not still a criminal?” Wehrli added.
Later, the three-term lawmaker said he finds it almost revolting how politicians in Springfield are always asking taxpayers for more.
“Let’s just stop spending,” he said. “The governor’s budget that he introduced has $1.2 billion of additional spend. We can’t afford that. We need to see our expenses reduced before we can go to the taxpayers and ask for any more money. That’s where the hard work is.”
Wehrli said he struggles to understand how lawmakers in Springfield still think they should have the trust of taxpayers.
“Are Springfield politicians to be trusted when we say this tax is fair and yet the governor dodges taxes at every opportunity?” he asked.