State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) thinks voters’ rejection of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive tax proposal speaks volumes about their poor view of Springfield Democrats.
“It’s emblematic of the lack of trust the people have for politicians in Springfield,” Mazzochi told the DuPage Policy Journal.
Despite the governor endlessly promoting the tax he has insisted since taking office would only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents and pumping in access of $50 million of his own money into a campaign aimed at swaying voters, taxpayers soundly rejected the measure that required 60% approval from all voters for passage.
Mazzochi added she’s not surprised to see a perturbed Pritzker now threatening everything from across-the-board tax increases to “painful” tax cuts to counterbalance things as he sees fit.
“One new thing that currently drives our budget out of balance is the cost of lost economic activity because of COVID shutdowns, among other things it impacts income tax dollars, motor fuel tax dollars and has the practical effect of raising property taxes at the local level because our local governments are also missing that revenue,” Mazzochi added. “Our social services are strained from the rise in domestic abuse, suicide, and unemployment costs caused by the governor’s COVID policies. At some point, the governor has to support job growth and prioritize economic stability and get behind real reform.”
Mazzochi has long been a staunch critic of the governor’s tax plan, blasting it as just another money grab from Springfield that had no chance of working like the governor has promoted it.
“They’re trying to force people to go along with what they want with these threats,” she said. “It’s that type of governing that’s led to Illinois having one of the highest tax burdens in the nation and turned the state into a fiscal basket case.”
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