Illinois is slowly becoming unrecognizable in the eyes of Mickey Straub.
“We’re losing at least one person every eight minutes now that’s moving out of the state because of all the rising taxes,” the Burr Ridge mayor who recently announced his campaign to unseat Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) in the 82nd District told the Will County Gazette. “I don’t know why lawmakers won’t see that all these tax-and-spend policies are not working and are only driving people away and changing the fabric of the state.”
As part of the state budget, which already included a record-setting state income tax hike, Illinois gas prices will rise by as much as 5 cents per gallon with the expiration of a 20-percent sales tax credit granted to wholesalers for unleaded gas mixed with ethanol.
Mickey Straub
In Chicago, gas prices are already 44 cents higher than the national average.
Overall, the new tax is expected to generate approximately $95 million for the state, though none of that money is earmarked for much-needed repairs to crumbling roads across the state.
With the tax officially being considered a sales tax, the money will instead be deposited into the state's general fund.
“Giving Democrats more money to spend is like giving food to a tapeworm,” Straub said. “But it keeps happening because no one has the determination to fix the problem. They just want to continue to ignore the issue because it keeps them in power.”
On the surface, Straub said some might see the gas tax and other small levies like it as not enough to make much of a difference for Illinoisans, but he disagrees.
“It reminds me of the analogy that goes: If you put a frog in hot water, he’ll instantly jump out of it, but if you put him in cool water and keep him stuck there over time he’ll still ultimately boil to death. The policies of the last 10 to 20 years under Democratic control are killing this state.”
The 82nd District covers parts of Cook, DuPage and Will counties, including Darien, Homer Glen, Lemont and Willowbrook.
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