Will County Gazette

Will County Board member Stephen Balich is planning to stick around.

Running again for a four-year term, the retired 30-year Teamster who calls himself a conservative Republican recently responded to the ABC News Chicago affiliate report “Gas Tax Hidden in Illinois Budget" by arguing that politicians hiding taxes is exactly why he should keep his seat.

“We have one man that is elected to the state House of Representatives and that is Michael Madigan (D-Chicago),” Balich told the Will County Gazette. “He has one tiny little district, and he controls the entire state. He is the dictator of Illinois.”

And that leadership is driving Illinoisans away, he said.

“You don’t have a choice," Balich said. "I have all kinds of friends that have already left. The government has been controlled by the Democratic Party for 30 years. They have bad behavior in their spending, and we citizens can’t stop them, so we leave.”

Balich, who also worked for the Will County Sheriff’s Department in inventory control for seven years, said the state has a spending problem it refuses to accept.

“Taxes are going to keep going up because of the extreme high cost of corrupt government who have no regard for the citizen,” Balich said, adding that such ignorance forces an exodus. “That is how they vote. They don’t vote; they leave Illinois.”

Balich also said Will County is not being properly reimbursed by the state.  

“Whatever taxes originate out of Will County goes to the state, and they are supposed to give us some of our money back, but they are taking 2 percent of whatever they can get from Will County and other cities for administration fees," he said. "They are hitting us up for $2.5 million for administration fees.”

According to Balich, it is not just hidden gas taxes and unnecessary administration fees driving out residents, school taxes and public-sector expenses are also to blame.

“If you don’t live in the city of Chicago, why do citizens have to pay for Chicago schools with their high property taxes?” Balich said. 

He explained that Chicago Public Schools constantly “give excessive raises” to their teachers.

“Why would we want to do that,” Balich said. “We are funding the Chicago Public Schools, which is a failed system.”

He also argued that state employees make 30 percent to 40 percent more money than private sector employees.

“They never get laid off, they have the most days off, and they have the best benefits and a pension,” Balich said. “Go to the private sector, and they don’t get raises, they pay a lot for health care, and nobody gets a pension anymore. They get a 401(k) if they are lucky.”

The method behind the madness is so corrupt that incumbents get re-elected, he contended.

“You give money for my campaign, and I will vote to give you a raise, that is how it works in Illinois,” Balich said. “There is a check and a balance in private sector unions, but there is not a check in a balance on public sector unions. They just do whatever they want, and it is wrong.”