Will County Gazette

Republican Congressional candidate Rick Laib can’t see how anyone can be surprised that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s so-called "fair tax" proposal seeks to hit more residents than it initially claimed it would.

“We should absolutely expect it,” Laib, who is running against incumbent Rep. Bill Foster (D-Aurora) in the 11th District, told the Will County Gazette. “Anyone, with any income, with any financial claim should expect that more will be taken by the state, when the state does not restrain itself to sound fiscal practices. Not living within a budget does not free us from the accountability of our bills.”

According to Illinois Policy Institute, every one of the 32 states with a progressive income tax similar to the one Democrats in Illinois are trying to pass also taxes those over age 65. Illinois state Treasurer Michael Frerichs appears committed to keeping the trend alive, recently sharing “one thing a progressive tax would do is make clear you can have graduated rates when you are taxing retirement income.”

Laib laments it simply puts the state on a course where more of the same bad policy can be expected.

“If we do not restrain ourselves and if we do not deny spending, then we will always have to look for more opportunities to tax,” he added. “This includes raising taxes on the taxed and looking for new sources of taxing revenue.”

Over time, Laib argues more people can expect the same kind of treatment if voters approve the tax plan on Nov. 3.

“The progressive tax claim that it only impacts the rich is false,” he said. “It impacts the highest wage earners. When the rich are initially hit, they are in the most convenient position to leave the state. When taxing the rich isn't sufficient, we keep moving down to whoever the next highest wage earner is. That's the glory of a progressive tax: everyone is eventually impacted.”

Laib said he worries that no tax increase would be in the best interest of the financially fragile state at this point and time.

“A tax increase only applies a band-aid to an injury that requires stitches,” he said. “It will bring initial relief, but this is the problem: We are not looking at correcting long-standing bad financial practices within the state.”

As Election Day draws closer, Laib said he plans to continue speaking out on the issue in hopes of making as many voters as he can aware of what they need to do.

“We must educate the people on the difference between a progressive tax and a flat tax,” he said. “If Illinoisians don't like the flat tax, they certainly won't like a progressive one.”