SE Illinois News

Republican candidate Darren Bailey doesn’t think it’s enough to merely continue voicing his displeasure with the 2017 state budget that carries a record-setting 32 percent permanent income tax hike.

“I want to be a part of the movement to get that tax reversed," Bailey told the SE Illinois News. “I want to be able to give taxpayers back their money and find places we make cuts to do the things this state needs to be doing. I think it has helped put everything in decline. It’s what sparked my interest in running for public office.”

It’s been just over a year now since a coalition of lawmakers culled together by House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) came together to override a veto by Gov. Bruce Rauner to enact a $5 billion permanent tax hike by raising personal and corporate tax rates by roughly 33 percent each.  

“This hike has done none of the things or sparked none of the reforms all its supporters insisted that it would,” said Bailey, challenging Democrat Cynthia Given in the 109th District. “All the relief taxpayers here in Illinois have seen and experienced in recent times has come from the federal government. All this tax has done is take some of those gains back. Taxes is the top reason why so many people are leaving.”

The Illinois Policy Institute reports since the end of the Great Recession, the state has seen average annual jobs growth of 1.11 percent, compared to just 0.74 percent since the tax hike was put in place. Meanwhile, jobs growth across the rest of the country has remained constant over the same period.

“At some point, our government has to be adult enough to do the responsible thing,” Bailey said. “It's like this, a lot of people would like, and might even think they need a new car. The question is can you afford that new car. Right now, our government is driving a fine, new car that we clearly can’t afford and none of these career politicians seem to be too concerned about that.”