SE Illinois News

When it comes to Illinois’ shaky financial standing, state House candidate Paul Jacobs feels desperate times call for desperate measures.

“We will need to do the same as a household that is in trouble, look at our income in cash and our outgoing cash and balance, not yearly but monthly,” Jacobs told the SE Illinois News. “Stricter management, tightening the belt, moving forward with cuts that can be implemented with the least amount of harm to the people that we must give services to because they can’t fend for themselves. Less government and spending the money where we need to spend that money.”

Now running in the 115th House District, Jacobs is warning the progressive tax now being backed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker only paves the way for more of the same struggle. A new report by the Tax Foundation details how the state’s competitive position would dramatically fall if the progressive tax proposal Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been pushing since his days as a candidate becomes law. If the measure passes, researchers report Illinois’ overall ranking would tumble all the way down to 47th in the U.S. for business competitiveness, ahead of only New Jersey, California and New York.

“This is also what we would worry about in that there will be more outmigration for people to secure better positions in other states,” Jacobs added. “As I go through the district speaking with people, they all are concerned that our governor continues to push for the progressive tax. Many people realize that it’s another power grab to allow state legislators to put whatever tax at any amount on any group at any time. I believe that the governor is pushing for this tax so that we would possibly then be qualified for some type of federal assistance.”

Jacobs is quick to point out the state was at least $9 billion in debt before the COVID-19 crisis ever even hit.

“The answer is definitely spend less, create less government and a balance budget,” he said. “Every time a budget is passed in the state of Illinois it has been illegal. We have a balanced budget law that is just completely ignored in Springfield. Those days must stop.”