Whom is misleading whom?

In a recent letter to the editor my Democrat opponent, Amanda Howland, accused me of "deliberately misleading" local taxpayers in regard to the increased RTA mass transit sales tax. I had written a letter to the editor explaining how the tax "would apply to food and medicine". She accused me of misleading taxpayers by stating I am telling them that this tax "would now apply to food and medicine," meaning for the first time. Certainly, by adding words to my thoughts and by taking those thoughts out of context anyone could make all sorts of attacks for political purposes.

I sit on the Mass Transportation Committee; I know the legislation fairly well. For 25 years the taxes collected for the RTA system, which includes METRA, PACE, and CTA, have been collected on food and medicine. It is my belief that it was wrong 25 years ago to impose a tax on food and medicine and it is wrong to continue the tax today.

The Democrat majority that passed this legislation had an opportunity to exclude food and medicine from the RTA sales tax. They chose to keep the status quo. Not only did they choose to keep the status quo but for good measure they increased the RTA sales tax on food and medicine by 200 percent in Lake County.

I want to thank my Democrat opponent for pointing out a key difference between how we would vote in Springfield. Howland thinks it's just fine to vote to increase the RTA sales tax on food and medicine by 200 percent in Lake County while the economy is heading into a recession. Food and medicine are two of the most basic necessities of life; I believe it is morally wrong to make these items more expensive for our working poor and senior citizens.

In her letter, Amanda Howland refers to my reasons for voting against the RTA bailout as "disingenuous". (Webster's definition: to be lacking in candor, dishonest) I will be happy to let the voters decide who is being disingenuous on this issue.

Ed Sullivan

State representative

51st Legislative District