GOP needs true anti-tax candidate

As an active Republican voter looking at the candidates for governor in 2010, I was stunned to read recently that both Jim Ryan and Kirk Dillard are open to raising taxes in Illinois ("Ryan focuses on spending cuts, but open to tax hikes post recession" Daily Herald, Dec. 11).

In fact, Kirk Dillard went so far as to say that any candidate not open to tax increases is "pandering." I have news for Dillard and Ryan: We're Republicans. We don't believe you address out-of-control state debt by giving politicians more money to spend. If we don't stand against tax increases, we have no chance against the Democrats who are fighting with each other in their primary over whose tax increase is better.

We have to give Illinoisans an anti-tax choice in 2010, and I'm disappointed these two would offer to cave on one of - if not the - most important issue for Republicans.

What was going to be a difficult decision for me in this primary is easy now. Bill Brady has my vote. As a state senator, Brady has been consistent in his opposition to tax increases, and he is the only candidate that I have seen consistently express his opposition to tax increases to fix the state's budget problems.

I hope my fellow Republicans will agree with me so we can take this fight to the Democrats in 2010.

Mary Jo Mikottis

Elmhurst