Democrats up for more tax and spend

Democrats up for more tax and spend

Recent editions of the Daily Herald have been filled with article after article about various taxing bodies whining and complaining about their declining revenues. Of course, these articles were followed by other articles in which the same taxing bodies want to raise taxes on the already beleaguered Illinois taxpayer.

Look at what’s happening in Washington. Democrats tried to block expiring lower tax rates from staying lowered, which would grant some relief to those 53 percent of people who pay taxes. Fortunately, enough Democrats recognized that the November election told them to skip the forever expansion of taxes and grant the ever-beset-upon taxpayer some relief. Unfortunately, this relief only lasts two years, and already there are strong suspicions that Democrats will attempt to raise taxes in 2012 to fund their eternal quest for more tax money to spend on giveaway programs that accomplish nothing.

Closer to home, in Illinois, some Democrats are raising the ugly specter of even more tax hikes. With a $15 billion budget hole, our governor, “Landslide” Quinn, has told us he was given a “mandate” to raise taxes. Since his victory margin was .006333 (in round numbers, 19,000 votes out of 3 million), his math regarding statistics is very suspect. And, if his statistical math is suspect, what does his math regarding budgeting indicate?

It’s bad since he wants to borrow $15 billion, putting Illinois even further into that hole. Add to this Quinn’s plan to raise the income tax — and the Democrats plan to do it in this lame duck session where Democrats, since elected or tossed out of office, won’t care and will follow the usual Democratic plan: Raise taxes and spend irresponsibly.

Like Washington, Illinois has a spending problem. Taxpayers need to wake up and ask: What are they thinking?

Thomas Manion

Mount Prospect