Not 'fair,' just more

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been putting in a lot of effort and money to turn our current equitable and fair state income tax (as I see it) into an "unfair" tax. Those who have incomes over $250,000 should not be looked at like a piggy bank to be used as needs arise.

I am sure they have earned that income mostly through hard work and effort. Reasoning that they could afford the proposed 3% or so of increased taxes just because they live in this state is what I would call "unfair."

Our state is currently listed as one of the top tax un-friendly in the nation. Our current state income tax is a part of us ending up with that listing. Adding another burden on large income earners would just drive more of them to leave the state.

The state's current debt load is much larger than the increased income generated by J.B.'s proposed "fair" tax. I wonder then, why all this extreme effort? What would make a change to our current tax structure worth it?

Under current structure, retirement income from pensions, Social Security and withdrawals from IRA's and other tax-deferred investments are not taxed by the state. Illinois is one of several states that do not tax income from retirement accounts.

Taxing income from retirement accounts is, I believe, the major reason for this proposal to replace our current tax structure. (Being retired, this change would directly impact me and my wife.) It is J. B.s' desire to replace the current tax structure with one which can more easily be modified as needed. The state can then continue to add more taxes and overspend its income as we have in previous decades.

If you value your current or future retirement savings, vote no for the so-called "fair" tax.

Bob Stewart

Schaumburg