Tax holiday a boon to state

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association released its report on Illinois' sales tax holiday, and has declared it "a big success." They reported "Christmas-caliber shopping crowds" and significant increases in sales by our retailers. The sales tax holiday drove additional sales tax revenue into the state by increasing sales in all retail categories. Shoppers bought more with the money saved on the tax holiday and some retailers experienced a 12-percent increase in sales over the same week last year.

The sales tax holiday also generated jobs, as retailers scheduled more employees to handle increased crowds. According to many news reports, retailers also added temporary cash registers and extended store hours.

The sales tax holiday is a direct result of the perseverance and hard work by State Rep. Jack Franks. He was insistent in pushing forward the idea that a tax break can make sense to both consumers and retailers and ultimately bring more money into the state treasury.

We need more legislators who will think creatively and in the best interest of their constituents. In this case, cutting taxes resulted in a win, win, win situation. That is very rare in today's politician environment.

Feliza Francisco

Algonquin