Burdensome taxes aren't justified

Every freshman law student is introduced to the following truism: "The power to tax is the power to destroy."

A week ago, during the middle of the night, the Illinois legislature voted to increase the fuel tax by 100% and also voted to increase the price of a vehicle license plate. And then the news reported that also included in this tyrannical legislation, was a provision that local municipalities could also increase their fuel tax by three cents per gallon.

In my mind, these new taxes place an unjustified burden upon the citizens of Illinois. The justification for these taxes is that Illinois needs funds to repair infrastructure, especially roads and bridges. Illinois citizens have been listening to that song for the past 40 years. The question must be asked: how have you spent our money in the past? Wisely? Since this is Illinois, probably not.

In case you didn't notice, Illinois voters have been voting with their feet in response to this and similar taxes, especially property taxes that make it impossible for citizens to keep the homes that they have lived in for years. The population of Illinois has decreased by about 16% in the last two or three years.

Rather than a re-creation of the Boston Tea Party, or even the American Revolution, which was fought between us and the British over onerous taxes that deprived us of freedom, I would suggest that the only solution is to vote out of office every scoundrel who voted for these tax increases.

Charles Dobra

Roselle