CHICAGO – He's one of the feistiest GOP members of the Illinois House and he's one that is ever-hopeful of change. And despite it being near-impossible to make happen, Thursday he will hold a press conference in downtown Chicago, calling on the legislature to repeal the 18 cent a gallon gas tax imposed on Illinoisans July 1st.
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn of the northern suburb East Dundee says the recent capital program that 18 cent gas tax hike was supposed to fund could have been corruptly maneuvered. And why does he say that could be the case – here in Illinois?
Not deterred by being unable to stop the gas tax back in May, Skillicorn called for a repeal of the gas tax because of yet another FBI investigation into Chicago area Democrats – this time, Sen. Martin Sandoval, the "architect of the recent massive gas tax increase."
Feds raided Sen. Sandoval's Springfield, home and district offices in September
“There is no process in the infrastructure bill for which projects will be selected or which companies will be hired to do the work,” Skillicorn said. “Now we read that federal investigators have raided Sen. Sandoval’s house and his offices and that there are questions about potential kickbacks.
Skillicorn said with the federal investigation going on, Illinois taxpayers have no assurances anything about the gas tax or the capital bill was above board.
"Let’s repeal it and draft clean legislation to provide taxpayers with a guarantee that their hard-earned dollars are not going to pad the pockets of connected insiders,” he said.
The capital program itself was distributed in a questionable manner. Democrats were given up to twice as much to spend on their districts as Republicans that supported the measure received. Republican House member Margo McDermed voted for the gas tax in order to get the most for her district's needs – and felt soon after it was time to spend more time with her family.
Nineteen other GOP House members also voted Yes on the tax hike with McDermed: Minority Leader Jim Durkin, House members Bennett, Bourne, (Dan) Brady, Bryant, Butler, Demmer, Durkin, Frese, Keicher, Marron, Mazzochi, McAuliffe, Meier, Murphy, Reick, Severin, Sosnowski and Welter.
Skillicorn told Illinois Review Wednesday he thinks people are outraged – and part of why he's leading the charge to repeal the tax.
He ran a poll on his Facebook page, and 96% agreed with him.
On the other hand, political insiders tell Illinois Review that GOP Senate Leader Bill Brady is expressing pleasant surprise that the 12 GOP senate members aren't getting more heat for voting 'Yes" on the gas tax.
Those 12 Republican senators – Anderson, Barickman, (Bill) Brady, Curran, DeWitte, Fowler, McClure, McConchie, Rezin, Rose, Syverson and Tracy voted "yes" on SB 1939 that raised the gas tax to 38 cents a gallon, and one – Jim Oberweis – voted present.
Those 12 votes allowed four Democrats to vote "no" – Bennett, Crowe, Glowiak and Villivalam – and enabling those Democrats in swing districts to say to potential angry voters at the next election, "Hey, I voted no on the gas tax hike!"
I’m calling for the resignation of the 12 republicans who voted yes to increase gas taxes.
Not only should the gas tax be repealed. The Deadly Violent Marijuana should be repealed. Sad to say Skillicorn voted with the Democrats for Marijuana.
Love Saves Lives
Carl Lambrecht
I second that! Also, is anyone primarying those so called Republicans?
A lot of them are in districts that are far more GOP than their voting records are. Is Joe SosNOwski the best that his district can send to the capital? Is Dave Syverson? How long has he been in the capital, anyway? Almost 30 years? What kind of conservative is that?
I’m with you, Mark, and with Allen, too.
This gas tax mess needs to be investigated.
And what ever happened to the last 50 years of road tax
money this state collected?
My neighbors repealed it when they started going to Iowa.
A well-respected financial magazine just released the results of their study which ranked the least tax friendly states in the nation. Illinois was found to be the #1 least tax friendly state in the nation, not a surprise to many of us. Illinois’ economic woes are one reason why the state topped the list of the least tax-friendly states in the country. The state of Illinois also ranks 50th, dead last in the ranking of states’ fiscal health by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University; even with Illinoisans having the heaviest overall tax burden in the nation. Illinois government is the best at being the worst again. That’s what 32 years under a democrat-controlled state legislature got us. My question is when will the voters in this state learn; when will they learn and stop re-electing the same politicians who are driving us to financial ruin! The number one heaviest tax burden and the nation’s worst financial health all in the same state, let that sink in for a while so you will realize how incompetent the democrat-controlled state legislature has been for over thirty years. ALL THIS ON TOP OF THE FACT THERE IS A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE ILLINOIS STATE CONSTITUTION. THE FACT THE STATE IS IN THIS FINANCIAL CONDITION IS CRIMINAL.
This gas tax abuse is just the tip of the iceberg
More taxes will solve everything. And the band played on. 50 years since Ball of Confusion by theTemptations. They got it exactly right.
“My question is when will the voters in this state learn; when will they learn and stop re-electing the same politicians who are driving us to financial ruin!”
Answer! NEVER!!!
Illinois has always been a swing state and has bounced back and forth between D & R.
No longer. The 3rd world population base is taking over. Under age 18 demographics is already 50% non White and it grows.
That’s great for the Democrats and bad for the fiscal health of Illinois.
Too bad so many stupid Republicans are still in denial about this. They either support it or are gutless to say the truth.
Bye, Bye Il GOP.