CHICAGO – Illinoisans are being bombarded with "Fair Tax" ads on TV and the internet – thanks to Governor Pritzker's $55 million check to pay for them.
So, what's the story on the "Fair Tax" and changing the Illinois constitution to allow the Democrat-controlled General Assembly to determine the state income tax schedule?
We looked to the dependable and wise financial brains at Wirepoints.org for their opinion on the issue. Here's what we found:
Here’s the central, misleading claim constantly made about the ‘Fair Tax’ proposal
Illinois is now being inundated with ads, social media and op-eds urging a "yes" vote for the Fair Tax by making the following claim over and over again:
“If Illinois passes the Fair Tax, 97% of Illinoisans will pay the same or less in taxes. Only people making above $250,000 will pay more.”
No. There is nothing about rates in what you will vote on. The ballot initiative only asks whether the Illinois General Assembly and governor should get unrestricted authority to set different rates for different income groups. The amendment sets no rates whatsoever.
Decide what you want about the “Fair Tax” ballot initiative in November’s election, but is it too much to ask for an honest debate?
Springfield has already set what would be the initial rates at the levels claimed above, but if Illinois votes yes, Springfield would be free to change those rates on day one and as often as it wants, for as many different income groups as it wants.
One example of the deceitful ads is linked here. It’s being run by the Vote Yes For Fairness committee, into which Gov. J.B. Pritzker has already poured over $56 million. Similar claims are appearing constantly.
It’s particularly maddening to see the deceitful claim made in a mailing sent by the state itself, at taxpayer expense, apparently to all voters, from the Secretary of State. It contains arguments for and against the proposal including a rebuttal about the rates, but the arguments in favor repeat the misleading claim twice. The relevant pages are linked here.
Wirepoints will continue to publish both sides of the debate, but make no mistake: A yes vote would not assure the rates being claimed.
Read more about some of the claims "Fair Tax" proponents make:
The only deceit being practiced is by the 3% uber-rich who refuse to part with any money in order to pay their fair share of taxes to provide government services to the people of this State. There is no reason that the rich shouldn’t pay more that holds up under any serious scrutiny. You drive the same roads, use the same State and local services funded by income taxes. The 97% of taxpayers are tired of paying YOUR way in Illinois. Other states have similar provisions, and the rich are still far richer than the average person. They didn’t starve, they didn’t move out of state, they didn’t close their businesses, and they didn’t give up their lifestyles. We can’t all be millionaires, but we can all pay our fair share. Crying over the pittance you’ll have to pay gets you no sympathy. The Republican Party in Illinois should be ashamed of itself for advocating such nonsense, but even losing another election to the Democrats won’t cure it of its ails.
I trust those DemocRats in Springfield as far as I can spit. When they find out they still don’t have enough after raising the tax rates for the rich the middle class will be next,.