Illinois
Governor J.B. Pritzker unveils his graduated income tax plan at the
Illinois State Capitol, on March 7, 2019. | AP Photos
Illinois already has a huge debt that is sure to be made worse
by COVID-19, and taxes are needed to pay for roads, police
officers, fire personnel, teachers and more.
In her recent
letter to the editor, salon owner Linda Leinweber writes that
she cannot imagine Illinois imposing a progressive income tax now,
as it would add another tax to her and other beleaguered business
owners across Illinois. She asks that the progressive tax be
dropped from the November ballot.
But 34 states already have a progressive income tax; only seven
states have a flat income tax, including Illinois. Also, the
federal income tax code is based on a progressive tax structure,
assuring that higher income individuals pay a higher rate than
lower-income earners.
The flat tax is unfair and places a burden on lower income
earners, as a greater chunk of their available spending money is
eaten up compared to the more affluent.
SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please
include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for
verification purposes.
Nobody likes taxes, but they are necessary. Roads, police
officers, fire personnel, teachers and more have to be paid for,
and taxes are the only way that will happen. And Illinois has a
huge debt that will
rise significantly due to the pandemic.
Gov. Pritzker has laid out an income tax proposal calling for a
progressive income tax to replace our 4.95% flat tax. Most
Illinoisans would see their taxes go down with the progressive
system. Only the most affluent would see a tax increase.
I strongly urge all Illinoisans to vote in favor of the
progressive income tax and lower your tax burden.
Alan Butman, Glenview
Defunding the WHO and other Trump blunders
President Trump, why are you blaming and threatening to defund
the World Health Organization for not warning us about COVID-19
when you knew about it in January and did nothing for nearly two
months?
You called it a hoax, fake news and a Democratic plot.
You couldn’t deliver PPE, test kits, and ventilators, and
forced states to compete for them while hospitals overflowed with
patients. You resisted stay-at-home and social distancing orders
far too long.
When Congress passed stimulus packages, Republicans slipped in
billions for realtors and hedge fund managers. Then you fired the
stimulus so Congress won’t know what companies do with the rest
of $500 B. Buy back stock, CEO bonuses, lay-off workers?
How can you advocate opening the economy when you still are only
testing 1% to 2% of the population? Are you really willing to
ignore medical advice and risk thousands of more lives to improve
your re-election chances?
And why do I have to wait an extra three to four days for my
stimulus check while they put your name on it? You have mishandled
the federal response to COVID-19, but now you have the hubris to
attach your name to the check?
Tom Minnerick, Elgin
Republicans, vote for Biden
S.E. Cupp’s most recent
column voices her strong opposition to President Trump for his
horrible behavior dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. She even
urges that we vote him out of office in November.
I realize she is a Republican and conservative, whereas I am a
Democrat and liberal. Now she should strongly urge voters to vote
for Joe Biden and strongly urge Republican leaders to come out and
support Biden.
In 2016, she said she was voting for a write-in candidate. That
is not the way to defeat Trump. A vote for a write-in candidate is
a vote for Trump, because it takes away votes from Biden.
S.E. Cupp, please, rethink your public statements. Please tell
voters to vote for Biden.
George Pfeifer, Evanston
