The Illinois Republican Party has posted a video on its YouTube channel showing clips of Democratic gubernatorial candidates appearing to echo House Speaker Michael Madigan's call to increase taxes.
The video characterizes the Democratic contenders as “Madigan Tax Hike Puppets,” advocating tax increases to address the state’s budget deficit of $6 billion.
Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar, billionaire J.B. Pritzker, businessman Chris Kennedy and Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) are briefly shown -- sometimes in video streams and other times in still images with their voices played over the pictures -- speaking about tax increases or the financial hole the state has dug itself.
“I think what most people tell you is that they’re willing to pay more taxes,” Pawar says. “I don’t believe people are leaving because of taxes.”
Pritzker directly advocates a pet position of Madigan’s: raising the state income tax to previous levels.
“The tax used to be 5 percent, so if you just put it back that’s $5 billion,” Pritzker says. “That doesn’t get you everything you need, but it’s a good way toward getting real revenue in the state.”
Kennedy says that the state needs to “figure out a way to pay for all of this,” and Biss points to California and New York as other large states whose economies are strong despite high taxes.
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