Lake County Gazette

Illinois House candidate Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) argues that nothing about Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income-tax proposal seems to add up.

“Even when you look at his own math, that’s still the case,” Bos told the Lake County Gazette. “He’s said it will bring in about $3.4 billion, but he’s already pledged another $10 billion in spending from when it passes. It’s just another bait-and-switch scam.”

Voters will have their voices heard on the issue in November when they decide whether or not to approve an amendment to the state constitution that would allow Illinois to switch from its current flat income-tax structure. Since his days as a candidate, Pritzker has sought to sell the progressive or graduated income-tax system as only affecting the state's wealthiest residents.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

Bos, an Ela Township trustee running against incumbent Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, contends that will not be the case in reality.

“It’s going to fall on the middle class because all the upper-end people that have the ability to leave and claim residency someplace else will do just that,” Bos said. “From there, they’ll start looking at the next group and the next. As long as there is a mentality that we need more money to spend, nothing will really change.”

Bos says he understands why Pritzker and Democratic leaders are fighting so hard for the progressive tax, despite the fact that it has not lived up to expectations in other U.S. states.

“Taking this kind of position makes it easy for them to always blame someone else for the mess,” Bos said. “Instead of saying this is a problem the legislature and bad policy has gotten us into, we can blame it all on the rich and them not paying their fair share. Government needs to face the reality that we have a spending problem that we really need to deal with.”