James Curran | File photo
James Curran | File photo
Republican U.S. Senate candidate James Curran’s reasons for rejecting the progressive income tax proposal long pushed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are quite specific.
“I understand the strain that the state’s under,” Curran told the Prairie State Wire. “For that reason, I would not be as opposed to a federal tax increase, but nothing on the state level that would only make us less competitive because people have choices that allow them to easily leave the state.”
Running against longtime Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Curran argues those aren’t his only reservations for remaining sternly opposed to the tax Pritzker has been selling since his days as a candidate as a measure that will only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent.
With veteran state Sen. Terry Link (D-Indian Creek) also becoming the fourth Democratic lawmaker who strongly backs the plan to now find themselves facing criminal charges, Marter argues there clearly are other reasons why taxpayers should reject the proposed tax like the plague. Facing tax evasion charges, Link joins former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who faces up to 10 years in prison, and state Sen. Tom Cullerton, who has been hit with 41-count indictment on embezzlement charges. One-time state Sen. Martin Sandoval has already plead guilty to taking $250,000 in bribes from SafeSpeed, a red-light camera vendor.
“You have to wonder about what’s so strongly motivating them,” he said. “I think it’s a fair question that needs a answer.”
And then there is longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan, who finds himself implicated in an ongoing federal corruption probe involving ComEd in which its alleged bribes were steered to several of his close associates as part of a pay-to-play scheme aimed at currying favor with him.
“Springfield needs to get its act together in order,” Curran added. “When it comes to spending and taxes, there never seems to be enough. Between now and Election Day, I plan to bring it up as many times as I can while stressing this so-called fair tax is not what we need.”
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