South Central Reporter

Former Republican House candidate Don Moore is hoping voters come to see Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax plan for what he truly thinks it is.

“I think it’s just another way for the governor and the Democratic Party to seek out new ways to generate more tax revenue,” Moore told the South Central Reporter. “I think it will continue to hurt the state and cause more people to bolt for other places, all while pushing us closer to junk bond status.”

Moore concedes fending off the tax won’t come easily, especially with the governor having recently contributed at least $51.5 million to a ballot initiative committee working to advance the tax he’s been pushing since his days as a candidate. Vote Yes to Fairness, a committee headed by the governor’s former deputy campaign manager, recently received the funds and is already at promoting the ballot measure that would convert the current flat tax to a progressive tax system. In addition to being the only individual to contribute more than $250, Pritzker’s latest gift comes on a top of an earlier donation of $5 million.

While the governor continues to insist the tax will only mean higher rates for the state’s most affluent residents, Moore argues that is already proving to be false as talk among lawmakers interested in taxing retirement income is already picking up steam.

“I can definitely see that happening, even though I think retirement income should be protected at all costs and anything that would threaten that should be stopped dead in its tracks,” he said.

At the end of the day, Moore adds nothing voters are being told about the tax seems to add up.

“Talk about the tax just hitting the rich is false through and through,” he said. “Anytime you hear a politician saying he’s trying to help the middle class with some new tax, you can be pretty sure that they’re really the targets.”