Rock Island Today

The thought of an Illinois led by J.B. Pritzker is far from a pretty picture for Keko Martinez.

“You’ll see home for sale signs popping up like garage sale postings,” Martinez told the Rock Island Today. “You think we’re the laughing stock of U-Haul now, just wait. We’ll be needing semi-trailers for moves the way whole families will be [leaving] if we raise taxes anymore at all.”

 A recent Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) report details how some of the spending programs and revenue-producing ideas proposed by Pritzker could substantially grow the deficit and require tax increases totaling as much as $18 billion to finance.

J.B. Pritzker

Researchers add the Democratic gubernatorial candidate's plans could also increase the taxes on a family with a household income just over $79,000 by up to $3,500 annually, while potentially more than doubling the current income tax rate from 4.95 percent to as high as 9.95 percent. At the same time, at least 132,000 jobs across the state could be lost, along with up to $31.3 billion in economic activity.

“Our problem has never been lack of income but with how we handle all the money we take in,” said Martinez, who is running for Rock Island County Sheriff against Democratic incumbent Gerry Bustos. “Until we get that under control, nothing will change. We don’t need more income, all that will do is perpetuate the problem.”

At least part of Pritzker’s plan centers on enacting a progressive tax, for which he has offered few details in terms of how much revenue he may be seeking to raise or what tax rates might be in place for each income level.

“When taxes are reasonable, that’s one thing,” Martinez said. “Here in Illinois, for so long things have been totally unreasonable. The progressive tax is an example of something that’s regressive for everyone but those in Springfield. No means no, and I don’t care how you present it no one here wants more taxes.”