While I am committed to holding the line on property tax increases, and the current board has been successful over the past two years in meeting that goal, the State of Illinois is in crisis as it faces a general fund deficit of more than $12 billion. Illinois’s tax structure has failed to keep up with growing needs. Those who believe we can cut our way out of our deficit forget that the Illinois budget has been balanced for the past 20 years to the detriment of the poor, schools and human services. Currently, Illinois has the lowest per-capita number of state employees of any Midwestern state, ranks near the bottom in state support for education and has the lowest flat-rate income tax in the nation.
Both the Illinois Senate and the House recently voted on a budget package that included an income tax hike. Kudos to Sen. Harmon and representatives Ford and Graham, who courageously voted “yes,” knowing what would happen if the tax hike was not passed. Essential public programs – including child care for working families, protections for at-risk infants, mental health and substance abuse, and after school programs – would face elimination. This is the situation we now find ourselves in because a majority of our legislators did not step up and cast the unpopular but essential vote to support an income tax hike.
State agencies have recently been told to cut current budgets by 50 percent and reduce staff by 25 percent. If you think this won’t affect you personally, you are wrong. These state programs serve Oak Park families, Oak Park schools and our community. Consider recent news about underage drinking, and imagine no prevention or treatment services for our students, as just one of many examples of local impact. The proposed cuts will lead to more than 8,000 lost state jobs and more than 200,000 jobs lost due to program cuts.
The nation’s leading economists say that tax increases are preferable to cuts in an economic downturn. While a tax increase can be difficult to stomach in hard times, reductions in state spending generate more adverse economic consequences. Cuts to health and education lead to higher costs later on – costs we as taxpayers will have to pay. For those who are concerned about the regressive nature of a flat tax, increasing the earned income-tax credit while increasing the tax rate would go a long way to alleviate that concern.
Besides cuts to state-run programs, up for consideration are cuts to state funding allocated to local governments – cuts that can only lead to further reductions in local services or property tax hikes. Think what this can potentially mean for Oak Park, a landlocked community with little opportunity to grow its tax base.
While we have strong support from our local legislators, you have friends, family and colleagues in other parts of the state. Encourage them to do their own research, and then reach out to their legislators. The facts will speak for the only acceptable choice. And take the time to thank Sen. Harmon and representatives Graham and Ford for their leadership, especially as elections come near.
Colette Lueck is an Oak Park village trustee.