After the Tuesday 1776 breakfast sponsored by State Senator Pam Althoff, GOP gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard answered what I consider “the tough question:”
“Will you sign a pledge not to raise taxes like Andy McKenna did Monday?”
I got a long answer:
“I’ve never voted for a general tax increase in all my years in state government.
“I have no desire to raise taxes.
“My experience is as Jim Edgar’s fiscally conservative chief of staff and the only non-millionaire in the race with school age children.
“I am the candidate that can best hold the line on taxes.
“Moreover, I’ve said I want to reduce billions of taxes to improve our economy.
But speaking with conservative governors like Sam Perdue of Georgia, former Governor John Engler of Michigan and former (Florida) Governor Jeb Bush, these pledges are gimmicks.”
As one who served in the Illinois House of Representatives for sixteen years, I can tell you I never signed such a pledge and still was considered a “tax hawk” or “obstructionist,” if you prefer the description of the tax eaters.
As I understand the pledge it counts fee increases as tax increases. Fees are logically imposed upon regulated industries. The fees should cover the cost of regulation.
Now such earmarked funds are regularly drained to subsidized education and welfare, which means the fees are set too high. However, as wages and other costs increase, it is possible that fees as set would not bring in enough money to pay for the regulation. In such a case I would and have voted to increase fees.
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Other stories about the candidate’s Crystal Lake visit: