David McSweeney has reason to smile now that the three major newspapers circulating in his district have endorsed him. Besides the Tribune, the Daily and Northwest Heralds have endorsed him.
There has been a lot of contention on the comment boards about how Dee Beaubien used the word “fair” with regard to the 67% state income tax that Mike Madigan pushed through the Illinois House.
Both I and reader Dave contacted Editorial Page Editor Bruce Dold. Dave’s email was a follow-up to my own question.
You can read answers to both of our emails in this article.
Because the Tribune addresses the use of the word in its endorsement of David McSweeney over Dee Beaubien, I am publishing the entire endorsement below:
52nd District: One of the most expensive House races is unfolding between Dee Beaubien, running as an independent, and Republican David McSweeney.
They’re both from Barrington Hills. Beaubien’s husband, Mark, represented the district until his death in June 2011.
Beaubien jumped into the race after McSweeney beat an ally of her late husband in the GOP primary.
“The Republican Party is in danger of being left behind. There’s no room for moderates anymore in Illinois. I’m sorry I feel I have to run against you,” Beaubien told McSweeney during their Tribune endorsement interview.
Beaubien says she’ll be bipartisan, but her campaign is being bankrolled by House Speaker Michael Madigan, the state Democratic Party chairman.
Madigan must think he can win this one and count on her support.
“People don’t tell me what to do,” she says.
Come, now.
There is no Democratic candidate in the race.
Beaubien is Madigan’s hope for a steal here.
McSweeney and Beaubien don’t seem far apart on fiscal issues, but McSweeney is much more specific about his plans for pension reform, spending reductions and tax cuts.
McSweeney would immediately repeal the 67 percent individual income tax hike of 2011; Beaubien told us the 5 percent tax rate is “fair” compared with other states, but she would allow it to expire on schedule.
McSweeney is endorsed.
The Tribune endorsing McSweeney is no surprise, considering their all out war against Madigan.
But what IS very notable is that the Tribune officially confirms that McSweeney has been lying this entire cycle about what Dee Beaubien said about the tax increase.
McSweeney has been saying all along that Beaubien said that the tax increase was “fair.”
This is blatantly untrue, and the Trib officially confirms this.
What Beaubien said was, very clearly, that the current income tax rates were “fair” compared to other states, and she did NOT say that the tax increase was fair.
Of course, the Trib officially confirmed this to me a few weeks ago, but Cal refused to correct the record until yesterday.
Once again, McSweeney is caught lying about his opponent.
He lied all the way through the primary in order to beat Gaffney, and now he is lying all the way through the general in order to attempt to beat Beaubien.
@Dave,
So Dee was for the tax increase before she was agaist it?
If a person thinks that when the rate is increased and is now “Fair” with other states the assumption is that they think it was alright todo so in the first place.
She said she will allow the tax rate to expire.
Great, but that is still a tax hike because the rate will only fall back to 3.75% not 3%.
So Dee Beaubien is in favor of higher taxes.
McSweeney has said he will work to roll back the entire tax increase.
Dee is also going to protect Medicare and Social Security. In the words of our current Vice President, Malarkey.
**So Dee was for the tax increase before she was agaist it? **
Ummm… what? You’re not making sense. Again.
**If a person thinks that when the rate is increased and is now “Fair” with other states the assumption is that they think it was alright todo so in the first place.**
No, not really. There is a big difference between saying, “The tax increase was fair” and “IL’s tax rates are fair in relation to neighboring states.” If you cannot understand the difference between the two, I am really not sure what to tell you.
Dee has also said that she would repeal the income tax. In fact, she she directly states that on the Trib’s own site:
http://elections.chicagotribune.com/editorial/dee-beaubien/
So, once again, we’ll point that McSweeney is lying about what Dee said. And the Tribune has now confirmed it.