NTUI Releases 11th Tax Survey Of Illinois General Assembly

(CHICAGO) – National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI), the largest taxpayer group in the state, released its 11th non-partisan Tax Survey of the Illinois General Assembly, revealing the tax and spending records of every member of the 93rd General Assembly from January 2003 to January 2005.

While the 93rd General Assembly was in session, between Fiscal Year 2003 and FY2005 ending June 30, 2005, the Illinois state budget increased $2 billion, from $52.6 billion to $54.6 billion.Total state spending in those two years leapt 10% or $7.3 billion. Despite Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s (D) promises not to raise any taxes, he and the 93rd General Assembly approved over $1 billion worth of state tax hikes. Total state revenue increased $5.8 billion for the two years ended June 30, 2005.

Taxpayers’ Enemies in the Illinois state Senate this time include many of the sponsors and supporters of HB755 (and SB750), a notorious bill from the 94th General Assembly’s 2005 sessions that would have increased the state personal income tax a massive 67%! HB755 was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. M. Maggie Crotty (D-19, Oak Forest), a Taxpayers’ Enemy with a pitiful 10% score in the enclosed Tax Survey.

Other income tax-hike supporters among the Senate Taxpayers’ Enemies include Senators Kimberly A. Lightford (D-4, Westchester), James T. Meeks (I-15, Chicago), and Carol Ronen (D-7, Chicago), each scraping the bottom of the Tax Survey with a 5% score.

Taxpayer enemy and Presidential aspirant former Illinois State Senator Barack Obama (D-13, Chicago) received a failing score of 20%.

The best scoring Taxpayers’ Friend in the Senate and a staunch opponent of HB755 was Sen. J. Bradley Burzynski (R-35, Sycamore), earning 80% in this Tax Survey. Sen. John Jones (R-54, Mt. Vernon) also scored 80%.

At the top of the Taxpayers’ Friends in the state House were Representatives Keith Sommer (R-106, Morton) with a score of 90% and Arthur Tenhouse (R-93, Quincy) with a score of 85%. Top taxpayer Enemies in the House included Representatives Deborah Graham (D-78, Oak Park), John Novak (D-79, Kankakee), Robert Rita (D-28, Crestwood), and veteran Republican tax-raiser Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano (R-77, River Grove).

The scoring methodology of this survey has remained unchanged since NTUI published its first non-partisan Tax Survey of the 83rd General Assembly in 1983. All significant tax-increase, tax-cut and spending bills are included in the Survey.

Legislators voting for each of the tax-increase and spending bills receive a score of 0%, while legislators voting against all tax hikes and new spending earn a score of 100%.

Click here to view the News Release

The 93rd Tax Survey is available in printed form. Call Jim Tobin at (312) 427-5128 for details.

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