Huntley Seniors for Progressive Action
Get ready to vote
Itâs down to the last few days. Early voting is already here in some counties. A critical election is under way. What do we, Huntley Seniors for Progressive Action, hope the soon-to-be-elected officials accomplish once in office? Here are some goals for after November 6:
1. Move toward full employment.
2. Universally available/affordable healthcare.
3. Taking corporate money out of politics and government.
4. Reinstituting progressive taxation, to reduce the deficit and the debt.
5. Ending corporate welfare.
6. Improving labor standards, including pensions, sick leave and paid vacations.
7. Ending discrimination against minorities, women, and gays.
8. Providing higher education to every student who wants it.
9. Ending the war, bringing the troops home, and reining in the military-industrial complex.
10. Reducing the inequality in American life.
To achieve these goals, it is necessary to re-elect President Obama and provide a Congress that will work with him. Locally, that means electing Dennis Anderson in the 14th Congressional District. So, we encourage all our neighbors who look toward a more progressive future to vote and help their neighbors vote.
The USAction website recently asked: âWhy not Romney?â
And they answered:
âWould you really trust this man to be in the White House? Well it could happen. New surveys showed Romney and President Obama almost tied in some national polls. This is bad news. If Romney can still squeeze out a victory, we need to do everything within our power to prevent that from happening. The American people deserve honesty from their leaders. But if Romney canât even be straight with us during a debate for a couple hours, what makes you think heâll be any different once he gets in to office? We’ve worked too hard to slow down now. We need to bear down these last days, because Governor Romney and his allies aren’t going to play fair or take it easy on us. Take it from Romneyâs own adviser: “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers. He wonât. So help us stop him.â
David Williams
Huntley Seniors for Progressive Action
Communications Team
In January 2011, our governor, Pat Quinn, and his accomplices in state government raised personal state income taxes by 67 percent, calling it a âtemporary tax increaseâ needed to pay state bills and get Illinois âback on fiscal sound footing and make sure that our state has a strong economy.â The tax hike has failed, and so has our state government when it comes to working for the people of Illinois!
Illinois still has over $8 billion in unpaid bills, and our stateâs credit rating along with our unemployment is at the bottom of the list. Illinois needs reforms, not another massive tax hike. Governor Quinn and his âfriendsâ are scheming toward an $8.6 Billion unconstitutional progressive tax in 2015. This time their pitch will be âa tax for the richâ and âfairness for all,â but that is not the reality. The middle class will get hit the hardest.
Our Illinois constitution requires all Illinois taxpayers to pay the same tax rate, already raised from 3 percent to 5 percent. A progressive tax plan could tax us at eight different rates up to as high as 11 percent. Itâs unconstitutional and itâs unfair! Rather than promoting another tax increase, our lawmakers must get down to the business of some serious reform. We need a new direction if we are to restore our state economy and grow jobs at home. It is unlikely that we can expect these current legislators to step up and stand up to the special interests that will benefit from any tax increase while we the people of Illinois will be further burdened and expected to continue paying up. It is time for change we can begin to believe in.
Jim Nelson
