Illinois will need a graduated income tax more than ever as it recovers from pandemic

In a recent letter to the editor, a local salon owner wrote that she could not imagine Illinois imposing a progressive Illinois income tax now, as it would add another tax to be paid by her and other beleaguered business owners. She asks that the progressive tax be dropped from the November ballot.

But 34 states already have a progressive income tax; only seven states have a flat income tax, including Illinois. Also, the federal income tax code is based on a progressive tax structure, assuring that higher income individuals pay a higher rate than lower-income earners.

The flat tax is unfair and places a burden on lower income earners, as a greater chunk of their available spending money is eaten up compared to the more affluent.

Nobody likes taxes, but they are necessary. Roads, police officers, fire personnel, teachers and more have to be paid for, and taxes are the only way that will happen. And Illinois has a huge debt that will rise significantly due to the pandemic.

Gov. Pritzker has laid out an income tax proposal calling for a progressive income tax to replace our 4.95% flat tax. Most Illinoisans would see their taxes go down with the progressive system. Only the most affluent would see a tax increase.

I strongly urge all Illinoisans to vote in favor of the progressive income tax and lower your tax burden.

Alan Butman, Glenview

Defunding WHO and other Trump blunders

President Trump, why are you blaming and threatening to defund the World Health Organization for not warning us about COVID-19 when you knew about it in January and did nothing for nearly two months?

You called it a hoax, fake news and a Democratic plot.

You couldn’t deliver PPE, test kits, and ventilators, and forced states to compete for them while hospitals overflowed with patients. You resisted stay-at-home and social distancing orders far too long.

When Congress passed stimulus packages, Republicans slipped in billions for realtors and hedge fund managers. Then you fired the stimulus so Congress won’t know what companies do with the rest of $500 billion. Buy back stock, CEO bonuses, lay-off workers?

How can you call for reopening the economy when we still are testing only 1% to 2% of the population? Are you really willing to ignore the best medical advice and risk thousands of more lives to improve your re-election chances?

And why do I have to wait an extra three or four days for my stimulus check while they put your name on it? You have mishandled the federal response to COVID-19, but now you have the hubris to attach your name to the check?

Tom Minnerick, Elgin

Republicans, vote for Biden

S.E. Cupp’s most recent column voices her strong opposition to President Trump for his horrible behavior dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. She even urges that we vote him out of office in November.

I realize she is a Republican and conservative, whereas I am a Democrat and liberal. But she should go a step further and specifically urge voters to vote for Joe Biden, and she should strongly urge Republican leaders to come out and support Biden.

In 2016, she said she was voting for a write-in candidate. That was no way to defeat Trump. A vote for a write-in candidate is a vote for Trump if it takes away a vote for Biden.

George Pfeifer, Evanston