On this year’s ballot, you’ll get to vote on the Fair Tax – an opportunity to support middle class families in Illinois.
Our research shows that far too many families are struggling to make ends meet, and more of us in Illinois are struggling with poverty, unemployment, healthcare access, and education barriers. As we stare down the economic and public health crises forced on us by COVID-19, our state needs to find concrete solutions to help middle-class families thrive. This November, one of those concrete solutions is on the ballot in Illinois.
People who struggle to make ends meet should be able to be taxed at a lower rate so they can use their money to support their families – it’s that simple. And because Illinois leaders cannot implement a graduated tax, the state perpetually underfunds critical services – like health and human service programs – that are meant to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable people in our state.
Illinois is one of the last states that doesn’t have a graduated income tax or “Fair Tax” – meaning that all working families, no matter how much they make, have been forced to pay the same percentage of their income in taxes as the super wealthy.
At Heartland Alliance, we know how critical it is to have social workers and clinicians on the streets to help individuals experiencing homelessness face the coronavirus. We know how providing transitional jobs and cognitive behavioral therapy can change lives and combat our city’s gun violence. We know how affordable housing can transform communities. Our program participants rely on a robust safety net of health and human services supported by the state and provided by community-based organizations. Our program participants – and the myriad services they rely on – need a state with stronger financial health, year after year. A Fair Tax can help us achieve these goals for our communities, our cities, and our state.
Imagine what our communities could do with the resources they need to help their most vulnerable neighbors thrive.
It’s only possible if you vote “yes” for fair tax this November.
