"It’s evident that tax increase is necessary"

Don Moss, Coordinator for Illinois Human Services Coaltion, submitted the following letter to the editor of the Springfield Journal-Register on June 23rd:

It’s evident that tax increase is necessary

Thank you for your excellent coverage of the financial plight that Springfield social service agencies are facing as the state budget goes unresolved. These agencies are a sample of thousands more — both public and private — across the state that are on the brink of shutting down some or all of their programs that provide needed services for our most vulnerable citizens. It is becoming more and more apparent that a tax increase is the only way to bring our state out of its horrible financial deficit that is threatening these programs. Expansion of gambling or leasing the lottery and the toll roads are merely Band-Aids that would do little in dealing with the huge deficit with which we are faced.

Don Moss
Coordinator
Illinois Human Services Coalition

The following satirical cartoon appeared in the State-Journal Register on the same day:

While legislators have left Springfield, we urge you to continue to voice your opinion on the budget cuts. Unfortunately, it looks as though a vote on the tax hike won’t come until next week on June 30th—the last day of the fiscal year.