Quincy Reporter

Quincy activist and small business owner Mecki Kosin is as opposed to any talk of a progressive tax hike as she’s ever been.

“The small business industry is in as worse shape as it’s ever been, and I can’t see how democrats could be even be thinking of a tax like that,” Kosin told the Quincy Reporter. “We’re barely holding on, and that would definitely be a death sentence.”

Approximately three months after voters rejected the progressive tax plan, House Speaker Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) said that Democratic leaders are considering renewing the tax, which would help pay down the state’s $141 billion in unfunded pension obligations.

Kosin shudders that she still can’t believe what she hears about a possible tax plan.

“It’s just the audacity of them coming back so quickly with something as outrageous as this,” she said. “I think it’s only because they have all the power in Illinois and [President Joe] Biden is already steering things even further to the left. Nobody is realizing or stopping to think about how much damage we would be doing to all our grandkids by sticking them with this massive burden.”

Kosin said she can only hope that voters still have the spirit to fight against the proposal if it comes to fruition the way they did back in November.

“That’s what it will take to save this state from this travesty,” she said. “We’re already at the bottom in everything, and the most ridiculed state there is over how we operate.”

In November, the progressive proposal earned only 46.7% of the 60% needed for passage, with several Democratic districts also moving to reject the measure. As it is, Illinois now spends approximately 25 cents of every tax dollar on pensions.