In a May 12 letter to Oak Leaves, Oak Parker Daniel Hefner finds Ill. Sen. Don Harmon (D) in a classic dodge, switching absolute percentage to relative:
Sen. Don Harmon’s recent explanation for the necessity of the state income tax increase . . . was laughable.
The good senator pontificates, What are we asking of taxpayers? A temporary increase of the individual income tax rate of 2 percentage points.
[But] (a)lthough the base tax rate increased from 3 percent to 5 percent, the overall increase to taxpayers is 66 percent! The state’s corporate income tax also had a temporary increase from 7.3 percent to 9.5 percent a 30 percent increase! The senator forgot to bring this information to his letter.
Hefner also uncovers an unfortunate reality hidden in plain sight from most of us, referring to fellow Oak Parker Harmon as “a career politician.” So are they all, to be sure, with exceptions so rare I can’t think of one right now.
In any case, it’s good to be reminded that almost all elected officials are careerists — and be duly suspicious of them, especially when they call a 2% actual tax increase a mere 2% relative one, without saying that’s what they are doing. Fie, Sen. Harmon!
Blithe Spirit 