January 17, 2011Dear Illinois Patriot,January 12th, Illinoisans woke up to the news that in the dark of the night, SB 2505, the job killing, economy busting, tax increase bill, passed through both houses of the Illinois legislature.“Neighboring States Gleeful Over Illinois Tax Increase”, read the headline from the Associated Press.

“It’s like living next door to the Simpson’s – you know, the dysfunctional family down the block,” joked Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels.

Well I’m not laughing, and I doubt you are either.

Illinois now boasts the highest business taxes, not only in the nation, but also according to many pundits, in the world. Yet Governor Pat Quinn – a man who believes he has a mandate after having only won the vote in 4 counties in the entire state – callously rejects the idea that businesses will leave our state despite it’s high cost of doing business.

As Illinois Campaign for Liberty Spokesman Joe Cesarone points out, for those businesses that remain in Illinois, “the large corporate tax increase will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices,” which translates to mean the entirety of this massive money grab will be borne by the private individuals already struggling to survive.

The citizens of Illinois, already hurting from years of economic decline, a high tax burden, and record unemployment, were once more thrown under the bus. Decades of abuse of power by those holding office in the state put Illinois into this economic mess, and now once again, you are forced to bail them out.

The root of our problems lie in a pension system that was raided by our legislators for years, leaving us as much as $80 billion dollars in the hole in meeting those obligations.

Moreover, let’s not forget the massive entitlements and treats for political cronies – all paid for on the backs of the working man.

Senate President John Cullerton has repeatedly claimed the bill “handcuffed” the legislature by limiting spending growth to 2% per year.

That’s right – they made no reforms, no cuts, and allowed for continued spending increases – and in John Cullerton’s world, that constitutes a handcuffing of the legislature.

House Speaker Michael Madigan accused the Republicans – none of which voted for this monstrosity – of being “on the sidelines” and not wanting to “get on the field of play.”

I would like to take this opportunity to assure Speaker Madigan and his ilk that the field of play is about to get very crowded. Will you join me in this effort?

John Cullerton, Michael Madigan, and Four-County-Quinn have acted as tyrannical despots, ruling with an iron fist over us – their subjects.

In the Speaker’s mind, the field of play, as Madigan puts it, is confined to Springfield. The reality is the field of play encompasses everything from your local School Board, Township government, and City Hall. Every level of government in Illinois is riddled with despots, and it’s high time that the citizens of this state restore sanity at every level.

One thing is clear – liberty and sanity cannot win if you do not enter “the field of play”. Speaker Madigan unwittingly issued you a challenge. Will you meet that challenge?

Contacting your legislators when they mess up is one important part of our battle, which is why I need you to contact those who voted to pass this increase. You can find how your state senator voted by clicking here, and how your state representative voted by clicking here.

However, contacting your legislators is not the only step we must take if we hope to win in our state.

Winning requires that regular people like you and I get involved in every level of government in our state. It requires that we actively participate in local meetings, force current lawmakers to govern in a constitutional and representative fashion, and if need be – run for local and state-level offices ourselves.

Believe it or not, there is light at the end of the tunnel. 2012 is not that far away, and with enough determination, we can transform Illinois politics through citizen activism at every level of government and at the ballot box in 22 months.

Illinois Campaign for Liberty needs your help so we can restore sanity in our state.

If you have not yet signed up for a user account at our website, please click here and do so now. Signing up as a Local Coordinator ensures that you will receive the training needed to win, and our website provides top-notch organizational tools that will assist you in your efforts.

The time is quickly approaching where bankruptcy will be the only solution to Illinois’ financial woes. Unless our elected officials seriously address the union stranglehold, out of control spending, and an unsustainable pension system; Illinois will collapse under it’s own weight, and the citizens will go down with it. Please take the necessary steps to stop this downward spiral.

With your help, we can make Illinois great again!

For Liberty,

Heather Danielowski
Interim Illinois State Coordinator
Campaign for Liberty

P.S. Many patriots on our email list are not yet members of the Campaign for Liberty. Click here to sign up for a user account today, and be a part of returning Illinois to sanity.

P.P.S. Click here to donate to the Illinois Campaign for Liberty General Fund. All donations will be used on important initiatives in our state.