 "Photo:")
The Illinois House majority leader has news for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
"If he hopes that the Illinois legislature will roll over and play dead sometime in the month of May, I think he's got another thing coming," said Democratic Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie Monday.
Currie, the first woman majority leader in Illinois, spoke to a crowd in the Student Center Ballrooms about tax proposals Blagojevich has offered.
"He hasn't done a lot of background work," Currie said. "He hasn't done a lot of sharing of information with the business community, with lawmakers, with just about anybody. Yet the proposals that he's making, I think will have far-reaching consequences."
Currie said she is skeptical of Blagojevich's new tax proposals, which include implementing a new gross receipts tax that would tax nearly all types of business transactions and affect 25 percent of companies in Illinois.
"I have not heard a single person say, 'Yes this is a great idea, this is an excellent tax for this,'" Currie said. "I've heard skepticism and an interest in finding out more."
The revenue for the tax proposals is estimated at $7 billion, which would be used to pay for state services such as education, pensions and health care.
"He maintains businesses will pay the tax and not people, but that's nonsense," she said. "People pay taxes, whether or not you see it on those slips as a sales tax or if it's embedded in the final price of the product when you pay for it at the counter. You paid it."
Joe Wargo, a sophomore from Wheeling studying political science, said Currie is just being cautious by questioning the governor's tax proposal.
"I think she honestly believes the (gross receipt tax) is going to work out," he said. "She said that the House and all that have to ask a lot of questions to Blagojevich. But I think ultimately she has faith in it."
Christine Boivin, a sophomore from Kankakee studying early childhood education, said she was not concerned about taxes, but was inspired by Currie's standing in the legislature.
"She really represents women well and she gives us hope that we can be anything we want to be," she said. "I never considered anything in politics but she has made it possible for all of us, so that's awesome."
gonzalez@siu.edu 536-3311 ext. 266
