State Democratic lawmakers betrayed taxpayers this week by ramming through a 66 percent income tax increase.

With the backing of Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, lawmakers betrayed businesses by also approving a 46 percent corporate tax increase that will cost Illinois an untold number of jobs. Both hikes were approved without a single Republican vote in either the House or Senate.

And the votes came during the waning hours of the legislative session. A new General Assembly was sworn in at noon Wednesday. With voters across Illinois electing more Republicans to legislative positions last November, the lame-duck House and Senate betrayed the very voters who demanded change in Springfield.

The personal income tax will increase from 3 percent to 5 percent of a wage earner's salary. For example, an individual or household making $80,000 annually will pay $4,000 in income taxes this year, compared to $2,400 last year.

Quinn misled voters during his campaign, when he repeatedly said that he would veto any income tax increase that raised the rate higher than 4 percent.

Quinn would rather his aides have your money than you. Remember last year, when he gave 235 members of his staff raises, 225 of them higher than 5 percent and some higher than 20 percent. When was the last time a private sector taxpayer received such a generous salary increase?

Quinn and lawmakers would rather fork over more of your hard-earned money to the thousands of members of state public employee unions – both working and retired – because they don't have the backbone to tell these unions that enough is enough. They don't have the backbone to tell these unions, not only is there not enough money for raises this year or next, public salaries are going to have to be scaled back because taxpayers no longer can afford them.

With property and other business taxes as high as they are in this state, Illinois already had a difficult time competing with the likes of Wisconsin and Indiana when it came to luring new businesses. With the corporate income tax increase, it's all but impossible.

Many of Kane County's representatives and senators voted against the increases. We applaud them for that. But the Chicago Democrats – and Democratic lawmakers elsewhere in Illinois – caved to the special interests, to the unions and to their own self-interests by narrowly passing these increases.

We ask these Democrats:

Where are the expense cuts? The tax increases come with caps on spending in future years, but each year's cap is higher than the previous year. That's not cutting expenses.

Where is the hard line on reducing salaries and benefits for public sector employees? Where is the legislation to scale back public pension obligations? Where is the legislation to cut pork projects? Where is the legislation to eliminate the lieutenant governor's office, and consolidate the treasurer's and comptroller's offices? Where is the legislation to eliminate useless agencies?

Truth be told, that legislation isn't coming. This group of lawmakers doesn't have the stomach for it. Plus, they're beholden to the union members who keep electing them to office. Illinois residents cannot take the increases without a fight.

So today, we publish the phone numbers of every legislator who voted for the tax hikes, including the ones who were voted out of office.

Call them.

Be civil. Be rational in the face of irrationality. But let them know how you feel about their tax increases.

Don't let this state-sanctioned robbery go by without taking them to task.

Let your voice be heard.

Who Voted Yes

Illinois Senate

James Clayborne Jr.
217-782-5399
618-875-1212

Jacqueline Y. Collins
217-782-1607
773-224-2830

M. Maggie Crotty
217-782-9595
708-687-9696

John J. Cullerton
217-782-2728
773-883-0770

William Delgado
217-782-5652
773-292-0202

Deanna Demuzio*
217-782-8206
217-854-4441

Michael Frerichs
217-782-2507
217-355-5252

William R. Haine
217-782-5247
618-465-4764

Don Harmon
217-782-8176
708-848-2002

Rickey R. Hendon
217-782-6252
773-265-8611

Linda Holmes
217-782-0422
815-609-3711

Mattie Hunter
217-782-5966
312-949-1908

Toi W. Hutchinson
217-782-7419
708-756-0882

Mike Jacobs
217-782-5957
309-797-0001

Emil Jones III
217-782-9573
773-995-7748

David Koehler
217-782-8250
309-346-4646

Dan Kotowski
217-782-3875
847-656-5414

Kimberly Lightford
217-782-8505
708-343-7444

Terry Link
217-782-8181
847-735-8181

Edward Maloney
217-782-5145
773-881-4180

Iris Martinez
217-782-8191
773-463-0720

John Mulroe
217-782-1035
773-763-3810

Antonio Munoz
217-782-9415
773-869-9050

Kwame Raoul
217-782-5338
773-363-1996

Martin Sandoval
217-782-5304
708-656-2002

Jeff Schoenberg
217-782-2119
847-492-1200

Heather Steans
217-782-8492
773-769-1717

Donne Trotter
217-782-3201
773-933-7715

Louis Viverito
217-782-0054
708-430-2510

A. J. Wilhelmi
217-782-8800
815-207-4445


Illinois House


Edward Acevedo
217-782-2855
773-843-1500

Luis Arroyo
217-782-0480
773-637-2000

Daniel Beiser
217-782-5996
618-465-5900

Maria Antonia Berrios
217-558-1032
773-235-3939

Mike Boland*
217-782-3992
309-736-3360

John Bradley
217-782-1051
618-997-9697

Daniel Burke
217-782-1117
773-471-2299

William Burns
217-782-2023
773-924-2600

Michael Carberry*
217-782-0515
708-907-5157

Linda Chapa LaVia
217-558-1002
630-264-6855

Annazette Collins
217-782-8077
773-533-0010

Marlow H. Colvin
217-782-8272
773-783-8492

Barbara Flynn Currie
217-782-8121
773-667-0550

Monique Davis
217-782-0010
773-445-9700

William Davis
217-782-8197
708-799-7300

Anthony DeLuca
217-782-1719
708-672-0200

Lisa Dugan
217-782-5981
815-939-1983

Kenneth Dunkin
217-782-4535
312-266-0340

Sara Feigenholtz
217-782-8062
773-296-4141

Robert Flider*
217-782-8398
217-428-2708

Mary Flowers
217-782-4207
773-471-5200

LaShawn Ford
217-782-5962
773-378-5902

Paul Froehlich*
217-782-3725
847-985-9210

Robyn Gabel
217-782-8052
847-424-9898

Esther Golar
217-782-5971
773-925-6580

Careen Gordon
217-782-5997
815-634-3096

Betsy Hannig
217-782-8071
217-839-2859

Greg Harris
217-782-3835
773-348-3434

Elizabeth Hernandez
217-782-8173
708-222-5240

Jay Hoffman*
217-782-8018
618-345-2176

Thomas Holbrook
217-782-0104
618-394-2211

Constance Howard
217-782-6476
773-783-8800

Eddie Lee Jackson Sr.
217-782-5951
618-875-9950

Naomi Jakobsson
217-558-1009
217-373-5000

Charles Jefferson
217-782-3167
815-987-7433

Lou Lang
217-782-1252
847-673-1131

Camille Lilly
217-782-6400
773-473-7300

Joseph Lyons
217-782-8400
773-286-1115

Michael Madigan
217-782-5350
773-581-8000

Frank Mautino
217-782-0140
815-664-2717

Karen May
217-782-0902
847-433-9100

Rita Mayfield
217-558-1012
847-599-2800

Kevin McCarthy
217-782-3316
708-226-1999

Jack McGuire
217-782-8090   
815-730-8600

Susana Mendoza
217-782-7752
773-277-7711

David Miller*
217-782-8087
708-201-8000

Kathleen Moore*
numbers not listed

Elaine Nekritz
217-558-1004
847-257-0450

John O'Sullivan*
numbers not listed

Dan Reitz
217-782-1018
618-443-5757

Al Riley
217-558-1007
708-799-4364

Robert Rita
217-558-1000
708-396-2822

Michael Smith*
217-782-8152
309-353-6276

Cynthia Soto
217-782-0150
773-252-0402

André Thapedi
217-782-1702
773-873-4444

Arthur Turner
217-782-8116
773-277-4700

Patrick Verschoore
217-782-5970
309-558-3612

Mark Walker*
217-782-3739
847-640-8645

Karen Yarbrough
217-782-8120
708-615-1747

Michael Zalewski
217-782-5280
708-728-9922

* – no longer a member of the Legislature