GODFREY – Mike Babcock, who is running for State Representative in the 111th District, is calling on the Madison County Board members to pass a resolution that would make clear the board’s opposition to any effort by Springfield legislators to impose a vehicle mileage tax on Illinois residents. The resolution passed out committee last week and is scheduled for a vote at the Board’s Wednesday meeting.
“I think Madison County needs to send a clear message to Springfield that a mileage tax is absolutely wrong for the Metro East and that it would hurt the people of Southern Illinois,” Babcock said. “Illinois families are already vastly over-taxed. I will never support a mileage tax and would gladly vote for, or co-sponsor, House Resolution 0766 that opposes any kind of new per-mile tax.”
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The resolution, introduced by board member Tom McRae of Bethalto, describes a number of mileage tax schemes that would be detrimental to the people of Madison County. It states that, “[The] Madison County Board fully supports our hardworking citizens and oppose[s] all efforts, on the State or local level, to impose a new tax on miles traveled.”
McRae believes that the mileage tax issue can be a rallying cry against higher taxes that are hurting families and the economy. “This mileage tax idea is just the latest in a string of proposals that have been floated to resolve the state’s spending addiction,” said McRae. “It’s a bad proposal and I think it makes sense for the Madison County Board to make a strong statement. Taking more money out of the pocketbooks of the hard-working people we represent to balance the budget just isn’t going to cut it anymore.”
Babcock does not want to see the Illinois economy slip further behind that of Missouri, or other neighboring states. “The Metro East has vast economic potential, but people are fleeing the state in droves and it is getting harder and harder to entice businesses to locate here. This mileage tax, which is a total invasion of privacy, is another tax that the people of our state simply cannot afford. The only way to fully address the budget mess is to grow the economy, create quality jobs, and lower taxes so that families have more money to spend.”
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