The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times on September 23:

The Sun-Times recently published an article that shed light on a major problem facing Illinois: we have one of the most unfair tax systems in the United States.

The article was about a study from WalletHub that ranks the fairness of tax systems. Illinois’ system ranks 47th in the nation — less fair than every other state in the Midwest.

A study published earlier this year by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy put Illinois in its “Terrible Ten” because our taxation system is so unfair.

Illinois can and should do better.

Surprisingly, according to the study, liberals and conservatives basically agree on what a fair tax system looks like. A fair system applies lower rates to lower income levels and higher rates to higher income levels.

Illinois has a flat income tax rate, and flat may seem fair — but it’s not.

We also pay sales and property taxes. Lower and middle income families spend more of their income paying these taxes than wealthy families. Thirty-four other states and the federal government address this problem by asking middle-class families to pay less income tax and higher-income families to pay more. Illinois should do the same.

We also should consider economic realities. An extra $1,000 is worth more to a family making $32,000 than to a family making $320,000. A fair tax would recognize that difference.

Last spring, I introduced a Fair Tax constitutional amendment. It would have allowed Illinois to better match our tax system to the system taxpayers want. It would also have given a tax cut to 94 percent of Illinois families.

Wealthy special interests worked to defeat my plan, but I will keep fighting.

It’s time to replace Illinois’ broken flat tax with a Fair Tax.

State Sen. Don Harmon,
D - Oak Park

To read the editorial on the Sun-Times website, please click here.