House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) keeps moving his Chicago pawns around, and it's always Illinois residents who end up losing, the Northwest Side GOP Club said in a press release following passage of the state budget.
"Today, two Chicago Democrats voted for a massive tax hike because they are totally under the control of Mike Madigan," the group said in the statement. "Instead of doing their job and cutting spending to match revenue, (Reps.)John D’Amico and Rob Martwick decided that a family earning $100,000 per year can afford to pay another $1,200 annually to the state. D’Amico and Martwick told a family earning $50,000 per year to pay $600 more than they already are. The money will be squandered per usual."
D'Amico (D-Chicago) and Martwick (D-Chicago), who represent the 15th and 19th House districts, respectively, were put on notice that the GOP will challenge them in the 2018 election. Both representatives voted in favor of the budget, which included a 32 percent increase in the personal state income tax.
Representative John D'Amico (D-Chicago)
On the group's Facebook page, District 15 candidate Amanda Biela said it was time for "new blood."
"We need to declare our independence from career, machine politicians like Mike Madigan and John D'Amico," she posted. "Due to their machine's iron-fisted control, millions of Illinois citizens have taxation without competent representation. It's time to vote in new blood and fresh voices to the Illinois State Legislature."
Ammie Kessem, the Republican candidate to replace Martwick, said the tax increase is unacceptable.
"There is no possible way they can justify a 32 percent income tax increase when they did absolutely nothing in the way of reforms to make sure that this continued hijacking and mismanagement of our hard-earned income ends," she posted on Facebook. "It's shameful and an embarrassment."
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