North Cook News

Amanda Biela wants to topple Rep. John D’Amico (D-Chicago) for voting to increase the state income tax and his delayed opposition to the recently repealed Cook County sugary drink tax.

Biela, a resident of Edgebrook and former Chicago public school teacher, as well as the former program director of the Washington Park branch of Chicago Youth Programs, claims D’Amico opposed the sugary drink tax only once he discovered his constituents were upset with it.

“I think this just shows D’Amico’s hypocrisy,” Biela said on the "Illinois Rising" radio show. “Now he comes out and says, ‘I am opposed to the soda tax.’ It wasn’t until after the fact that he … realized people were opposed to it.”

The Cook County board voted 15-2 to repeal the 1-cent-per-ounce tax, which Biela said was an example of the government “nickel and diming” people, and increasing the tax burden on residents without offering spending reforms.

“Folks are seeing that they’re not getting anything out of having their taxes raised,” Biela said. “And now I have to pay a cent-per-ounce on soda. I think it’s a tipping point.”

Biela criticized D’Amico for voting for the income tax increase that was instituted this summer but then later opposing the soda tax.

“As bad as the soda tax is, the 32 percent on the income is a lot worse for Illinois families,” Biela said. “Dollar for dollar, the income tax is a lot worse, and he (D’Amico) was all for that.”