McHenry Times

Small businesses across Illinois are struggling to keep the lights on, and the fault lies squarely with our tax-first governor and his band of regulatory collaborators.

With inflation raising prices on everything for consumers and businesses alike, the last thing we need is Springfield stepping in and taking an even bigger chunk out of the bottom lines of Illinois job creators. Yet that's precisely what it's done.

Whether it's raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour or imposing over $650 million in new tax hikes, our state lawmakers are inflicting burdens that will kill even the most successful enterprise if left unaltered. These stacked costs will force many small businesses to close their doors or move to neighboring states, resulting in job losses and further economic decline.

With a recession likely on our doorstep, continuing down this road of flawed economic policy is a recipe for disaster.  While some lawmakers have expressed concern over the potential for a severe economic contraction--virtually none have shown interest in fixing the disastrous policies that leave us on such dangerous ground.

The government's actions have shown a complete disregard for the welfare of small businesses and the hard-working people they employ. If Springfield really wants to make Illinois more resilient to unpredictable economic conditions, it should reconsider its backwards agenda of taxing people into bankruptcy.

It's time for Illinois to wake up and realize that these policies are killing jobs and stifling economic growth for everyone. If something doesn't change soon, there won't be any small businesses left in Illinois.