Referendum bolsters Quinn's tax proposal.(News)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), March, 2004 | by Ordower, Garrett

Byline: Garrett Ordower Daily Herald Staff Writer What voters don't like: Tax rate increases for schools. What they do like: Tax rate increases for the rich for schools. These lessons from Tuesday's election could give momentum to Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn's push for a state constitutional amendment to double income taxes on the state's richest taxpayers and send the money to homeowners and schools.

Many think it's a crackpot idea, akin to class warfare, and as such it proved difficult to get on the ballots of 377 communities. Quinn couldn't disagree more. Taxes based on the ability to pay, he points out, have roots from the Bible to Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. "During our campaign we were accused of waging class warfare," Quinn said in a telephone...