Social agencies to Ryan: Tax rich, not poor

A broad coalition Thursday asked legislators to consider the human costs involved in Gov. Ryan's proposed budget cuts and to tax the rich rather than play a fiscal balancing game on the backs of the poor.

The activists have come up with an alternative plan that would yield Illinois more than $1 billion without cutting social services programs.

The need to shift the cuts from the poor to a tax increase on casinos, cigarettes and other vices was made very clear by Jennifer Jacobs, personal assistant coordinator for Access Living and Gwendolyn Jackson, 42, both wheelchair bound. Jacobs assist Jackson who said she needs help dressing, eating and bathing.

Jacobs said if the funds are cut 50 percent for this program, it would force many disable persons to live in nursing homes where the care is not individualized and living is no longer independent.

At a press conference held at the James R. Thompson Center, Ralph M. Martire, executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountabilit; Sid Mohn for the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Right; Stuart Ferst of the Anixter Center/Metro-Chicago Human Services Coalition; Maria Whelan, executive director of the Day Care Action Council of Illinois and others made their case against the cuts.

"The tax policy in this state is atrocious," said Martire. "It's a human rights issue.

"We are overtaxing low-income people, and on the flip side, are underfunding the spending programs they need. It's an absolute moral outrage," he told the Chicago Defender.

Martire gave Ryan an alternative proposed budget cuts list. Out of 12 possible proposals, Martire said if Ryan would simply use three of his suggestions, it would yield $1 billion without cutting any social programs.

Martire said currently Illinois assesses a 58-cents per pack tax on cigarettes--that in 2000 yielded $478 million in revenue to the state.

As a revenue alternative, he wants to increase this tax to $1.33 per pack which would generate more than $537 million. "It would also reduce smoking" especially in youth.