NW Illinois News

Andrew Chesney’s meet and greets with voters where the subject is always about what they most want to talk about is quickly becoming legendary across the 89th House District.

“The single most pressing thing on everyone’s mind are taxes, especially property taxes,” Chesney told the NW Illinois News. “They are already some of the highest in the country and people want to know how anyone could be pushing to have them paying even more of their hard-earned money in taxes”

The “anyone” isn’t just anyone. It’s been the Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker and others from his party, including longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).

Erika Harold

Throughout this campaign season, Pritzker and Madigan have endorsed a “progressive” or “graduated” tax system that critics argue will mean even bigger annual tax bills for more people.

Chesney recently spent time crisscrossing the district, touring manufacturing facilities and social service agencies, with GOP candidate for Illinois Attorney General Erika Harold, where the most popular issue was the tax system.

Running against Democrat Nicholas Hyde in November’s general election, Chesney has particularly spoken out against the record-setting 32 percent income tax hike that was part of last year’s state budget.

“A repeal of this tax has to happen,” he said. “We were incorrectly sold a bill of goods and this smokescreen put out by Chicago Democrats now has people leaving the state in droves. That won’t change unless we change things ourselves by taking some of these taxes off the backs of people. All this excessive tax money is not being put to good use and people are tired of the same old story.”

The 89th House District includes parts or all of Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Carroll, Ogle and Whiteside counties.