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Friday, March 29, 2024

Proft says tax cuts, spending freeze is way to lead Illinois

Proft

Six weeks to go before the Illinois primary election, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft may lag in the polls, but he believes the political landscape will undergo dramatic shifts before voters make up their minds.

"When people tune in, they'll make their decision," he said.

The primary election is Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010.

Proft, a small business owner from Wheaton, made stops in the Metro-East Monday, discussing issues with healthcare and steel industry executives.

He said he is the only candidate in the crowded field of seven GOP hopefuls proposing a "policy revolution."

He wants to overhaul K-12 education. He proposes cutting the state income taxes, corporate income taxes and estate taxes.

He would freeze spending and push for statutory caps on spending. And, when good years eventually return, he would give back unspent revenues to taxpayers, rather than keep rainy day slush funds.

Proft said his competitors' plans either manage the decline of the state or consider increasing taxes to solve the state's disastrous budget problems.

"(Former Attorney General) Jim Ryan and (State Sen.) Kirk Dillard won't take tax increases off the table," Proft said.

"That's not okay," he said.

He said he doesn't take much stock in polls which show him trailing.

Besides Ryan and Dillard, other GOP candidates include Hinsdale businessman Adam Andrzejewski, State Sen. Bill Brady, former state GOP chairman Andy McKenna and DuPage County Chairman Bob Schillerstrom.

"Nobody is tuned in," he said. But when they do, "there's going to be a lot of movement."

He said his conversation will remain focused on tax cuts and overhauling financially unsustainable big ticket spending items, such as state salaries and pensions.

"Are you ready to turn things upside down?," he said. "If the answer is yes then Dan Proft is the only candidate who will."

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