Get ready for Sales Tax Referendum, Part 4

The Rock Island-Milan and Rockridge school boards have passed a request that the infamous school sales tax referendum be placed on the November 8 ballot. This is the same referendum Rock Island County voters rejected in 2009, 2014 and 2015. We must get ready to defeat it again. The arguments for and against remain the same. We need to continue to point out that this would make the sales tax in Moline 8.5 percent in Moline and Rock Island, ten percent on prepared food and liquor, causing many consumers to go to Scott County where the sales tax is 7 percent, this would harm our merchants and cut the sales tax revenue in Illinois, Moline and Rock Island, other taxes would have to be raised or services cut to compensate for this lost revenue. Proponents will promise property tax relief but we need to point at Henry County which passed this sales tax and property taxes continue to skyrocket. We need to point out the many money-wasting inefficiencies in Rock Island County schools, more money is not needed, money just needs to be spent wiser. We need to compare Rock Island County schools which achieve better academic results at a far lower cost per pupil with those of Rock Island County. With another voter education program we can once again defeat this ruinous sales tax increase.