When Election Year Gimmicks Only Help Politicians
A sticker was required to be posted on gas pumps all across the state leading up to the 2022 election highlighting a Democrat-passed plan to suspend an inflation adjustment in the state gas tax, saving consumers about two cents per gallon for six months.
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OPINION
It wasn’t hard to be skeptical when lawmakers passed a temporary repeal of the state’s grocery tax and froze one of the state’s taxes on gasoline was more for their political benefit and less to help struggling taxpayers. Especially with just a few months between when the tax breaks kicked in and the November election, one didn’t have to put on a conspiratorial tinfoil hat to make the connection.
The one year grocery tax holiday expires this weekend and anyone who has set foot in a grocery store will tell you not only has the temporary repeal had little impact, prices are continuing to skyrocket. But without an election in sight, no relief is in sight.
But don’t think Democrats didn’t take advantage of the tax breaks last year.
And you had better believe Democrat politicians used and used and used and used and used the temporary tax relief to their advantage last fall.
Mission accomplished, I guess.
According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, suspending the one percent tax on groceries saved taxpayers $185 million between July 2022 and March 2023. Final numbers won’t be available until around September. That’s about $15 per Illinoisan in the first six months of the fiscal year. Thanks, politicians.
The Department of Revenue says suspending the inflation adjustment on the gasoline tax saved consumers some $70 million between July 1 and December 31. Remember, it didn’t eliminate the gas tax, it simply delayed a two cent per gallon increase from taking effect.
That savings totaled about $5.60 per Illinoisan. My wallet feels heavier already.
The problem isn’t that the cuts weren’t enough to help consumers, which they weren’t. The problem isn’t that they were done solely to help Democratic politicians win elections, which they absolutely were.
The issue is that because the election has come and gone, politicians no longer care about these tax rates and no longer care about being the savior to consumers around the state.
It shows just how self-serving and insulting the “temporary” tax cuts and the blatant chest beating from Democratic politicians. Meanwhile, your grocery bill is still out of control and gasoline is back over $4 per gallon in many of the suburbs.
But you don’t get help from politicians, at least until there’s another election on the way.