Rock against regressive taxes
Jeff Tweedy, Neko Case, Twin Peaks, Mekons, Waco Bros., music critics and other writers back Fair Tax Amendment
Sally Timms and Jon Langford (center) perform with the Mekons last summer at the Square Roots Festival in Chicago. Timms and Langford are among dozens of area musicians supporting a progressive income tax. (One Illinois/Ted Cox)
By Ted Cox
The Fair Tax Amendment recently received loud support from some of the Chicago area’s top alternative-music acts.
The group Vote Yes for Fair Tax announced last weekend that dozens of top music acts including Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Neko Case, and Twin Peaks came out in support of a graduated income tax for Illinois. The 80 musicians, authors, filmmakers, and other visual and performing artists formed a subset group known as Artists & Writers for Fair Tax, including Sally Timms and Jon Langford of the Mekons as well as Langford’s Waco Brothers colleague Dean Schlabowske.
Writers represented in the group included Chicago music critics Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis, as well as former Chicago Reader staffers Tony Adler and Martha Payne.
“Like all working people, artists and performers are struggling right now, and the Fair Tax Amendment is needed more than ever to set things right,” said Sam Tuttle, Vote Yes for Fair Tax committee director. “We can fairly tax wealthy people, cut working people a break, and raise revenue for the things our communities need and creative people care about. We’re thrilled that so many influential artists are using their voices to make sure every voter knows the facts and is ready to vote yes.”
All remain top Chicago artists, and Case has strong ties to the city after living there briefly early in her career.
The groups emphasized the basic facts about the Fair Tax Amendment, on top of the Illinois ballot in this fall’s general election: taxes will remain the same or lower for 97 percent of state taxpayers, only those making more than $250,000 will pay higher rates, and it will raise an estimated $3 billion for education, law enforcement, and social services.
It’s basically a referendum requiring a 60 percent supermajority to amend the state constitution and its requirement to have the same flat tax rate for all residents — a regressive tax system that has historically hamstrung efforts to raise revenues. Gov. Pritzker has championed the graduated income tax as what he calls the “fair tax.”
Also supporting the tax are independent music labels Bloodshot Records and International Anthem, comedian Mike Oquendo, and filmmakers Gordan Quinn of Kartemquin Films and Bob Hercules of “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise.”