From today’s Chicago Sun-Times;
While there has been major progress in recent years, there’s no doubt that more needs to be done to improve public budgets in Illinois. Research shows that one of the most effective ways to strengthen our state’s finances is to have a workforce that is well-compensated.
Workers who make more money turn around and spend that money in their local community, generating revenue for state and local government through their economic activity. They also contribute more in income taxes and are less likely to rely on government assistance programs.
By strengthening access to collective bargaining, the Workers’ Rights Amendment that is on the ballot this November would promote the creation of more middle-class jobs that provide competitive wages and salaries to workers. This, in turn, would result in greater revenue being paid to, and less spending on support programs by, state and local governments — thus relieving the financial pressure to raise tax rates.
Simply put, when workers make more money, there is less need to raise taxes.
That’s why new research from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has concluded that passage of the Workers’ Rights Amendment is a win for workers, a win for the economy, and a win for Illinois taxpayers.
Read the complete story here.