Democrats show their diversity of opinion

Madeleine Doubek ("A freshman Democrat's daring move," April 18 op-ed) may be a former member of the Daily Herald's editorial board, but she is now a paid propagandist for the Illinois Republican Party. Referring to Bruce Rauner as "pro-schools" raises the question: Which schools? Rauner supports charter schools (including the one that made space for his daughter after he pulled strings to get her admitted). But he has never explained how public school funding can be maintained if we allow the income tax surtax to expire.

Ms. Doubek's "Reboot Illinois" project, which is funded by billionaires (ow.ly/vWTQb), recently asked whether Illinois should raise taxes on millionaires. But the real question is whether we should require struggling, hardworking families to pay the same tax rate that those billionaires pay. In opposing a graduated income tax, Republicans hold working families and our public schools hostage to keeping tax rates on the most fortunate few unreasonably low. Ms. Doubek gleefully reports on one Democratic representative who dissented from the millionaire tax proposal.

We Democrats are proud of our diversity of opinion. But what's more telling is that not one Republican supported the proposal to make the wealthy pay their fair share. The people of Illinois will have their chance to show whom they agree with in November.

Matt Flamm

Democratic committeeman

Palatine Township