Fellow Republicans:

This is a quick recap of upcoming events so make sure you mark your calendar.  First, enjoy a few pictures of the successful and fun Hopedale 4^th of July Parade!  Not only did Hopedale have an excellent turnout of parade watchers with lots of kids, families and veterans, the Tazewell County Republicans had a fantastic turnout to walk in the parade.  Special thanks to Mr. Rick Vance of Tremont for lending the use of his Dodge Ram 5500 to pull the iconic Tazewell County Republican Trolley!  It was a perfect tow vehicle and we sure appreciated it.

The following events are coming up:

Saturday, July 20

Veterans Appreciation Breakfast from 8a to 10a @ the Morton American Legion

August 31 – September 2

Delavan Fall Festival

September 2

Delavan Fall Festival Parade

September 7 – 9

Pekin Marigold Festival

September 9

Pekin Marigold Festival Parade

September 11 – 14

Morton Pumpkin Festival

September 14

Morton Pumpkin Festival Parade

There will be other important events that are in the planning stages and will be scheduled as well. We promise we will send out reminders and notices of the above events and the not yet scheduled events to keep you informed.  As always, please contact the Tazewell County Republicans through email ([email protected]) or by calling the GOP office and leaving a message (309-353-8467) if you have any questions.  We love hearing from you. 

From the Stump

By Jim Rule, Chairman

(Caution: This editorial contains a curse word. Sorry, if it offends you but quite frankly, there is much more going on around you that should be offending you.)

It is very difficult to watch.  The Democrats are dismantling this state and forcing policies and laws upon us that we would never fathom.  Recently, during a Tazewell Co. GOP breakfast, Rep. Keith Sommer put it bluntly when he said; “We just don’t have the numbers in Springfield to do anything about it”.  I cannot imagine being a Republican politician in this state and having to go to work in our Capitol and face the onslaught of mind-blowing far left bills and proposals that any normal person would see as irrational and destructive.  But many of these progressive Liberals are not normal people and these are surely not normal times.

So what has to be done?  Unfortunately, elected Republican legislators are in the super-minority and have virtually no power.  They will do their best to contribute to the legislative process and will negotiate as best they can but, make no mistake, it is the Democrats who are in charge and shaping the future of this state.  This is where you and I come in. 

Going forward, we will have some very tough battles which are winnable but will take all of us to defeat. 

1. The Fair Tax (a.k.a. The Biggest Rip-Off in Illinois History). The Pritzker/Madigan regime have successfully put a referendum on the 2020 ballot asking to change the Illinois Constitution which currently stipulates a straight tax and will implement a progressive tax.  The “sell” from the Dems is that it will lower most Illinoisans taxes and help pay for our ever-increasing burdensome bills in this state which include the five unfunded state pension liabilities and the massive unpaid debts.  The problem is numerous agencies have shown that this progressive tax structure as it has been announced will not provide a positive fiscal cash flow to do what they say it will do!  Everyone knows this now.  Everyone also knows the Dems will then tax us even more by increasing the Fair Tax that was originally touted as a tax decrease and will reach in to our pockets through other tax-and-spend gimmicks (can you say gaming, gas, marijuana, and about 15 other ridiculous taxes?).  All the while, fed up Illinoisans are leaving the state in droves and guess who will bear the weight of all these taxes?  Yep, you guessed it; you and me.  Again, what do we do?
2. The solution is not the tax-and-spend methods of the Progressive Liberal left. The solution is to address the elephant in the room (no pun to the Republican mascot) which is the Illinois Constitutional clause which protects the state pension funds as they are currently structured.  Without getting in to the nuts and bolts of how it is structured, it is simply financially unsustainable.  More money is coming out of it and going to retired state employees to cover life after working for Illinois than is going in to fund it in the form of taxes from you and me.  You and I have to cover their  Hmmm.  Interesting concept but I digress.  What it also means is other vital programs the state needs to spend money on (infrastructure, health and welfare, education, agriculture, etc.) will not have adequate funding.  More and more of the taxes Illinois collects has to go to the ever-increasing (and ever-increasing is a key phrase because it grows exponentially every single year!) state pension liabilities leaving less for other financial obligations.  YOU MUST TELL YOUR ELECTED REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS TO BEGIN WORK ON CHANGING THE CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE PROTECTING THE STATE PENSIONS.  Oh wait…..that won’t do any good because, remember, we said they don’t have the numbers and if they don’t have the numbers then their ideas will not even be considered.  That is just the way it works.  I think the phrase is; to the winners go all the spoils.  Think about that for a while. 
3. Back to the question of what do we do? Answer (and here comes the curse word so close your eyes as you pass by it if it offends you); Vote the Democrat bastards out of office.  Pure and simple.  That is really where you and I come in.  This has to be a grassroots effort to begin the push now to rid this state of the demonic destiny of the Progressive Liberal agenda.  I, personally, am appalled that we are now the most progressive state in the union when it comes to baby-killing.  These people don’t even bat an eye when they claim the mantle of “a woman’s reproductive right” to commit murder on a beating heart that is full of life and promise.  I, personally, am appalled they have no shame in taking from us our hard-earned money and giving it to people who, in many cases, aren’t even citizens of this great country.  I, personally, am appalled they want to take our God-given right to protect ourselves and destroy the 2^nd  

Only when we vote them out of office will we begin to regain control of our future.  And our children’s and grandchildren’s future.  Only then can our legislators begin to work on actually fixing the problems that plague us.  We all need to begin having those conversations about things people always said we should never talk about; religion and politics.  Time to talk about both.  Talk to your family, your neighbors, and your friends.  Talk to anyone who will listen.  Engage students and discuss with them what our Founding Fathers intended and why it is still relevant today.  Talk to your pastors and encourage them…no, insist they take a stand.  We have to do it.  Those who we elected cannot do it alone.  If we fail, I believe you will see an endless wagon train making an historical mass exodus from this state like never before and if you look very close, you might see me leading the way.