Editorial: Illinois politicians agree on the need for affordability. They disagree on how to get there.

For all the talk that nobody can agree on anything anymore, the past several weeks have made it clear to us that there is consensus on one big thing: The No. 1 thing on the minds of Illinois voters is affordability.

That was a near universal truth we witnessed as we spoke over the last few weeks in endorsement interviews with Democrats, Republicans and independents running for office in Springfield, D.C. and beyond.

Since we all operate in the real world, it’d be difficult not to appreciate the importance of this issue. We’re all too familiar these days with how much it costs to fill up your tank or to afford a car in the first place. Forget about a house, unless you’ve saved a king’s ransom for not only the down payment but the substantial monthly costs you’ll owe given the average 30-year mortgage rate is hovering above 7%. And anyone with kids with appetites knows the cost of handing over cash or credit in the checkout line to pay for groceries.

Most everyone running for office gets that life has become unaffordable. Where the various candidates tended to diverge — neatly down party lines — was the right fix.

The main split, as we observed it, is philosophical in nature. The question is: Do you believe the problem of affordability stems from insufficient revenue for government services? Or is the root of the issue excessive government?

As long has been the case, Republicans tend to think government is too big and expensive, and the high taxes now needed to fund these excesses are hurting ordinary people. Democrats, on the other hand, tend to think more spending and higher taxes could yield the services necessary to take care of those folks. Especially if the rich pay more.

State Rep. Nicolle Grasse is a Democrat who represents the 53rd Illinois House District, which includes Arlington Heights and other nearby northwest suburbs.

“The most pressing issue in the 53rd District is affordability. Property taxes and housing costs are two sides of the same problem, and we need to address them together,” she told us.

The solution? “At its core, this is a revenue fairness problem,” she said. Grasse’s prescription is to raise more revenue from wealthier taxpayers and corporations, using that money to support public services and ease the property tax burden on homeowners.

Nearby in the 55th Illinois House District, another northwest suburban tract, Republican candidate Joseph Johnson agreed with the first part of Grasse’s position — that property taxes and affordability are the “single biggest challenge” residents face.

The difference is that Johnson believes government is already too big and expensive, and his approach to addressing the high cost of living is to reduce its tax and regulatory burdens.

“To bring affordability back to Illinois, I am committed to a pro-growth agenda, lowering taxes, reducing burdensome regulations, and cutting barriers for job creators,” he told us.

In short, Grasse sees a solution in changing who pays for government. Johnson wants to reduce the costs and obligations imposed by government. We endorsed Grasse’s opponent, actuary Elizabeth Bauer.

Embedded in the “more revenue” camp is the assumption that sending more tax dollars to Springfield, whether that’s through a millionaires tax or a graduated income tax, will bring with it property tax relief at the local level. We’ve all heard that promise before, because in theory it could work and it’s an appealing political sales pitch. One side seems to believe that if Springfield sends more money to schools, property tax bills would fall. But additional state funding doesn’t automatically require local school districts to lower their property tax levies.

Illinois voters have shown considerable skepticism toward proposals to abandon the flat income tax, not least on the grounds that it will open the taxing floodgates. In 2020, 53% rejected Gov. JB Pritzker’s graduated income tax amendment. Voters were sending a message akin to: Physician, first heal thyself.

There are, of course, outliers, and not everyone fits neatly into the trend lines for Republicans and Democrats. But most did fall somewhere along the prescribed partisan spectrum, and thus the stark choice for voters is laid bare.

Most folks don’t agree with either party on every single issue, but the driving force behind our support for any given candidate for the legislature was, first and foremost, how they proposed to deal with fiscal issues.

Our rationale? Without addressing our debt crisis and fostering an economy that welcomes rather than burdens and drives away, Illinois will continue to lose out to other states with more of a competitive edge for not only jobs and business investment, but also for attracting newcomers who want to plant roots and make this state their home.

Of course, much of what is driving the day-to-day affordability crisis is out of the hands of Springfield and local politicians, even if they have to promise to fix it if they hope to get elected. The prices Illinois families pay for groceries, gasoline and housing aren’t going to return to prepandemic levels simply because Illinois politicians promise to make them affordable. The president’s prolonged war with Iran and his absurd penchant for punitive tariffs have added to the pressure on household budgets, two matters over which officials in Springfield, Cook County and Chicago have little direct control.

What they can control, however, is how much they spend, how much they borrow and, subsequently, how much they soak regular people with taxes and fees.

The best approach is to follow the physician’s maxim, primum non nocere — first do no harm. Lawmakers need to recognize that every new spending commitment, tax hike and decision to punt on our biggest financial challenges eventually lands on somebody’s bill.

If affordability really is the priority everyone says it is, Springfield should start by making sure government isn’t making the problem worse.

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