URGENT: Springfield’s $1.5 Billion Midnight Raid – They’re Taxing Your Dreams Before You Wake Up

Democrats Drop a Fiscal Bomb in Veto Session: 17 New Taxes, Including the World’s First “Phantom Wealth” Grab – And It Starts Tonight

By Staff Writer | October 29, 2025

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – It’s 11:47 p.m. You’re asleep. Your phone buzzes. A push alert from your investment app: “Your 401(k) is up $4,800 this month.” You smile in your sleep. Then the second alert hits: “Illinois State Tax Due: $237.60 – Payable Immediately.”

You didn’t sell. You didn’t cash out. You didn’t win the lottery. But House Bill 5994 just did – and it’s coming for you.

You’re Not in Chicago. You’re Not a Billionaire. You’re Still the Target.

Right now, in the dimly lit committee rooms of the Capitol, Democrats are rushing a $1.5 billion tax package through the final hours of veto session. It’s not about fixing buses. It’s about fixing the election math – by making you pay for their decades of broken promises.

“They’re not solving the transit crisis. They’re solving their political crisis – and your wallet is the solution.” – State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry), Official Newsletter

The “Phantom Tax” Explained: They Want Money You Don’t Have

Let’s break it down like you’re talking to your neighbor over the fence.

You own something – a stock, a house, a small business. Its value goes up. You haven’t sold it. You have no extra cash. That increase? That’s an unrealized capital gain – a fancy term for “money on paper.”

Normal people rule: Pay tax only when you sell and pocket the cash. Democrat rule: Pay tax tonight – even if it means borrowing, selling early, or losing your home.

Example:

• Your home: Bought for $250,000. Now worth $350,000.

• Unrealized gain: $100,000.

• Democrat tax (if threshold drops):$4,950– duenow.

They say it “only hits billionaires.” History says: Lies. California started at $1 billion. Two years later? $600 million. Illinois? You’re next.

The 17-Tax Midnight Menu – Pick Your Poison

1. Tax on money you haven’t made– Unrealized gains

2. 7% on Netflix, Spotify– Your downtime = their revenue

3. $5 on every concert ticket– Music now funds mismanagement

4. $1 on every toll– Drive? Pay twice

5. $1 on Amazon orders over $100– Click “buy” = state surcharge

6. 25¢ more per CTA ride– Late trains, higher fares

7. 10% on Uber/Lyft– Safe ride home? Taxed

8. $5–$10 on Bears, Cubs tickets– Fandom = fine

9. 25% daily toll hit– One trip, double bill

10. 3¢ per kWh on EV charging– Green? Pay extra

11. $1.50 per $500 home sale(collar counties) – Moving? Pay up

12. New tax on haircuts, oil changes– Grooming = government cut

13. “Head tax” for Chicago jobs– Work? Pay to exist

14. New car sales tax– New wheels, new bill

15. Higher grocery tax(Cook County) – Milk funds Metra

16. More speed cameras– Suburbs = revenue traps

17. RTA sales tax hike– Every purchase = transit tithe

Your annual hit? $1,200–$2,500 – even if you live in Peoria and never ride the L.

The Clock Is Ticking: Veto Session Ends Thursday

Democrats know this. That’s why they dropped the bill Tuesday night. That’s why they’re pushing it tonight. That’s why your voice matters now – or never.

“Illinois is confronting a growing fiscal challenge… deficit could swell to $2.2 billion by 2027.” – Governor’s Office of Management and Budget Report

Pritzker’s spending? Up 40%. Pensions? $140 billion unfunded. Population? Fleeing for 6 years. Solution? Tax you harder.

The Silent Solutions Democrats Won’t Touch

• Cut CTA admin bloat (up 28%)→$100 million saved

• Fix pensions with tiers→$8 billion/year saved

• Kill 100+ useless state boards→$50 million freed

• 5-year tax breaks for factories→50,000 jobs

• 30-day business permits→Illinois booms again

But that would mean less control. And control is the real goal.

Real People. Real Pain. Right Now.

• The DuPage dad: $1,800/year in tolls, delivery fees, service taxes –never uses CTA.

• The McHenry veteran: Home value up $80,000 – now owes$3,960he doesn’t have.

• The Will County couple: Can’t buy a starter home – transfer tax kills it.

On November 15, Sen. Craig Wilcox hosts a free veterans lunch in Lake Zurich. These heroes fought for freedom. Democrats? Fighting to tax their legacy.

This Is Happening NOW

House Bill 5994 isn’t a draft. It’s filed. It’s moving. It could pass Thursday. Or return in 2026 with your name on it.

Illinois was the heart of American industry. It can be again.

But not if Democrats tax hope. Not if they punish work. Not if they build dependency over opportunity.

Sources (Official Only):

• Illinois General Assembly: House Bill 5994 (Filed October 28, 2025)

• Governor’s Office of Management and Budget: FY 2026 Economic Report (Oct 9, 2025)

• Commission on Government Forecasting: 3-Year Budget Forecast (Mar 4, 2025)

• Sen. Craig Wilcox: Official Newsletter (Oct 2025)

• IL Dept. of Commerce: Manufacturing Month Report (2025)