Union-backed group says state spending, not tax cuts, helps business

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — “It matters, particularly for small businesses, to invest in education,” said Ralph Martire, who heads the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. “Small businesses hire primarily from the local labor market. They need their local schools to produce quality workers with literacy and numeracy skills.”

Martire says Illinois cannot pay more for education if the state rolls back the 2011 “temporary” tax.