“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke said that. Burke believed that when good people are connected and united in a common cause, evil cannot and will not prevail. But if even one piece is missing, the whole resistance crumbles.
Hello, my name is Tim Arview and I'm running for State Representative in Illinois District 117 because I have committed myself to joining that resistance. I am committing to the fight against tyranny and the unjust abuse of power that has gone on in this state for far too long.
It is time for the people of Illinois – and southern Illinois in particular – to speak truth to power and say that we cannot and will not submit to their unconstitutional system of controls. We are free citizens and we demand that liberty.
My friends, we have yet to have our proper representation in Springfield. Our current representative is too busy looking for photo ops and making sure people know his name to be concerned with the business of legislation. While other state representatives are presenting bills designed to better our circumstances and hold those in power accountable for their contributions to those circumstances, Dave Severin votes for tax hikes. Tax hikes in a state that is already overtaxed. The Democrats say that we must pay taxes to afford social services. That is true. However, it is clear to anyone with an ounce of understanding that if we are the highest taxed citizens in the union and still fall short of our debts and obligations, then we MUST look for ways to cut spending. We can’t invest money we don’t have. We can’t build our infrastructure with mismanaged funds. We can’t vote for an unbalanced budget just to say we have a budget. No, we don’t. An unbalanced budget is not a budget. It’s a wish list.
Dave Severin has shown us that he is not a conservative.
Not only did Severin vote in favor of an unbalanced budget in 2017, he voted to override Governor Rauner’s veto of that same budget. This is not what I expect of my state representative. This does not reflect conservative values. This does not reflect Republican values.
Illinois taxpayers have spent an extra $1.2 billion since the legislation to increase our gas tax was enacted on July 1, 2019. On that date, the tax increased from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents per gallon. On July 1 of last year, with no legislation passed and no votes, it increased to 38.7 cents per gallon. On July 1 of this year, it will be 39.4 cents per gallon. With gas prices already increasing across the nation and household budgets being furiously hit by the pandemic, an increasing gas tax is the last thing we need. Yet, with the stroke of a pen, the citizens of this state were obligated to pay the amount dictated by inflation, which is – ironically – affected by those very same taxes! It’s a snowball rolling downhill and if it doesn’t stop, we’re destined to crash.
As your state representative, I will never vote in favor of an unbalanced budget or for any tax increases for the next five years at least. I will introduce or support legislation to overturn the gas tax increase. I will introduce or support legislation that requires all budget line items to be supported by credible evidence to their necessity.
I will also support any and all legislation that enforces true ethical transparency by members of our government. Ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. And we the people demand to know what our elected officials are doing with our money.
I have already drafted legislation that would further restrict the use of campaign funds. We have legislators who will use funds donated to their campaign at their own places of business, thereby padding their own pockets at the expense of supporters. This is unethical and it should be illegal. As your state representative, I will fight to make it so.
Our state constitution states that our state exists to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people.
It is my purest conviction that the word “people” applies to all people, including the unborn. Therefore, I believe it is the duty of the state to protect the unborn as it is the duty of the state to protect all children. Therefore, I will be a voice in support of life and not horrendous acts of murder by which corporations and unscrupulous individuals profit. I am proud to have been given an A rating by the Illinois Right to Life Association.
I also fully support the right of the people to bear arms, as promised by our nation’s founders in the U.S. Constitution. There is strong evidence to show that one of the first steps of a tyrannical government is to disarm its populace. Therefore, while I support the rights of individuals to hunt and use their guns for sport, it is more important and vital that these arms be kept for the protection of the populace against its own government, or any other. I am a proud member of the NRA and pleased to say that I have been given an A rating by their endorsement committee.
The business climate in Illinois is the worst in the nation. Large employers like Caterpillar have refused to expand their operations in Illinois because of our unfavorable business policies.
In Illinois, corporations pay a marginal state income tax of 9.5%. That’s not federal; that’s state. To put that in perspective, individuals pay 4.95%. In Missouri, corporations pay 4%. Calculating that out for a billion-dollar company, that’s a difference of $55 million per year. That works out to 1,000 jobs at about $26 per hour lost to state taxes.
As your representative, I will introduce or support legislation that is favorable to business – especially small businesses. Instead of imposing higher minimum wage, I will encourage legislation that incentivizes employers to pay their people a fair wage. We have seen time and again that when small business owners are left to regulate their own business, they do it well and have a happy and productive workforce.
Now, I’m not going to pretend I have all the answers.
But I do know this. I will not betray my core principles and values.
I will represent these values in Springfield. I will be a voice for this district and a voice for the values that we share.
I will work with true conservative leaders, like Darren Bailey, Blaine Wilhour, Brad Halbrook, and others who consistently vote AGAINST unfair legislation and present bills that are designed to HELP the people of Southern Illinois.
The great Winston Churchill said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”
Friends, I am most certainly an optimist. And I am intent on seeing the blessings of liberty endure. I do not want to be a bystander. Illinois is worth saving. It is time to stand up to the establishment politicians who think that political courage is raising taxes and wasting other people’s money! Real courage is standing firm on our conservative values.
But I can't do it alone. I need your help to make these changes a reality. I need your support, both spiritual and material, to oppose an entrenched incumbent who has made himself part of the establishment.
Let's send a message to Dave Severin and those like him. Let's tell them it's time for a change. It's time for leaders who say what they mean and mean what they say.
Because integrity matters!