Harry The Hypocrite

Public Servant or Greedy Politician?

Harry makes an annual salary as a part-time state legislator of $89,250. He gets $166 (per diem allowance) each day the legislature is in session and is reimbursed for mileage at .67¢ per mile. He has access to state healthcare benefits and a state pension.

And now, he’s running for Wheatland Township Highway Commissioner with an annual $72k salary and healthcare benefits!

How would Harry do both jobs? The Highway Commissioner is busiest dealing with Chicago winters, and needs to be available 24-7. That’s the same time the IL House is in session!

Well, Harry says, he’ll hire the current Highway Commissioner as a consultant. Now that’s 2 salaries; not what the taxpayers expected!

IL Constitution: Article 4, Section 2

(e) No member of the General Assembly shall receive compensation as a public officer or employee from any other governmental entity for time during which he is in attendance as a member of the General Assembly. No member of the General Assembly during the term for which he was elected or appointed shall be appointed to a public office which shall have been created or the compensation for which shall have been increased by the General Assembly during that term.

Conflict of Interest

What about conflict of interest? Harry Benton is in the following General Assembly Committees:

Committee assignments: Cities & Villages; Police & Fire Committee; Prescription Drug Affordability; Trans: Regulations, Roads & Bridges; Veterans' Affairs; Child Care Access & Early Childhood.

Keep ‘em Under Water

As a Plainfield Village Board member, Harry proposed a 500% increase (from $25 to $150) to the penalty residents pay to restore their water after a shut off. Many of these residents are struggling financially.

Deafening Silence on Middle Class Tax Increases

Hypocrite Harry claims middle-class families deserve tax relief, but he refused to denounce Gov Pritzker’s attempt to change Illinois’ flat-tax system. The new rates would’ve eventually hurt the hard-working people of Illinois with unpredictable income tax increases. Luckily the taxpayers are smarter than the politicians think – they voted down this money grab.

Harry Benton, IL House 97th District Democratic nominee profile: Chicago Sun-Times, 9/7/20

Pritzker's Fair Tax hike isn't so fair...

"Fair Tax" Hike Compiled by Illinois Policy

Gas Up and Up and Up

You can thank Harry and his Democrat friends for doubling the Illinois gas tax to .47¢ per gallon over the past 5 years. That’s costing Illinois drivers an average of an additional $189 annually.

Chicago Sun Times Candidate Editorial Board Meeting, 2020

Groceries Cost Enough!

Harry didn’t bother to vote on a bill that would eliminate the state 1% grocery tax. Why wouldn’t you support that during these inflationary years we’ve endured?

HB 3144, 5/9/24

Failed to do his job! Harry the Hypocrite

Free Immigrant Healthcare Costs YOU More

Harry consistently votes to support healthcare for illegal immigrants (SB 1298, SB 250). Did Harry or the Gov. Pritzker ever do the math? The IL Auditor General’s recent audit calculates $1.6 billion spent on illegal immigrant healthcare since 2020. That blows up their original estimate and burdens the hardworking citizens of Illinois with more and more debt while they struggle to pay their own healthcare premiums and household expenses.

Illinois Probed Over $1.6 Billion Health-Care Scheme for Illegal Migrants

Published Feb 28, 2025 - Newsweek

Performance Audit of the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors and Adults

Download the full Audit Report

Illinois Auditor General, February 26, 2025