Illinois legislators told a group of about 120 DeKalb County residents to look toward alternative revenues rather than depending on a tax increase to fund education.

The DeKalb County Farm Bureau, located at 315 N. 6th St., hosted the question-and-answer forum with State Sen. John Maitland, R-Normal, State Sen. Patrick Welch, D-Peru, and State Rep. John Countryman, R-DeKalb, and an audience including local school board members, administrators and union representatives.

Countryman said “replacement taxes” should be looked at as an alternative to an income tax increase. “We’re going to have to talk about new revenue sources. I voted for a liquor and cigarette tax increase before, but we can’t kid ourselves,” he said. Countryman said these special taxes would not generate enough revenue for to adaquately fund education.

“We have solid needs (in higher education). The cost of a college education is almost unbelievable to a family,” Countryman said.

He said NIU President John LaTourette has proposed a 1 percent tax increase for Illinois income taxes, because he wants more money for higher education, “but LaTourette is not up for re-election.”

Welch said LaTourette’s announcement to possibly withdraw from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce was effective in demonstrating his position in higher education. “You could see that by how (State Chamber President Lester) Brann (Jr.) reacted,” he said.

LaTourette decided to possibly withdraw from the state chamber because it failed to support a tax increase. Brann criticized LaTourette for the decision to withdraw, and said NIU has the “picture distorted.”

LaTourette said at press conference last week, “I think that they (the chamber) might get the message if we do this. I hope other univeristies will do the same thing.”

Maitland said he did not think an income tax increase should be made only for education. “I feel strongly that we should not fund a tax increase just for education. To earmark funds (just for education) will not work,” he said.

He said the funding problem in the state’s education systems is one of the major budget issues, “everyone in the state is talking about this,” he said.

Welch said if there is no income tax increase this year, Gov. James Thompson has not planned to allocate money for an increase in funding to education in Illinois.

Welch said Thompson also has proposed to put a large part of a possible budget increase into public aid programs, such as medical assistance reimbursements. Welch said Thompson said a tax increase is necessary, but he has not helped to obtain one. “This is just irresponsible,” Welch said.

The platform proposed by the Farm Bureau outlined changes in education and funding. The platform is designed to combine “ingredients for a broad-based coalition to bring about change in Illinois elementary and secondary education,” the outline states.

One of the six “ingredients” included opposition to additional state mandates on local schools, unless they are funded by the state. Another proposal was to support a revision in the state aid formula, which would “make it more equitable” for all schools.

A third plank on the Farm Bureau platform was funding. “We support a significant increase in the state income tax to finance elementary and secondary schools,” the outline stated. The platform also recommends the increased income tax would be used to relieve property taxes.

Other reforms suggested were support for funding educational reforms and organizing programs such as “teacher sharing, inter-active TV and … reorganization of school districts to improve the quality and effectiveness of our schools,” the outline stated.