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Comparing Pritzker, Rauner Attack Ads: Who's Telling The Truth?

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Is J.B. Pritzker proposing a new, automobile mileage tax? CBS 2's Political Reporter Derrick Blakley fact-checked political advertisements.

It is certainly a charge that Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is getting a lot of mileage from in his attack ads. He accused Pritzker of proposing a new tax on drivers.

CBS 2 analyzed the political ads in order to separate fact from fiction.

Number one: J.B. Pritzker said Governor Rauner flat-out lied about Pritzker's intentions for a new car tax.

J.B. Pritzker claims Rauner lied about his intentions for a new car tax. A Pritzker political advertisement states, "Bruce Rauner's now completely making things up. J.B. Pritzker has never proposed a vehicle mileage tax."

But to say "never," Derrick Blakley reports, is a false claim.

Last January, in a discussion with the Daily Herald Editorial Board, Pritzker said, "It's only fair, right, that if you're on the road, and traveling on that road, that you should pay your fair share on the road like everyone else is paying. I think it's something that we should look at."

Something to look at, he said, is a mileage tax based on how far you drive.

A voter, seen in a Rauner ad, asked how much it will cost to "just drive to a family member's house?" adding, "J.B. Pritzker wants to raise our income taxes; but worse yet, he wants a car tax, which would also come along with a tracking device."

That is false, as well. Even though Pritzker suggested the tax, he never mentioned using any kind of tracking device. Pritzker proposing the mileage tax said it should be a pilot project, for now.

"So I think it's something that we should look at, we have to be careful about how it gets implemented, and that's why it should only be a test at this point," he said.

Regarding taxes for roads, Pritzker added, "We have to look for different ways to fund it."

The dueling ads fit within the pattern of the campaign: Rauner accusing Pritzker of pushing higher taxes, with Pritzker accusing Rauner of favoring the wealthy.

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