Cook County Board votes to cut sales tax

[leekohler]

I know this is more local than anything, but hell yes! Our county board president has been way out of control for a long time. The alderman finally rolled back part of his tax increase. 10.25% was WAY to high for sales tax. Now- I am certainly not against taxes, but when NYC can run on what taxes they take in, there is no reason for the taxes we've been seeing here. This fool will be gone next election, but in the meantime, it's nice to see our elected officials working for us for a change.

Cook County commissioners today voted to roll back part of a sales tax increase despite an impassioned plea from Board President Todd Stroger that "some people will die needlessly" if health care for the poor is cut as a result.

The County Board voted 12-5 to override Stroger's veto of a measure that would cut the county portion of the sales tax from 1.75 percent to 1.25 percent on July 1. The overall sales tax rate in Chicago would drop to 9.75 percent. To see how they voted, please click here.

After the vote, Stroger said he is still considering a lawsuit to preserve the tax increase. Commissioners were able to override his veto after a new state law cut the number of votes required to do so from 14 to 11.

“That may actually happen,” Stroger said of a potential suit. “It’s my opinion that this should not happen in the middle of anyone’s term — changing the rules.”

Stroger also said that the fierce opposition to his sales tax increase is the result of media coverage of the issue. Stroger went on to make a movie reference, comparing himself to the three men lynched for a crime they did not commit in "The Ox-Bow Incident," a 1943 movie starring Henry Fonda.
“This is really the culmination of the press dragging me through the mud for three years,” Stroger said of the vote. “We have run a great government.”

“This is just a piling on, what happens when the mob mentality happens,” Stroger said during the news conference. “And I’m you’re all smart, and you saw the ‘Ox-Bow Incident.’ It’s the same thing. Just get enough people riled up and they’ll hang the first person they see.”

Stroger spent part of the weekend lobbying commissioners to change their minds and keep the full tax hike in place, but that effort failed.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/12/cook-county-showdown-on-stroger-tax-veto.html

[abijnk]

Phew, and I thought we had it bad at 9.75% :eek:

[leekohler]

Phew, and I thought we had it bad at 9.75% :eek:

Now we'll be even with you. ;) :(

[PlaceofDis]

you know i was happy to hear this as well lee.

its crazy that with such a high tax rate, and all the other revenue the city garners, that we're still burning money. i wonder whose pockets are being lined?

[Tomorrow]

10.25% sales tax? You've gotta be ****ing kidding me! And I presume you also have a state income tax?

Wow. I honestly did think it was high here (8.25%), but with no income tax it's almost tolerable. It really hurts when you buy something big-ticket, like a car.

[Thomas Veil]

Cook County commissioners today voted to roll back part of a sales tax increase despite an impassioned plea from Board President Todd Stroger that "some people will die needlessly" if health care for the poor is cut as a result.So don't cut health care for the poor...cut something else. Parks, transit, whatever. 10.25% is pretty high.

[leekohler]

you know i was happy to hear this as well lee.

its crazy that with such a high tax rate, and all the other revenue the city garners, that we're still burning money. i wonder whose pockets are being lined?

Exactly. There's obviously been something wrong for a very long time. I'm still waiting for Mr Fitzgerald to come get our mayor, like he did our governor. Hurry! We need you!

10.25% sales tax? You've gotta be ****ing kidding me! And I presume you also have a state income tax?

Wow. I honestly did think it was high here (8.25%), but with no income tax it's almost tolerable. It really hurts when you buy something big-ticket, like a car.

And even more stupid is when you consider NYC doesn't even have a sales tax on clothes. They manage to make things work.

So don't cut health care for the poor...cut something else. Parks, transit, whatever. 10.25% is pretty high.

There was a huge uproar when that happened, trust me.

[Thomas Veil]

10.25% sales tax? You've gotta be ****ing kidding me! And I presume you also have a state income tax?I think 10.25 includes the state tax. Lee mentioned the county portion was 1.75%.

[PlaceofDis]

10.25% sales tax? You've gotta be ****ing kidding me! And I presume you also have a state income tax?

Wow. I honestly did think it was high here (8.25%), but with no income tax it's almost tolerable. It really hurts when you buy something big-ticket, like a car.

yep we sure do have a state income tax as well. (somewhere along the lines of 3% i think? but i could be totally mis-remembering that)

the high sales tax is just one of the many reasons i'll be looking to live elsewhere than chicago when my lease is up.

[leekohler]

I think 10.25 includes the state tax. Lee mentioned the county portion was 1.75%.

That is correct. It's ********** ridiculous. Somebody is obviously on the take somewhere.

[Thomas Veil]

That is correct. It's ********** ridiculous. Somebody is obviously on the take somewhere.I was gonna say that, but I figured I didn't know the local politics as well as you do. :D

[leekohler]

I was gonna say that, but I figured I didn't know the local politics as well as you do. :D

Oh completely. The mob still has a hand in running this town for sure. The didn't completely disappear after Prohibition.

[Tomorrow]

yep we sure do have a state income tax as well. (somewhere along the lines of 3% i think? but i could be totally mis-remembering that)

the high sales tax is just one of the many reasons i'll be looking to live elsewhere than chicago when my lease is up.

That's nuts. You buy something and get charged more than a tenth AGAIN just for the privilege of doing so.

[leekohler]

That's nuts. You buy something and get charged more than a tenth AGAIN just for the privilege of doing so.

We've been angry about it for a while. The Board finally did the right thing though. Now we just have to vote this moron out of office, which believe me is going to happen.

[MrMoore]

Lower Sales Tax was one reason I moved to Lake County. Also not dealing with the kooks running Cook.

Maybe Palatine will now want to stay in Cook County ;)

[leekohler]

Lower Sales Tax was one reason I moved to Lake County. Also not dealing with the kooks running Cook.

Maybe Palatine will now want to stay in Cook County ;)

Ha! Who knows? For me- I love the city. I could never leave a large urban area. I grew up in a rural area, and could never go back to that or a burb. Somebody has to stay here and try to fix things! :)

[Zombie Acorn]

10%? God damn. We only pay 6.25% around here and I thought that was bad.

[MrMoore]

Ha! Who knows? For me- I love the city. I could never leave a large urban area. I grew up in a rural area, and could never go back to that or a burb. Somebody has to stay here and try to fix things! :)

I lived in Chicago all my life until three years ago. Loved the city and couldn't understand why people live in the "burbs". But two things that always bugged me: parking and traffic. Ugh! Since I worked in Lake County, it made sense to move here. I miss be able to walk to things, but overall it's nice.

Only drive into the city to see my friends for get togethers. No one want to drive out to the 'burbs. ;)

Maybe if Stroger and Daly go bye-bye, I'll come back.

[leekohler]

10%? God damn. We only pay 6.25% around here and I thought that was bad.

We would love that. :) It's bad- not to mention gas taxes, liquor taxes, cigarette taxes, bottled water taxes (for real):eek:. I'm sorry- but where is all that money going?

I lived in Chicago all my life until three years ago. Loved the city and couldn't understand why people live in the "burbs". But two things that always bugged me: parking and traffic. Ugh! Since I worked in Lake County, it made sense to move here. I miss be able to walk to things, but overall it's nice.

Only drive into the city to see my friends for get togethers. No one want to drive out to the 'burbs. ;)

Maybe if Stroger and Daly go bye-bye, I'll come back.

We're working on getting rid of both!

[PlaceofDis]

We would love that. :) It's bad- not to mention gas taxes, liquor taxes, cigarette taxes, bottled water taxes (for real):eek:. I'm sorry- but where is all that money going?

even snack food taxes are now different than normal food purchases. things here are really spiraling out of control. i just heard that the state is raising the license plate registration fee next year to $100 from its current $80 (although perhaps the clerk was wrong as i can't find any more info on it), and you know that will just make Daley raise the cost of the city sticker prices. and who knows what he'll outsource next....

[yojitani]

Wow. It's really not enough of a cut.

[PlaceofDis]

Wow. It's really not enough of a cut.

sure isn't but it is better than nothing.

[Iscariot]

I'm not overly familiar with the US tax system, however we're paying 13% in federal and provincial sales tax in Ontario.

[MacNut]

I can never understand how states and cities can run out of money. Rather then waiting for the taxes to come in they estimate what the returns will be and spend before they ever get the money in their hands. Then they cry that they didn't raise enough in taxes to pay for the stuff they already bought so they just raise taxes some more. I would love to see the day that they don't spend the money until they actually know how much they will get.

[KingYaba]

Remind me not to buy a new car in Chicago.

[Prof.]

The City of Wheaton, IL [DuPage] (where I live, unfortunately) raised the sales tax without notifying its citizens. No one knew, then BAM! higher taxes. A bit crooked to me.:mad:

[Counterfit]

10%? God damn. We only pay 6.25% around here and I thought that was bad.

People in Taxachusetts were slightly pissed when their sales tax was upped to 6.25% from 5% in August. It's still lower than Rhode Islands (7%, additional 1% on prepared foods), and higher than New Hampshire's (0%) though. I was actually slightly more annoyed when they changed beer/wine/liquor sales to taxable, rather than the 5¢ deposit per bottle.

[yojitani]

sure isn't but it is better than nothing.

I know. I'm a fairly regular visitor to Chicago (I'm only out 4 hours away). I mainly visit for shopping these days to get clothes and food I can't get here (and to eat at a restaurant with edible food). My last visit I arrived armed with a bunch of 10% off coupons. I can't tell you how disappointed I was at the checkout!

[nbs2]

Maybe I'll go visit the family I have out there for the first time in 7 years.

Like others, here in MD there was a fuss over going from 5 to 6%. Heck, I refuse to eat dinner in DC because I don't want to pay the 10% prepared food tax. A broad sales tax higher than that is astounding.

[hulugu]

Local sales tax is 8.1 percent, although the surrounding county is 6.1 percent.

One of the weird things about this though is, if I buy an Apple product from apple.com and have it shipped to my home, I have to pay 8.1 percent. However, if I buy the same thing from the Apple Store, just outside the city limits, I only have to pay the 6.1 percent tax.

[Rodimus Prime]

10.25% sales tax? You've gotta be ****ing kidding me! And I presume you also have a state income tax?

Wow. I honestly did think it was high here (8.25%), but with no income tax it's almost tolerable. It really hurts when you buy something big-ticket, like a car.


I take it you are in Texas as well. I though Texas sales tax was bad with no income tax. One thing about Texas is they do have higher property taxes than other states but still 10.25% sales taxes is insane

[Tomorrow]

I take it you are in Texas as well. I though Texas sales tax was bad with no income tax. One thing about Texas is they do have higher property taxes than other states but still 10.25% sales taxes is insane

Yeah I'm in Texas. Property taxes and toll roads - that's how they get us here.

[colourfastt]

Of course there's always Alexandria, La. .... 14% sales tax (or at least it was last time I was there).

[leekohler]

Yeah I'm in Texas. Property taxes and toll roads - that's how they get us here.

Oh- we have lots of those too.