Cook County Board still loves those new taxes

An effort to repeal the punitive new sales tax in Cook County failed yesterday. I like how those who want to let people keep more of their money are irresponsible:

Peraica took most of the heat. Commissioner Earlean Collins said Peraica's move was "all talk." Other board members criticized Peraica for being "irresponsible" by trying to repeal the tax in the middle of the year.

"To vote in favor of the repeal of the sales tax today would be to send our government to bankruptcy court possibly or to stop essential services," Commissioner Roberto Maldonado said.

Right, and what services are so essential? Certainly not the black hole that is the county hospital system. The county has no business throwing money at poor people and illegals who want free medical care.

Board President Todd Stroger was predictably modest about his efforts in the position so far:

When the rather long-winded arguments were over, Board President Todd Stroger said he is irritated by the constant criticism of his administration.

"I'm doing what's best for the people. That's how I'm running the government. And until this place falls apart, then I'll step up and say, you know what, I screwed up," Stroger said. "But until then, I'll tell you I'm doing a damn good job."

Sure you have, Todd, what with the hiring of your cousin as the budget director (I'm sure she is perfectly qualified, but she just happens to be related to you) and the ridiculous tax increases, one of which gives us this:

On July 1, the county's portion of the sales tax increased 1 percentage point -- a penny on the dollar -- to 1.75 percent, giving Chicago the highest sales tax in the country at 10.25 percent.

Let's not forget he wanted 2%!

We'll see if people remember this next election. I'm sure they won't, since Republicans are too mean for some people to ever vote for them. Add that to blacks monolithically voting for Stroger, and you have a mini dynasty. Great.

Think twice before buying something

Today the new giant sales tax in Chicago (and the rest of Cook County) begins, thanks to political lightweight Tood Stroger:

The tax is estimated to bring in more than $440 million in new revenue.

I doubt it. Enough people like me are pissed off about it that they will make as many purchases as possible outside the county.

I've written it before and I'll write it again: when you elect liberal Democrats, you can't complain when they raise taxes. It's what they do.

Surprise, surprise

Everybody remember the famous new 5 cent per bottle of water Chicago tax? It's a real shocker, but money is coming in at less than half of projections.

Two posts in one day about how so many Democrats don't understand economics? Today's news is a veritable goldmine:

David Vite, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, responded by essentially saying, "I told you so."

Vite predicted the tax would fall far short as Chicagoans fled to the suburbs to buy cases of bottled water, along with the rest of their groceries.

"Single-bottle sales have not been dramatically hurt. It's the bulk purchase, the six-pack and the case that has just been killed. There's no reason someone is gonna pay $1.20 extra for a $4 dollar case of water when they can go to the suburbs to buy it without that," Vite said.

So when you tax something, you get less of it (in this case, bottled water purchases)? Revolutionary! If only there were people out there who understand such phenomena and implement it into their political philosophy...

By the way, I just noticed the comments at the bottom of the article. It's full of the usual stuff like, "When will these guys stop taxing everything?" Are people this stupid? When you elect an entire city council of liberal Democrats, you are going to have liberal governance! That means high taxes and spending, and you will also have high rates of nanny-state-ism such as the smoking and foe gras bans. Why not mobilize and vote some of them out? A real shocker would be to start electing conservative Republicans, but that will never happen because to too many people in the city think they are "mean". Yeah, well, how "nice" is it to tax the crap out of everything just to piss the money away on the Olympics?

I just wish people who vote for certain candidates would understand what they are getting. If you vote Democratic, this is what you will get. If you are fine with that, then that's OK. Just don't complain afterwards when the guys you vote in do exactly what anyone who follows politics at all could figure out they would do. At that point, you are just being dumb.

Obama and his Social Security tax proposal

The details and political effects of Obama's plan to expand the Social Security payroll tax to income above $250,000 are pretty well spelled out by Mickey Kaus. I find it fascinating, though I don't agree with it all. It's worth a read.

When is your "rebate" coming?

I use scare quotes around the word rebate because it's not necessarily a rebate. It's a welfare check to people who made less than $75,000 last year.

Anyway, I was worked up that I wouldn't get any of it. I was wrong, as I found out from this website. I also was told when it would be deposited. So there you go, it's my good deed of the year for you people.

Do you dislike the huge taxes in Cook County?

Board member Tony Peraica wants to do something about it. Apparently the Board's ability to raise taxes as it pleases comes from a special status the state legislature granted Cook that no other county in the state has. Here's the kicker:

Rescinding Cook County’s home rule authority would require voter approval for future tax increases. In the recently passed FY 2008 budget, the Cook County Board passed a massive half-billion tax increase to shore up an alleged $280 million deficit. On the same day this tax increase was enacted, a federal court monitor’s report lambasted the county for continued rampant illegal patronage hiring.

Go for it, Tony!

Do you want taxes raised?

I'm guessing there are lots of liberals in Virginia who want higher taxes (or at least, who are liberal Democrats). Strangely, when they have a chance to not be hypocrites and pay more voluntarily, they don't:

RICHMOND — State lawmakers can rule out Virginian's offering up more of their hard-earned money to fix the $1.4 billion budget shortfall Gov. Tim Kaine announced this week.

At least that is what a peek at the so-called "Tax Me More Fund" suggests.

Since its inception in 2002, the fund has collected a total of $10,217.04.

As a state lawmaker says:

"It's amazing how people want to tax other people for every idea they have, and they are not willing to step up to the plate themselves, said Delegate M. Kirkland Cox, Colonial Heights Republican and a sponsor of the legislation that created the Virginia fund. "It's a real good way to make a point."

The whole article is so fantastic that I recommend reading the whole thing.