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Posted by Barton Lorimor (@bartonlorimor)

Nahshon Shelton didn’t want to pay the 22-cent tax on his $1.79 two-liter of Pepsi on Saturday afternoon, Chicago Police said.

So he allegedly pulled a blue-steel Intratec .22-caliber submachine gun out of his Gucci satchel inside the convenience store in the 4000 block of West Madison Street where they tried to make him pay it — and he threatened to kill everyone there, a prosecutor said.

This “is my neighborhood, I’m tax exempt!” he would later allegedly tell the cops, the Sun-Times is reporting. “Man, you know what, I’ll keep it real. I had to put them in their place.”

o.0

Well, this is awkward because…

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have proposed a hike in the Illinois soft drink tax.

Soft drinks in the state are subject to a 6.25 percent tax compared to ‘qualifying food and drugs,’ which are taxed at one percent. The legislation would raise the cost of soda, juice drinks, sports drinks and teas.

The tax would be a penny-per-ounce surcharge on sugar-sweetened drinks.

Add soft drinks to the ever-growing list of items legislators are looking to tax. Over in the House, legislators have heard proposals to increase the cigarette tax, overhaul or eliminate the corporate franchise tax, extend the research and development tax credit, and making tax credits transferable.

* Increasing the motor fuel tax has also been a part of those discussions…

A recent proposal to raise the Illinois fuel tax to pay for state transportation costs is meeting opposition.

Retail gas station owners announced their opposition to such a plan on Monday in Springfield. They say raising the tax hurts drivers and businesses during a tough economy.

Bill Fleischli is the vice president of the Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association. He says the state should stop diverting money intended for roads to other areas of the budget.

BlueroomStream subscribers should have access to video of yesterday’s media availability with the petroleum marketers.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 7:40 am

Comments

“is my neighborhood, I’m tax exempt!”
A new plan coming soon from Pat Quinn where you don’t pay sales taxes in your neighborhood
or
“is my neighborhood, I’m tax exempt!”
A new plan from Alderman Firoetti where you don’t pay taxes in your neighborhood but everyone from outside of it and the city of Chicago pays 30%

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 7:44 am
Well now that I’ve quit smoking, I wholeheartedly support raising the cigarette tax, hehe.

Comment by Jimbo Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 8:12 am
What happens when the folks living off of entitlements start complaining about taxes too?

There has always been an assumption that they know that it is taxes paying for their Link cards.

It would be very damaging if everyone starts demanding that they no longer pay taxes, wouldn’t it?

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 8:58 am
When a government starts justifying vices in order to put a tax on them to pay for government, it isn’t a stretch for these same people to begin justifying taxing anything that give folks a treat as frivolous, unnecessary or harmful in order to take more money from us.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 9:02 am
Someone is enjoying themselves, so tax whatever it is that is making them happy. Make them pay for that moment of happiness.

We need the money for new grants to hand out before election day.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 9:04 am
==A recent proposal to raise the Illinois fuel tax to pay for state transportation costs is meeting opposition.==

Everybody wants the roads fixed but nobody wants to pay for it.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 9:17 am
==Everybody wants the roads fixed but nobody wants to pay for it==

Everybody wants everything but don’t want to pay for it!

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 9:27 am
Chappelle Show when keeping it real goes wrong. Intratech, Gucci, guys got style

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 9:38 am
–When a government starts justifying vices in order to put a tax on them to pay for government,–

Gee, you mean like the first tax ever levied by the United States, that on whiskey?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 10:11 am
May I be the first to suggest this gentleman go with the Caffeine Free Pepsi?

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 10:18 am
“He says the state should stop diverting money intended for roads to other areas of the budget.”

If this is true then he is absolutely correct however if it still isn’t enough can we count on his support to make up the difference?

Comment by Mason born Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 10:31 am
The price of gas varies so much in Illinois that consumers won’t even notice the overdue and needed increase in gas taxes. The trucks that transport the gas to the stations across Illinois also need good roads. A good argument that makes sense against a motor fuel tax cannot be made and justified.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 10:36 am
Diverting highway tax money to other things is not the best idea. Where the diverted highway money actually is spent is sometimes obscure. Yes, it is easy to see the road projects, but the rest of the money going elsewhere is rarely publicized or talked about.
Also cars get more MPG, so the “per gallon” part of the tax brings in less money per car.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 10:36 am
A sound infrastructure is vital to the state’s economy. I don’t mind paying for improvements to the roads, but I expect my motor fuel taxes to be spent on road improvements. It’s hard to support higher motor fuel taxes when so much if it seems to be diverted for other obscure purposes.

Comment by Past the Rule of 85 Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 11:25 am
“He says the state should stop diverting money intended for roads to other areas of the budget.”

YOU CAN’T CUT BACK ON FUNDING! YOU’LL REGRET THIS!

One thing I learned from Sim City 2000. Roads always get 100% funding.

Comment by ChrisB Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 11:40 am
Never heard of a Intratec .22-caliber sub-machine gun. Intratec does make a semi-auto magazine fed pistol. If the guy did have a sub-machine gun this would be in violation of the National Firearms Act (NFA)of 1968. If he did have a sub-machine gun, this would be nation news. I think the reporter need to clarify that the guy did not have a sub-machine gun.

Comment by Semi-auto Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 11:46 am
A letter writer to our local paper, an avowed electric car owner, encouraged readers to support a fuel tax increase to fund road improvements. I know, this is strange, and on more than one level, but especially since Illinois diverts motor fuel taxes to uses other than their intended road repairs. In this, the year of the pothole, it would nice to see the citizenry arise to demand that gas taxes be used to fix the roads. This is said with a tip of the hat to Bill Fleischli.

Comment by Keyser Soze Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 1:06 pm
Illinois Policy Institute take note: Nahshon Shelton could be your new spokesperson. Exciting, young, African-American guy, supports low taxes, opposes gun control. Think about it.

Comment by Senator Clay Davis Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 1:22 pm
Leave it to a Chicago reporter to call a plastic semi-auto pistol a “blue steel sub-machine gun”.

Gotta love it.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 1:26 pm
@Semi-auto:

The original article was updated to reflect the fact that he was carrying a handgun, not a submachine gun. Capitol Fax should do the same.

Comment by Dan L Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 1:30 pm
Senator Clay, that was inspired. Well done, sir.

But you’re thinking too small. Shelton obviously should be the IPI’s guy to take on Kirk in 2016.

“Vote Shelton: Keep the GOP Real”

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 1:34 pm
==What happens when the folks living off of entitlements start complaining about taxes too? ==

We start means testing sales tax?

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 5:11 pm
He had an expired FOID. No mention of CCW.

The report stated he was only charged with UUW. Is that all they can throw at him for having a handgun outside his home in Chicago? I thought the Cook County State’s Attorney could at least throw in assault charges since he pulled the gun and threatened people.

Comment by Clevelander Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 5:51 pm
Sad to say not too shocking, really–that area on the West Side surely has one of the highest Crime, and SERious Crime rates overall, in Chicago, let alone in Illinois.

And, yet, it just goes to show that when such “nickel and dime yourself to death” Taxes are added to items by the Legislature, people–and not just hardened Criminals or dudes making serious threats, like Mr. Mad Pepsi Tax, above–DO take notice, and are NOT often too tickled about it either, although they may not VERbalize their frustation about having to PAY it! Instead, folks just grumble inwardly, take it on the chin ‘cuz they figure there’s nothin’ they can DO about it anyway, and throw down that extra $ilver for whatever they’re buying–and that, too, is the very point…!

That is, the Legislature KNOWS that when an Illinois Customer (or customer ANYwhere in the World, really), steps up to that Store Counter, has decided, and is ready to purchase something they want or need, whether it be cigs, cigars, liquor, or a lousy SODA, etc., they WILL pay up, no matter what–and that INCLUDES just aBOUT (within reason) whatEVer amount that dang $ales Tax IS!

Thus, an easy Majority of our Senators and Representatives mostly HAVE in years past, and will conTINue to get away with, those slight sales tax increases for most ANY item they want to tack them onto, on occasion–for that very same reason…! (But then, they’ll pause, too, and think, “Ooooooh–hope everybody got outta THAT situation ok!” when they come across News like the Post…but just keep on doin’ it anyway!

And, why? They’ll merely JUSTify it by thinking (an here’s where, sadly, I must agree that in tough times like now for Illinois that they DO actually have a POINT), nevertheless, “Hey, we’re the Ones elected to be responsible for paying off all of these debts of Ours here in Illinois, and being able to PAY for Laws we PASS, so, what the hey, it’s ONLY a few cents more for this or that item after all–especially if it’s for that UNnecessary FUN stuff, like smokin’ and drinkin’ (i.e. the Infamous “SIN” Taxes), and…like it or not, we’ve got a JOB to do down here in Springfield for the People, and one of our Main TASKS is that SOMEbody’s gotta bite the bullet and buck up, so it might as well be ALL of us who wanta buy somethin’ here in Illinois, whether ya live here or not–cuz, dag nab it, we have enough problems already and don’t wanta make matters WORSE and ADD to our already huge DEBTS, and look stupid, so we’ve just gotta pay the BILL$ around here after all…!”

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Tuesday, Apr 15, 14 @ 6:08 pm
clevelander

Reread the original story. He was also charged with a unlawful use of a firearm by a felon and assault. The Felon part will put him back in prison.

Comment by Mason born Wednesday, Apr 16, 14 @ 7:16 am