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* This line was buried way down deep in today’s Sun-Times story on Mayor Daley’s new budget proposal, but it should have been the lede…
Chicago taxpayers almost always take it on the chin in the city budget that follows a mayoral election.
* Details…
Mayor Daley is expected today to unveil a 2008 city budget balanced with nearly $200 million in higher taxes and fees. They include a $40.8 million water and sewer rate increase and the largest property tax increase in Chicago history to build and maintain libraries. […]
Chicagoans will pay more for everything from gasoline, liquor, parking, restaurant meals and telephone service to bottled and tap water, city stickers and Taste of Chicago tickets. The mayor even wants us to pay more for renting movies and leasing vehicles.
* As we’ve discussed before, the race is on between the city, the county, mass transit and the state to see who can raise taxes first. Daley’s hand will be played today.
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s tax hike route was apparently detoured again…
This week, it’s a backlash by frustrated commissioners who said they were working with Stroger to find an acceptable tax plan when they learned from the Sun-Times that Stroger had hired the girlfriend of his ally, Commissioner William Beavers — and then reversed himself when the paper began questioning it.
“At this point, we’re in a total war,” said Commissioner Larry Suffredin, calling the hiring of Patty Young “a real slap in the face” that makes some commissioners “unsure [Stroger] deserves any more revenues.”
Stroger’s plan to raise the sales tax was on life support a week ago and, on Tuesday, Suffredin delivered what could be the death knell.
* Daley, meanwhile, is planning yet another trip abroad when he ought to be here helping negotiate a deal with the state, county, etc…
Sneed hears Daley is heading to China and Korea at the end of the month.
So, no leadership from Daley, bolloxed leadership from Stroger and we all know what’s happening with the Statehouse crew. It’s a perfect storm of incompetence.
More budget stuff, compiled by Paul…
* Budget deadlock grips numerous key issues
* Editorial: Want to bet on this plan
* Professor: Gambling not the best way to raise money
* Editorial: Capital program critical to the state
* Tax cap dispute threatens schools’ funding
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 9:57 am
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Did you know Daley is giving his budget address right now? Streamed live on the internet.
Comment by Levois Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 10:09 am
I believe past history shows that this country revolted at one time against taxes. Anyone remember the Boston Tea Party? All I can say I am glad I don’t live in Chicago/Cook County.
Comment by He makes Ryan Look like a Saint Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 10:09 am
Glad to know I’ll be paying more for my bottled water. Here in the state building where I work, the drinking fountains are either broken or dirty so it’s my only option. Great use of tax dollars!
Comment by Typhoid Mary Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 10:52 am
It’s nice to see people like Sen. Durbin and the Prof. Kindt make arguments against the state relying on gambling that aren’t morals based. Nothing causes me to tune out someone’s arguments as much as when they invoke their god(s) (I roll my eyes when the Gov. does it too). I’m not sure I agree with their positions and in the case of the Prof. I’m not sure I agree with his premise. He said that gambling won’t bring prosperity, but neither will taxation. The issue is how are we going to pay for the budget, not how are we going to bring prosperity to IL. Taxation affects everyone, gambling only those who choose to gamble. My biggest problem with both sin taxes and gambling is that they are unstable revenue sources that probably shouldn’t be used to fund the state’s core needs.
Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 10:53 am
oh boy, these guys are just obsessed with doing everything in their power to return control of the state to the republican party, aren’t they?
morons.
Comment by jerry 101 Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 11:07 am
“So, no leadership from Daley, bolloxed leadership from Stroger and we all know what’s happening with the Statehouse crew. It’s a perfect storm of incompetence.”
That sums it up it up well.
Except that we lowing cattle voters ELECTED all of these guys! The City of Chicago, the County of Cook and the State of Illinois are all in deep trouble, and we citizens cannot escape our own responsibility for it.
There should be articles about a simple fact:
“We have seen the enemy and they are us.”
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 12:15 pm
The recent mayoral election saw Daley garner 70% of the vote and City Hall ballyhooed it as the people’s confidence in “the greatest mayor in the history of Chicago”. What we were not told was that the turnout was only 31% meaning that the dictator was re-elected by only 1 of 5 registered voters. Only 20% of Chicago voters–and one can imagine that most of them had a seat at the trough–patronage, legal business, contracts, bondsmen, etc. while 80% of eligible voters saw that they had no choice. We are now paying for his reign of terror which will be remembered for mismanagement, corruption and disregard for the people. Carl Sandburg would now call us “the city of weak knees”.
Comment by wallace Wednesday, Oct 10, 07 @ 1:53 pm