Marathon Pundit: Bid to rescind Cook County corruption tax fails: UPDATED

Life got a little harder for myself and the other five million residents of Cook County, Illinois on July 1. Suburbanites began paying a 10 percent sales tax--only Birmingham, Alabama can match that. Chicagoans pay 10.25 percent--the highest sales tax in America.

There is some delicious irony, though. Cook County has been controlled by Democrats for forty years. And when Barack Obama, the South Sider who is the leader of the Cult of Change, became the presumptive Democratic nominee, a large chunk of the Democratic National Committee moved to the Gotham City of the Midwest--and now they're also paying the nation's highest sales tax.

As I've remarked many times before, shortly before the 2006 general election, the Democratic nominee for Cook County Board President, Todd Stroger, looked beatable. But Illinois' Democratic heavyweights, including Barack Obama, pushed the ward-heeler over the top. Obama, in a letter, said "The Toddler" was "a good progressive Democrat" who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government."

Although there are some hard-working county employees, Cook County government for decades has as a haven for patronage job seekers. Rita Rezko, wife of convicted felon Antoin "Tony" Rezko, earns $38,000 a year as a member of an obscure board, a part-part time job, with full benefits. How did she this plum gig. Her husband raised a lot of money for the late John Stroger, who preceded Todd as Cook County board president.

Obama's pal Rezko got around.

Tony Peraica, a suburban Republican, was the younger Stroger's opponent in 2006. He's a county commissioner, and he introduced today's resolution to repeal what's being called Cook County's "corruption tax." The measure failed 10-7. All five Republican commissioners voted to drop the tax, they were joined by two Democrats. Which means of course 10 Democrats support the corruption tax.

By now a theme should be apparent.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama continues to get worshipped by his mainstream media sycophants. Hopefully one of them will get drunk and work up the courage to ask Obama about the corruption tax--and his feelings on living in the city with America's highest sales tax.

UPDATE July 23: Stroger is not only incapable of running Cook County, his campaign fund is a mess. From the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune:

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's campaign paid nearly $27,000 in fines to state elections officials for violating campaign fundraising reporting rules during his controversial 2006 victory, according to paperwork filed Tuesday.

In addition, a treasurer of one of Stroger's political bank accounts said she expects more fines to be levied after the campaign filed incomplete and late reports to the State Board of Elections this week.

State elections officials said the Stroger campaign was fined $25,581 for failing to file timely reports on contributions of more than $500 that it received in the final weeks before the 2006 general election. The campaign was fined an additional $1,175 for failing to timely file its organization papers with the elections board.

Stroger was named by Cook County Democrats in July 2006 as a substitute candidate for his then-ailing father, incumbent County Board President John Stroger, but it wasn't until October that his campaign filed the proper paperwork with the state. The elder Stroger, who suffered a stroke a week before the March 2006 Democratic primary, died in January.

Obama

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4 comments:

Anonymous9:58 PM
Thanks for the update. I saw a teaser of the 9PM news with the "Toddler" (priceless, truly priceless), so I figured something was up today.

At first I thought you wrote "consumption tax". I was in my favorite butcher shop, the only place I'll still make purchases in Cook County, and checked to see if the deli items (they make a mean eye of the round cold cut) fell under the Stroger Thugocracy tax increase. It does, so I didn't buy any deli, but the person who was there reprogramming the cash registers enlightened me to the nuances of the tax, and that there is an additional tax if you purchase grocery items in location that has seating - even if it's a gas station convenience store. If they have tables, you pay a higher tax for the grocery items that you would not pay if they had no tables.

There’s an “art” installment downtown with a first person shooter video game where President Bush is the target. If they expand the way the Madden brand has, I want the Cook County Board of Commissioners edition – and a .50 cal.
colecurtis10:16 PM
Well John I can relate as I am from Hanceville Alabama; my husband works in Birmingham Alabama and they collect most of his paycheck each week in income as well as state as well as road taxes if you can believe it. It is absolutely outrageous and you are 100% correct with calling it the corruption tax because that is exactly what it is. What happens is when you have everyone with their hands in the till there just isn't enough money to go around so therefore they have to steadily sit around and think up something else to support their income and guess who gets the bill? You and I my friend.
Levois12:08 AM
Yeah Stroger was beatable, there was a machine rolling two years ago and he was one of two men to move into a win. Most of us knew what we were getting when they got elected. I hope Stroger and crew get booted out in two years, but we'll have to see about that. I have a nagging feeling that Stroger and crew will stay in and the party will support them and the people will vote for Stroger gladly.

BTW, I went to Harold's Chicken Shack this past weekend. I noticed that what I would usually pay for what I get increased maybe 1 or 2 dollars from the last time I patronized that place. I quickly figured out that it was this sales tax.
Anonymous2:26 PM
Curious about the two posts that say they found higher prices at their local food joints. Believe me, I'm no Stroger defender, but methinks the tax hike is a convenient way for food joints to raise their prices and blame it on someone else, because food is not supposed to be subject to the new tax (nor are medicine or cars). Now, I'm not sure if the tax exemption for food has its own exemption if it's a restaurant. Maybe. Anybody know?

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Bid to rescind Cook County corruption tax fails: UPDATED

4 comments: