Sometimes you see or feel something and you just know you have to capture it on camera. This was one of those times. I had just come up the stairs at the Addison red-line stop and was waiting on the platform for the southbound el. It was clear, sunny, and insanely cold. The kind of cold that makes the air shimmer, gives concrete that ashy white glaze, brings out the color of each color, and makes everything look more real. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't experienced it. Anyway, Chicago's city government has just been through a year and a half's worth of meetings and hearings about our local sales tax, property tax and income taxes. Tax sales at 10.5%. Raise it to 11%! Lower it 0.25% - vetoed! Reconvene, this time with 2/3rds approval. Lowered! Raise income taxes to 4.5%. And up and down and up and down. Behind the initial legislation to increase the sales tax to 11% was Todd Stroger, and throughout the financial crisis, general local government chaos, and his declining approval rating, he has un-apologetically backed this increase. Something about this clear morning, waiting for the el, the bricks and the light, just all came together to set off this election sign in a way that seemed fitting for this to be the 1/2/2010 picture.
That Penny increase made Cook COunty the only solvent government in Illinois with no service cuts or layoffs. It allows the Free Hospitals and clinincs to stay open to serve the poor and underserved
ReplyDeleteThe Tax is the State Sales Tax of 10.75 percent which Cook County gets 1.75 percent Cook Countys portion DOES NOT affect Grocerices, Medicine and High Ticket Items
Re-Elect Todd Stroger for County Board President