CHICAGO-The president of Illinois’ largest taxpayer organization today urged members of the Cook County Board to kill Board President Todd Stroger’s proposed 267% hike in the county’s portion of the sales tax, which will be considered and voted on next Monday, Oct. 1. Stroger has scheduled a meeting of the County Board immediately after the meeting of the board’s Finance Committee.
“After the corrupt reign of his father, John Stroger, I thought Todd Stroger would clean up at least some of the pork, corruption and waste,” said Jim Tobin, President of National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI). “Unfortunately, Todd Stroger turned out to be his old man, John Stroger, wearing a Brooks Brothers suit.”
“Eighty percent of the county taxpayers’ money goes to salaries and benefits of the county’s bloated payroll,” said Tobin. “If there is a $400 million deficit in the 2008 budget, then the board should slash its payroll and nix new spending. Raising the county’s portion of the sales tax from 0.75% to 2.75%, a 267% increase that would funnel over $800 million new taxpayer dollars into an already corrupt system, would encourage new pork and graft, and would harm businesses in the county. Consumers always find new ways to spend their money in areas with lower sales taxes.”
“Cook County taxpayers are not a bottomless pit of tax revenue,” said Tobin. “To raise the total sales tax to 11%, which this proposed tax increase would do, is obscene. It’s time the Cook County board gave Todd/John Stroger a good kick in his expensive pants.”
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