Thread: Cook County, IL Health System Sinking Fast

Stroger calls for hike in sales tax

October 1, 2007
BY Frank Main Special to the Daily Southtown

Speaking at a church full of supporters wearing yellow buttons saying "Save the Cook County Health System," County Board President Todd Stroger on Sunday revealed his support for a controversial 2 percent bump in the county sales tax.

Stroger said the tax hike would eliminate a $307 million deficit and stave off cuts to county hospitals and clinics.»County Board President Todd Stroger is at Sweet Holy Spirit Church on Sunday, where he revealed his support for increasing the county sales tax to 2.75 percent from 0.75 percent.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)


"We have to save our health care system," he said after a rally at Sweet Holy Spirit Church near 87th Street and South Chicago Avenue.
But in an appearance Sunday on WMAQ-Channel 5's "City Desk," Gov. Rod Blagojevich came out swinging against a sales tax hike, saying "it's wrong" and "disproportionally hurts low-income and working-class families."

"We are trying to pass access to health care for everybody that would ease the Cook County health care budget by $300 million," the governor said.

Also Sunday, Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica vowed to fight the proposed tax hike, which could come up for a vote in meetings scheduled for today.

If the county boosts its sales tax from .75 percent to 2.75 percent as proposed, most Chicagoans would pay a combined 11 percent to various taxing districts - the highest of any major city in the United States.

"This is just a pretext to justify an unjustifiable billion-dollar money grab from Cook County taxpayers," Peraica said.

Peraica said eight commissioners support the tax increase and eight are opposed. He described Commissioner Roberto Maldonado as a "swing vote."

In a Chicago Sun-Times story Sunday, Maldonado said he would not back any Stroger tax plans unless Commissioner William Beavers withdraws a proposal to temporarily revoke Cook County's status as a sanctuary for illegal immigrants while a financial impact study is conducted.

Chicago Sun-Times

Stroger distanced himself from Beavers' proposal Sunday, saying he did not support it.

Until Sunday, Stroger had not publicly endorsed the sales tax hike proposal by Commissioner Joan Murphy, but he had privately lobbied for it.

Peraica is proposing a moratorium to stop all tax increases in Cook County in 2008.

The county has not boosted its sales tax in 15 years, officials say.

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/5823 ... er.article


You would think even the 2nd dumbest (Daley holds 1st place) of legacy office holding crooks in Cook County would realize that harboring illegal aliens who don't pay taxes is a huge part of the reason Cook County is sinking into the abyss and why homeowners are fleeing at record speed.

easy solution: close cook county hospital!! if cook county wants to be a distant mexican suburb the legal citizens of illinois should not be forced to pay for this bad judgement.

We have be talking about this yesterday, over here at this thread: (more info)

illegal immigration debate Forum Index -> News Stories from ALIPAC Members -> An insult' to all Latinos?

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?nam...asc&highlight=

And as the ILLEGAL POPULATION GROWS, AND MORE ANCHOR BABIES HAVE TO BE DELIVERED, ETC., what are they going to do? Keep raising the sales tax?

How long before the doctors start moving elsewhere?

How long before the doctors start moving elsewhere?

And how quickly will they then "migrate" to new a new area to destroy? Heck even the gang leaders are moving out because it's so bad and spreading their crime and everything out here in the suburbs. It is like a festering cancer.

That whole city is as corrupt as corrupt can be.

They are taxing people to death.