When Democrats Fight

Amazing how we seem to have only one party in this state right now. One would think they'd agree on almost everything. They don't. In fact, they can't even agree how best to ding us with taxes. Being Democrats, you'd think they could at least to that together. Maybe we should be thankful they disagree so much. Here's a case in point over the RTA with King Richard II vs. Blago from the Chicago Tribune.

Even ex-governor Jim Edgar sees it, and notices that it's gotten personal (from the Trib's Clout Street).

Edgar said he was “flabbergasted” by Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s decision to move ahead with a health-care expansion after it was rejected by a bipartisan legislative panel—a panel Edgar helped create while serving as a legislator in 1978.

So What About Raiding The Public Pensions, is CTA Pension Next, Mr. Governor?

King Richard II is calling on Blago to find money for the CTA health care and pension plans.

He said workers have done everything they can. Now it's up to the state to fund their pension and health care deal.
-NBC 5, Chicago

Do we really want Blago's hand in any pension plans? He raided the state's pension plan to fund his pet projects and make it appear liek he was balancing the budget. Not that I'm in favor of using more taxes for the CTA, but we don't need the governor's hands in yet another pension plan.

Mass Transit Meeting "Unproductive Shouting"

From the Springfield Journal-Register, House Speaker Michael Madigan left a meeting about funding Chicagoland's mass transit, declaring it to be little more than "unproductive shouting". King Richard II, by contrast, felt "optimistic". The meeting was between Daley, Madigan, and Blagojevich, and other legislative leaders in Chicago.

I, for the record, support cleaning house in each of the RTA's agencies first, then raising fares so they can support themselves without any band-aid fixes or more taxes.

Taxalicious Chicago

The Chicago City Council passed a large tax and fee increase today, in hopes of funding their $5.9 million budget starting January 1, 2008, according to the Chicago Tribune. Here's the SunTimes story.

What does this mean for Chicago residents?

1. The tax on beer, wine, and liquor will increase. About half of that drink you have at the bar is purely taxes. I think I'll have a tax and coke, please.

2. The city property tax increases by $86 million, total.

3. Bring your own bottled water into the city. That now has a tax of 5 cents a bottle.

4. Don't run red lights (or yellows) unless you can afford it. Those fines increase, and Dalye wants more cameras.

5. If you own an SUV, be prepared to pay more for a city sticker. $30 more a year, and more than a smaller car.

6. Watch where you park. Fines for illegal parking are increasing under King Richard II's new taxing budget.

This is on top of what the Cook County Board will add in taxes. This town needs a tax revolt like Michael Moore needs liposuction.

MAYOR DALEY’S $276.5 MILLION REVENUE PLAN BY THE NUMBERS
• $83.4 million property tax increase costing owner of a home sold for $250,000 roughly $60 more a year.
• $43.9 million increase in water rates.

• $20.8 million increase in sewer fees. Combined water and sewer increase costs the owner of the average single-family home $45 more each year.

• $10.5 million by imposing a new five-cent tax on each container of bottled water.

• $12 million liquor tax increase that’ll add seven cents to the cost of a six-pack of beer, two or six cents to a bottle of wine, depending on the liquor content, and 22 cents to a liter of hard liquor.

• $48 million by doubling — to $2.50 — the monthly surcharge on telephone bills.

• $24 million by raising the tax on lease transactions from 6 to 8 percent. It’ll add $4 to a $200 car rental fee and a dime to a $5 DVD rental.

• $8.7 million by raising 32 different parking fines. Individual increases range from 11 to 140 percent.

• $3.8 million by increasing the fine for being caught on camera running a red light from $90 to $100 and $5.7 million by installing red light cameras at 20 more intersections.

• $1 million by raising billboard fees and cracking down on illegal signs. Signs located on the premises of a business go from $75 to $200. Larger, off-premise billboards go from $75 to $500.

• $3.5 million by imposing a 25-cent development fee on every square foot of buildable floor area.

• $1.6 million by raising — from 1.50 to $2 — the cost of a strip of tickets to Taste of Chicago, Blues, Jazz and Celtic festivals.

• $6.2 million by raising the cost of a city sticker for SUV owners from $90 to $120.

• $3.9 million by raising the natural gas use tax from 5.2 cents to 6.3 cents per therm.

- Chicago SunTimes

Daley and a Permanent CTA Fix

This is from the Chicago SunTimes.

"This has nothing to do with 2016. ... This has nothing to do with the issues of the CTA and the federal government. Besides, the federal government doesn't even balance their budget. They print money."

Daley claims the fixes for the CTA are not about the 2016 Olypmics. I call it a bunch of baloney. The 2016 Olympics are his very legacy as he is very unlikely to be mayor when they are pu on. As for the "publically owned" casino in Chicago...stop feeding us as if we were mushrooms, Mr. Mayor. We know exactly where the money will end up. And fixing the CTA ain't it.