Saturday, August 23, 2008

Tax Hikes Producing Less?

  • Despite higher ridership, the CTA is leaking money due to higher fuel and labor costs, while losing out on expected revenue from the real estate transfer tax and from an increase to the local sales tax. Both increases were part of the bailout that averted massive service cuts this year.
  • Last January, the state legislature found new revenue for the CTA, Metra and Pace by increasing the sales tax in Cook and the collar counties by a quarter of a percent. Chicago increased the real estate transfer tax by 40 percent, for an expected $100 million in new annual revenue for the CTA.

    But because of the real estate slump, the transfer tax is bringing in only about half of what was expected so far this year, according to Joe Costello, chief financial officer for the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the CTA, Metra and Pace.

Oops. But again, completely predictable in a competently run government.

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31 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Don't forget Blagoboy gave free rides to seniors and they lost that revenue. Lubberboy even admitted that giving seniors the free ride and made an impact on their collections.

8/23/2008 12:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh please, they were gonna raise fares anyways!

How can you have the city with the highest sales tax without the worst public transportation system in the world?!

8/23/2008 12:20:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If business/Jobs have left Chicago due to over-taxation and strong arming the owners for political contribution this would obviously lead to a decrease in tax revenue and fees.

Hence, Daley and the machine have had no choice to but increase taxes in an attempt to generate more revenue on the backs of its citizens and tourists.

Does it cost me more to shop outside of CROOK County? Yes, of course. It appears to be sending a message to City Hall? YES it sure is. The message is being sent in the form of lesser tax revenue.

Keep up the good work people! Less revenue being generated by ANOVs and Parking Citations. All the new taxes etc...

THE MESSAGE IS BEING HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR!

Think Daley is loosing sleep over this? I hope so

8/23/2008 12:29:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lets legalize and tax the open air
tranny prostitution at Belmont/
Clark! Since its condoned by every-one,including the alderwhatever, lets make some money off of it.I always thought the towel fee at the ward Steambath would balance the budget; looks like I'm wrong...

8/23/2008 01:11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OFF TOPIC: The mayor of NYC is not too well liked by the NYPD. But, at least he gave them a good raise. Bloomberg, who is worth Billions, does not play that curruption shit the midget does everyday here.

Impeach or Indict mumbles !!

NYPD police officers get 17 percent raise in 4-year pact
(Tentative PBA Negotiated Contract - Total Increase in Compensation is 20.05 Percent [Compounded] )

By SARA KUGLER (The Associated Press) – Thursday, August 21st, 2008, 11:12 PM EDT

8/23/2008 01:15:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anybody shop in Cook County these days unless absolutely necessary?

8/23/2008 02:07:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you can teach these asshole democrats anything, it's that LOWER taxes INCREASE revenue. If tomorrow all taxes in Crook County were dropped by 1/2, we would be out of this budget problem in under a year.

8/23/2008 08:51:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OT- Does anyone in 16 have anything on these kids shooting out windows? Yesterday they shot out two of my neighbors car windows at 1400. I heard they have shot 40 so far. Yesterday was a crysler 300 chrome wheels with 3 m/2. Others have been different cars. Most have been just north and south of Devon.

8/23/2008 10:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lets legalize and tax the open air
tranny prostitution at Belmont/
Clark! Since its condoned by every-one,including the alderwhatever, lets make some money off of it.I always thought the towel fee at the ward Steambath would balance the budget; looks like I'm wrong...


Oh yeah, I've seen this!

At the turn of midnight off the Red Line, like some black freaknik comes a hoard of effeminate M/1's with these huge M/1 trannys. They stroll up & down Belmont, between Clark & Sheffield.

I haven't been up there in awhile but why are they still allowed to do this?

Where is 019 tact/tranny control?

Were these people responsible for that F/2 getting stabbed on the bus stop last year?

Does 019 have a foot patrol on Belmont?

8/23/2008 11:28:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anybody shop in Cook County these days unless absolutely necessary?

8/23/2008 02:07:00 AM

Big ticket items I go outside CC.
Bulk items I go to surrounding suburbs, i.e. Costco in Niles. I refuse to pay for the silly, silly, silly water tax. I won't purchase gas in the city either.

8/23/2008 11:55:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So why does PACE have a bus route to Indiana? Such a waste of money.

8/23/2008 12:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To 1:15 AM or SCC-

Can you put a link to that NYPD story?

8/23/2008 12:45:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I ,and many friends now shop outside of Chicago,crook county..guess what?? the sales tax revs are going to keep going down ...fuck toddie , little richie and howdy doody blago!!!!
Commenting on the highest sales tax in the 50 states.. CNN stated ,how do the citzens put up with this ???

8/23/2008 12:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the biggest problem at cta is poor management.
i drive around the city at different times and have observed massive missalocation of resources.
hey reporters, why don't you drive bus routes at off hours and report on the waste you find.

8/23/2008 01:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The lack of revenue from the increased sales tax and new real estate tax is a real problem for the CTA's budget and bottom line. (Depending on taxes is never a good thing.)

However, an even bigger drain on the budget are all the new political hacks (and castoffs from city departments) that Huberman brought in.

Barbara McDonald (CPD civilian?) - $160K
Karen Rowan (CPD?) - $140K
Sara Kremser (City Hall-Budget) - $140K
Jeff Ahmadian (City Hall) - $130K+
Lydia Murry (City Hall-Budget)- $140K+
Maria Choco Urban (City Hall) - $100K+
Susan Kennedy (City Hall) - $120K
Adrienne Heigel (City Hall) - $120K
Adam Case (CityHall-Budget) - $120K

And these are just some of the big shots at vice-president or above level. This doesn't count all THEIR new underlings from the City who all make $70-100K+

Only two of these positions (Rowen and Murry) are replacing people in existing positions. All these other people are a brand new drain on the budget. And many of these people are doing the same things that staff in the CTA's law department, budget department, and personnel department are already doing.

I'm sure these salaries aren't the only drain on the budget or the cause of the CTA's funding problem, but it sure shows a bad pattern of fiscal (ir)responsibility.

Huberman should be dumping previous City Hall flunkies, not adding more. And not dumping hard working people in a working department only to outsource their duties to a politically-connected real estate company. What's next? Selling low-ridership stations and land to developers to build condos?

8/23/2008 01:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

just wait and see what new runway at ohare will cost when all is said and done. if they ever get the cemetery moved, i guarantee that the final cost will be more than double the initial estimate. the airlines have told daley to go jump because of their own precarious financial projections. the federal and state governments are broke. and as we all know, the city is in the hole more than 400 million. who will pay-- why us of course, as usual.

8/23/2008 01:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And so many of you want this at the national level...Geez, wake up!!! Obama will cripple this country...I understand the emotions and pride that must be felt over the possibility of the first African American President but he's not the one you should be cheering for...Biden was more then enough proof of that...And let me explain, Obama will have unprecedented power, this whack job congress will leap at his every word like zombies in a trance..Bush was far from the second coming but you all have to realize all the major stuff that has happened to our economy starting with 9/11.. And there is a major shift occurring in the balance of economic power on this planet, china and india are prospering since they have adopted a more capitalistic approach..Simple facts are they outnumber us by billions...But taxing the shit out of us here at home is not the answer but that is Obama's stated strategy...

8/23/2008 01:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Econ 101

8/23/2008 01:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just read up on the Boston Tea Party! INTERESTING................

8/23/2008 03:19:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

TERM LIMITS

8/23/2008 03:22:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Early morn on Sat. I take a nice ride to the other side of the airport, DuPage county, not that far away. Get my cigs and gas without the Chicago or Cook County taxes. Fuck Daley, fuck Stroger, now gonna figure a way to fuck Blago-bitch and I'll die a happy man.

8/23/2008 04:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I went down to Champaign over the weekend and gas was $3.55 a gallon as opposed to $4.00 and cigarettes were $32 a carton as opposed to $56

8/23/2008 04:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what about the 20 million in grant money they were just awarded from Department of Homeland Security?

8/23/2008 06:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I haven't been up there in awhile but why are they still allowed to do this?

Where is 019 tact/tranny control?

Were these people responsible for that F/2 getting stabbed on the bus stop last year?

Does 019 have a foot patrol on Belmont?


the gay alderman gets upset that the police is hasseling gays. so he complains to bosses if 019 does extensive arrests on them.

8/23/2008 09:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

UPS subsidizes the Pace routes to its' facility, which includes the Indiana routes.

8/24/2008 12:44:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As for the sales tax hike producing less revenue as shoppers driving out of the area to save on taxes, that is so obvious that Ray Charles (R.I.P.) could have seen that one coming.

People, when they have an option to either save money or be tax raped, will chose, if possible to save money.

The real estate transfer tax is one that cannot be avoided by shopping out of the city. Houses are not that portable.

But with the real estate market totally stagnant, no tax rate, up or down, will enhance revenue until the market turns around. And most experts say that won't be for at least another year.

8/24/2008 01:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the biggest problem at cta is poor management.
i drive around the city at different times and have observed massive missalocation of resources.
hey reporters, why don't you drive bus routes at off hours and report on the waste you find.

Now that the CTA has implemented web tracking of their buses, why do they still have the supervisors driving around and checking on the drivers keeping schedules??

He77, I can track them from home! I will call in all late buses. Keep the car, just send me $40G/yr!!!

8/24/2008 01:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i heard they caught 1 of the juv's but had no bb gun, wittness or other evidence to charge.
bet there's a contact card.
one day they will shoot out the wrong window.......

8/24/2008 02:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Keesing Bandit says---

"...a horde of effeminate M/1s with these huge M/2 trannys..."

I think I died and went to heaven.

Now, kees me you fool!!!

8/24/2008 08:28:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I think I died and went to heaven.

Now, kees me you fool!!!

8/24/2008 08:28:00 AM"



Because of the "..horde of effeminate M/1s..." or the "...huge M/2 trannys..."?

8/24/2008 09:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Heard a rumor that Huberman is going back to CPD. Any truth?

8/26/2008 08:44:00 AM  

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