Again, Nothing Learned
You'd think that after the bottle-water-tax debacle, someone at City Hall might have pointed out how much money was lost. Nope:
- It looks like a proposed penny-an-ounce tax on sugary soft drinks just might be working its way onto the smorgasbord of tax and fee increases served up by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Ald. George Cardenas (12th), chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Health and Environmental Protection, said Monday that Emanuel has asked him to hold a hearing on the issue before Sept. 22 when the mayor is scheduled to unveil his 2016 budget.
“The mayor is supportive of my efforts to have the hearing and see the tax approved. He’s supportive of the fact that this makes sense from a health standpoint and from a budgetary standpoint. Taxing soda saves lives. We all agree on that,” Cardenas said.
It's also a job killer - a six-pack of soda just went up in price by $0.72? Twelve-packs and cases, too? We already drink diet sodas (old age), but we stopped shopping for bottled water in the city years ago to save a few bucks. Same with gasoline and a host of other products. Rahm is making it easier and easier to shop outside the city and leave the city entirely.
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
70 Comments:
I did not vote for Rahm, never voted for Daley either. But they pass out steak to their most loyal supporters. The alderfools are not even needed at this point because they never offer alternative solutions like lowering taxes for one or going after waste and corruption because first of all why do we need 50 alderfools with a personal kitty of 1.5 million who get paid over 100k with full pension benefits and sweet perks? The elections are over, time to pay up. For the thousands that did not vote this is the cost. And it will cost to continue to live in Chicago. Good thing I live close to several borders and will now spend my money elsewhere. No one still questions the budget like Garcia did, he wanted a line item audit and got laughed at.
Rammy got screamed at by all kinds of people at Malcolm X College tonight. One guy told rahm about how we all saw his commercial in his fuzzy blue sweater and how rahm was going to be a better person...the look on rahms face was priceless.
If they keep adding taxes on drinks my retirement job will be like the old moonshine runners. I will get an old coupe, put a hidden compartment behind the seat, then shop for soda and water in the suburbs. Then drive into the city and make deliveries.
there is already a 13% sales tax on sugary drinks as far as I know Buy some Gatorade at Walgreens and look at the reciept
If you still buy stuff in cook county you are either stupid or you don't have a car.
Shop on line before you buy anything,My average Amazon purchase is 25% cheaper than buying it in a store in Chicago.
Amusement tax 8 dollars a month on my Cable bill,Total tax on my cable bill 30 dollars.
Seeing this type of approach for building revenue streams shows how stupid people are in this administration.
Instead of adding on taxes that will drive out more people to shop elsewhere - including residents, why not just cut the fat out of government?
FIRST - cut aldermen and their staffs. From 50 to 20 - that would make a good dent in the budget AND bring more money down to the bottom line than any soda tax.
SECOND - Cut out half the "director"/ "coordinator"/ Asst. director/ etc. jobs that are just created to fill a patronage position. The city is top-heavy with do-nothing, know-nothing bureaucrats.
THIRD - do the same cost-cutting in the large agencies like CPD and CPS. Get rid of the deadwood and the dead-brained.
FOURTH - focus on DROPPING the tax rate or eliminating some taxes just to be able to point to something positive that is swinging the city in a positive direction than this "Sheriff of Nottingham" approach where the smart money asks - Why should I even go into the city? I am going to get nickel-and-dimed from parking to sales taxes to potential red-light camera tickets.
Taxing soda saves lives ! What alternate universe do these fucking people live in ? Sodas Lives Matter
Make RhamBo pay for his own Security Detail Platoon CaCoon
He Can Afford it Made 15 Million in the market
Trump pays for his own
"Taxing soda saves lives. We all agree on that”
No we don't. You can't tax your way out of a health crisis. Is this guy a moron ? (trick question I know)
Basis Business 101, If the guy across the street sells the same hotdog for 2 dollars less,Who gets your dollar ?
And the joke continues. If you don't have to live in this shit show city, why the hell would you. I'm a little late but rip chicago. Hope the rest of you coppers are only giving this shit hole what you have to. I take my hard earned cash to the burbs for the rest
I'm sure it's not about the money but the health .... of the children of course.
Since Shortshanks came up with the bottled water tax I can count on one hand how many times I've purchased bottled water in the city.
Sam club on Ogden and Cicero has my buck
Pikers!
Raise the damned tax about $0.10 per ounce! Stick it to them good and hard.
You know Bloomberg would do it.
No one will think of smuggling untaxed soda into Chicago. That would be like smuggling cigarettes into NYC.
"Taxing soda saves lives."
-- Ald. George Cardenas (12th)
...and you wonder why older guys just stare at the floor sometimes, too tired to even shake their heads...
I was up in Wisc yesterday to enjoy the day. Bought gas at $2.59 a gallon. Stopped at a Wal Mart and shopped for some simple needs. Not only were overall prices a little better than here, what with the tax difference I figured I saved about $20.00 on my bill.
The plastic bag fiasco was enough for my family to say enough to city shopping. So now instead of a plastic bag which we religiously recycled, we get a huge paper bag that we throw away. Makes sense to no one but the goofs at city hall.
These silly heavy plastic bags need to be washed and dried in between uses. Are you kidding? Of course I am pretty sure I don't want the meat juices from yesterday's shopping on my kids Goldfish from tomorrow's shopping. So wash them I will. What ecological sense does that make? This winter our family is supposed to have wet plastic bags drying all over my house, too? Just ridiculous.
Our water, gas and pop are all cheaper in the 'burbs and they use convenient plastic bags which we recycle. Guess where we go from now on.
I live at Touhy and California. We shop in Skokie (new Mariano's,Wal-mart, restaurants, etc.) Evanston is stones throw away and we go to Old Orchard (no Amish yoots) to shop at the same stores as downtown.
MANY of my neighbors do the same.
I was born and raised here. I am a product of the CPS system and have done well for my family and myself. However,this is no longer the city that it once was. It has been pillaged beyond belief and there is nothing left.
I'm done in 5 and we're going to the Carolinas!
Last one here, turn out the lights.
Costco, Mariano's, Walgreen's, Target, Jewels, Walmart, plenty of gas stations and restaurants all in the surrounding suburbs of the far northside. Screw this city.
I'm right on the border. I do my shopping in Niles, Park Ridge, Norridge, and Schiller Park. I like that I don't have to purchase a plastic bag there either.
Next up, a penny a sheet tax on toilet paper.
"taxing soda saves lives"
Yeah, OK. Once again,some citizens with the poorest health who use EBT will not be affected by this tax as EBT purchases are not taxed
Won't someone think of the children?
He better not be taxin' my grape pop! I can't be payin' silly extra taxes off my LINK card!
The best thing to happen to Indiana businesses is Illinois politicians, keep taxing and people will vote with their feet.
I purchase everything in the suburbs - have been for years. The less I give those thieving democrats of my hard earned salary the better.
I have a great suggestion for raining revenue, Mr. Mayor - how about enforcing the "hands free" device law for drivers?
I see it every day, at every intersection, people using their phones, looking down in their laps/talking on the phone as they drive. I counted 6 at the corner of California & Armitage yesterday as I waited to cross the street. The law has no teeth, and is a waste of time unless you actually enforce it.
Granted, this will entail additional work for LEO's. Perhaps you could have a "special unit" formed, whose sole duty is to look for these offenders. Maybe offer additional incentives, like 1% of penalty (if paid) goes to charity of LEO's choosing?
(Can't say give it the LEO, that could lead to abuse)
Second, license & ticket the bicyclists who flagrantly violate the rules of the road. We get it - you are continuing to try to make Chicago a bike-friendly city, which is fine. But, as has been posted here many times, enough is enough. I say this as a 52 year old White male who has ridden bicycles all his life & never held a license to drive.
I'm perfectly willing to pay to be licensed, IF it means bicyclists will be held to the same standard as motorists. Nothing frustrates me more as a cyclist than to ride up to a 4 way stop, only to have everyone wait & see what the biker will do...its very frustrating for everyone, because its EXPECTED that we will just zip through without regard for anyone but ourselves.
The thoughts presented here may or may not be feasible. I don't know. I just know that a tax increase is coming in one form or another, why not tap these sources of revenue? With the numbers of people using their devices while driving, the City could generate quite a bit for a few years, until either people got the message & revenue drops, or the courts rule the practice(s) unconstitutional.
No LEO, just a Joe, y'know?
"...Taxing soda saves lives. We all agree on that..."
Everyone who agrees please report to Random Drug Testing, 3510 S. Michigan Ave. After that you can...
Kees me you fool!!!!
Many of us in the Beverly/Mt. Greenwood area shop in the burbs that surround us...Oak Lawn, Orland, Tinley, Crestwood and so on, gas and consumer goods are cheaper there. I have not been down town to dinner or spend money in more than 10 years in fact it's the same amount of time to drive to Indiana and my grocery bill is about 15% cheaper. with all the nice restaurant out in Orland, Tinley and Oakbrook I suggest dine out there and parking is free and plentiful it won't cost you half the price of your meal. I hope all you men and women in blue in the Midway airport area hit the Western burbs right down I-55.
We have a Committee on Health and Environmental Protection?
Holy shit
My God......These CLOWNS just don't GET....Do they!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's like they are screwing the city on purpose. Can they really be this stupid?
dont forget the bigger ticket items also.
tv, appliances, etc....
fuck the cook county tax system
I learned a long time ago from my late uncle about taxes. When I got my first car at 18 he told how much more I could buy if I shopped in Indiana. I rarely buy anything in the city. I love this city, but until this state starts cutting off able bodied people off welfare, I will shop elsewhere.
Mayor gets earful at city budget hearing:
http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/local/14742326-story
People want "more police" better schools better streets but George wants taxes on soda! Is this not the same pathetic goof that wants taxes on people coming into the city to work? Nothing said about police pension George the money is due many on this famous blog have given great ideas on how to cut spending to easily fund pension next thing you know rahm and the "George 50" find billions to use elsewhere "friends and family program" initiative? Close 54 schools build more? Bussing ridiculous eliminate it all schools in your neighborhood walk! Safe passage paying parents to take Kids to school insane! 3 crap meals a day in school ahh mom make lunch $$$$ saved! River walk expansion billions gone! 606 trail billions poof! DePaul stadium who got this payoffs? Police pension fund 60 million plus given away freely to dv urban ventures Daley veneko what criminal signed off at the pension board to give away our money shazaam it's disappeared! Bike lanes disruption of traffic everywhere billions? How many security specialists sergeants pay for mayor city clerk city treasurer why not use digby security if it's good enough for peasants using cta it's good enough for this crew! Vri hundreds of millions and tax paying areas are getting no extra police protection only the scumbags that hate police get extra services 1 day taxpayers will revolt! I know plenty more misuse of our money!
Lastly hello rahm and crew Bruce you to the casino where rahms again promised "all profits to shore up police pension funds" trust rhyme! Another thing talked to an alderman who wanted the big tract of empty land old projects on 41st and Cicero a huge hotel chain looked at it and wanted to build a complex with a water park to rival the biggest in Wisconsin dells as the land is close to midway ( which is getting a 250 million expansion with overrun probably more like a billion (more found treasure great job rahm about the pension again) close to expressway with quick access to downtown attractions, but no told cha won't allow it ridiculous someone wants to invest literally billion but no wtf! Why is archer ave in Garfield ridge so ragged why no businesses opening? Burke madigan Quinn cut up the area to get white votes (sorry not politically correct) from zalewski now we have 4 powerful officials and where is the investment?
As it is, I don't shop in the city anyway. After I retire I will be leaving this city and county FAR behind! FU Tiny Dancer and the rest of you clowns in City and County goverment. All you libtards who voted these fools in are getting the city and county goverment you wanted and deserve. Good luck!
Taxing soda saves lives. Think about what kind of an idiot can make a statement like that. This is they type of person Illinois elects and then wonder why the state is broke. Complete morons who couldn't make a living in the real world spending your taxes like it's from a money tree.
But you can bet there'll be a rally in a ghetto church to get this moron re-elected. That's where you live. Enjoy that.
I don't drink soft drinks so it don't matter to me. I do drink 40 ounces!
"Rahm is making it easier and easier to shop outside the city and leave the city entirely."
Yup. This is a regressive tax on poor (and/or carless) people who can't leave the city to shop.
Impose a tax on renters.
Renters use more city services than homeowners.
Me and my wife haven't shop in the city since we got married. It's cheaper anywhere but in the city
True Chicagoians love the windy City, the City with Broad Shoulders and would never leave Chicago. Look around you, the City is teeming with people. Droves of people are coming to Chicago to live everyday. A lot more Hispanics live in Chicago today, than lived here 20 years ago. The tax is a good idea and people will pay it without complaint. Only the ultra cheap would carp about a minor tax like that.
I buy my gasoline in the suburbs or Lake Geneva ( I'm up there quit often only 65 min away). All my large purchase's are done outside Crook county or even Illinois if if can. All my groceries are bought outside the city along with all my bottled water and pop. I never drive downtown and work in the district I live in so its a win win for me. I'm 1 block away from Park Ridge and 3 blocks from the Kennedy. I can escape this city fairly quickly and do ALL my economic transactions outside of Shitcago.....oh and I'm maxed out in 4 yrs, so good bye.....till then stay safe....
Anonymous said...
True Chicagoians love the windy City, the City with Broad Shoulders and would never leave Chicago. Look around you, the City is teeming with people. Droves of people are coming to Chicago to live everyday. A lot more Hispanics live in Chicago today, than lived here 20 years ago. The tax is a good idea and people will pay it without complaint. Only the ultra cheap would carp about a minor tax like that.
9/01/2015 10:36:00 AM
You should end your post with, "sarcasm intended";there are people on here that will take you as being serious. Seriously.
Fuck these tax-alcholics!
I use a soda making machine called "Sodastream".
You buy the flavor of choice that taste like the major brands, 7-up, Coke, root beer,etc.
Also needed is the co-2 canisters, which you can trade for new ones.
Bought mine on-line and fucked the city & state taxes like they try to fuck me with their b-s taxes.
So how is this supposed to work at any of the thousands of self serve soda dispensers at fast food and other restaurants? The diet coke is right next to regular coke and don't get me started on free refills!
Park ridge, Niles Morton Grove and Skokie have been getting my business for years. I won't even fill up my gas can for the lawn mower in the city.
I'm a cop who doesn't even live in the city anymore. My mom lives there so I use her address. All you have to do is stay low key and you can live anywhere you please. Fuck these residency restrictions.
Anonymous said...
If they keep adding taxes on drinks my retirement job will be like the old moonshine runners. I will get an old coupe, put a hidden compartment behind the seat, then shop for soda and water in the suburbs. Then drive into the city and make deliveries.
9/01/2015 12:20:00 AM
Need a partner ?
Anonymous said...
True Chicagoians love the windy City, the City with Broad Shoulders and would never leave Chicago. Look around you, the City is teeming with people. Droves of people are coming to Chicago to live everyday. A lot more Hispanics live in Chicago today, than lived here 20 years ago. The tax is a good idea and people will pay it without complaint. Only the ultra cheap would carp about a minor tax like that.
9/01/2015 10:36:00 AM
No - the everyday abuses and indignities are piling up.
Charles Bukowski said it best:
with each broken shoelace
out of one hundred broken shoelaces,
one man, one woman, one
thing
enters a
madhouse.
True Chicagoians love the windy City, the City with Broad Shoulders and would never leave Chicago. Look around you, the City is teeming with people. Droves of people are coming to Chicago to live everyday. A lot more Hispanics live in Chicago today, than lived here 20 years ago. The tax is a good idea and people will pay it without complaint. Only the ultra cheap would carp about a minor tax like that.
9/01/2015 10:36:00 AM
I can't tell: are you a troll or just stupid?
The Dwarf's Penny
10:36am- only the ultra ignorant would not see what t he big picture is. It's not just the nickel and diming, it's the bigger fee's as well! Paid for by the one's that actually work while the one's that dont reap the benefits. I'm not just talking about the welfare leaches either, the connected fill their pockets with them as well. You just keep paying them asshole, you must be loaded. I too love the city of chicago, I just wish it showed me some love back and would it's hands out of my pockets sometimes and would instead hit up the one's that NEVER pay, only take!
Anonymous said...
True Chicagoians love the windy City, the City with Broad Shoulders and would never leave Chicago. Look around you, the City is teeming with people. Droves of people are coming to Chicago to live everyday. A lot more Hispanics live in Chicago today, than lived here 20 years ago. The tax is a good idea and people will pay it without complaint. Only the ultra cheap would carp about a minor tax like that.
9/01/2015 10:36:00 AM
+1
I am a realtor and a p.o. My wife is a full time realtor. This year was her best year ever. A lot of the wealthy and educated class that is moving in to Chicago don't care about these extra taxes. Heck, many of them are already paying $9000 to $15,000 in property taxes. To them this soda tax, water tax, garbage fee, etc. is chump change. The only ones howling about it are the poor. Soon, the poor will be forced out. The city is gentrifying at an increased rate. Just look around you, values have gone back to peak levels! Higher house prices benefits everyone. Compare Chicago to L.A. or New York- Chicago wins hands down. Chicago still offers great value despite the recent run up in home values.
Amusement tax 8 dollars a month on my Cable bill,Total tax on my cable bill 30 dollars.
9/01/2015 12:52:00 AM
Get satellite.
You don't gotta pay taxes on LINK card purchases.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
"Taxing soda saves lives."
-- Ald. George Cardenas (12th)
...and you wonder why older guys just stare at the floor sometimes, too tired to even shake their heads...
9/01/2015 04:23:00 AM
Yup!
Not even a Pfft,
Snerk or a Roll-Eyes.
"Just... Just...
Fuuhh-Huuk maaannn!"
Anonymous Anonymous said...
True Chicagoians love the windy City, the City with Broad Shoulders and would never leave Chicago. Look around you, the City is teeming with people. Droves of people are coming to Chicago to live everyday. A lot more Hispanics live in Chicago today, than lived here 20 years ago. The tax is a good idea and people will pay it without complaint. Only the ultra cheap would carp about a minor tax like that.
9/01/2015 10:36:00 AM
Nope and dream on, Propeller-Head...
The middle class tax base is being hollowed out.
That deep pool of contributors Rahm desperately wants to stay
and pay and get shit in return for being "From Chicago" is
R A P I D L Y evaporating.
Nyaaahahahahahahah!
Rahm would rather shit himself on national TV than go after
the chronic non-contributor class for their unpaid share...
Buy yourself a good reverse-osmosis water filtration unit and you'll never need to buy bottled water again.
After all, bottled water is just local city pressure run through a big RO, maybe ultraviolet light to get the last bugs, and into the bottle it goes.
Best coffee, tea, ice cubes you'll ever have.
Small under-kitchen-sink unit produces 5 gal/day easy.
Look it up.
Only fools spend all kinds of money and lug cases of water. Completely unnecessary.
"I am a realtor and a p.o. My wife is a full time realtor."
9/01/2015 05:20:00 PM
We know.
We know.
We KNOW.
God damn. Talk about a "one-track mind."
How many more of these frantic reiterations before you start getting charged for listing space here?
"Soon, the poor will be forced out."
So personable, too, this one-man band. Over and over again.
Go "flip" something.
"The last shall be first, and the first last." -- Matthew 20:16
"You should end your post with, "sarcasm intended";there are people on here that will take you as being serious. Seriously."
9/01/2015 11:47:00 AM
It's just a troll. Ignore.
"with each broken shoelace
out of one hundred broken shoelaces,
one man, one woman, one
thing
enters a
madhouse."
9/01/2015 01:15:00 PM
This defines "compassion."
I have seldom heard -- perhaps never heard -- a better or more concise description of what life is really like for the genuinely poor. People you never look twice at, the ones you do not hear about until after it's too late...too quiet and decent and polite to make any sort of fuss.
The ones behind the drawn shades, using a loose-handled old butter knife to stuff the now-illegal plastic bags around the windows to try to stay warm, the ones carefully drying out and re-using tea bags, the ones who "were always nice but we didn't see them very much" -- the ones drowned out by the daily marches and chants and insane demands blasted through the bullhorns wielded by the morbidly obese in their $300 Nikes.
How beautiful. How terrible.
Thank you.
God bless and stay safe.
This is the sort of tax that only hurts those who actually have to think about money...left or right, nobody who hopes to win a future election ever seriously taxes the rich.
SCC:
As a bleeding heart who reads the blog nearly daily, could we have an open thread on political ideology? I don't expect that anybody in the city who reads this blog is happy with our Democratic mayor or our Republican governor - it can't hurt to find out how far apart these two directions are.
The only thing I buy in this city are postage stamps. Try as he might, Emanuel can't add an additional penny to those.
Ever notice that most of those ghetto Arab stores buy their soda outside the city. they bring it in their family van.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
If they keep adding taxes on drinks my retirement job will be like the old moonshine runners. I will get an old coupe, put a hidden compartment behind the seat, then shop for soda and water in the suburbs. Then drive into the city and make deliveries.
9/01/2015 12:20:00 AM
Need a partner ?
9/01/2015 12:51:00 PM
Twenty years ago, my dad made nice pocket-money doing that with cigarettes and fireworks from Indiana. He'd laugh himself silly, thinking there might be a market in that now, for soda but he'd flat-out never BELIEVE anyone was stupid enough to pay at all for water in bottles. Miss you, Dad.
An alderman was recently heard to say something along the lines of "we need to start getting ahead of the curve, taxing things sooner, rather than losing all that revenue". There was no talk of trimming budgets, or reducing the insatiable hunger of the government, only "how can we get MORE from the little people".
It's not going to change until people actually get angry and do something about it. And the ignoramuses who make lots of money and don't worry about having a few of THEIR cents stolen by the greedy pols from this, and that, and the other tax are the root of the problem. They are the useful idiots who justify the politicians.
Well; the city could go up on these nickle & dime taxes all they want - I shop outside of the city/state/county....
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