Cook County Board set to vote on cigarette, bullet taxes
Posted:
Updated:
By Anita Padilla, FOX 32 News reporter - bio | email
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
If you smoke, like to shoot guns and live in Cook County, you could soon be digging deeper into your pockets.
Members of the Cook County Board Friday are expected to vote on a budget proposal that targets residents with those habits and hobbies because the county is short on cash.
You will be digging deeper into your pockets if the board approves the plan. It already passed through the finance committee and more than likely will be passed by the full county board as the county tries to make up for a $267.5 million shortfall.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has come up with $40 million in taxes and fees that could help the county make up some of that money.
Preckwinkle is talking about a $1 tax on cigarettes per pack. That will make Chicago Cook County taxes on cigarettes the most expensive or among the most expensive in the country. The last time they did that was in 2006. Board members thought the tax would generate money but people went to Indiana to buy their cigarettes or they simply quit smoking.
One man says the board should take a pay cut rather than impose these taxes.
"I believe we pay enough taxes as it is. Half of my check is going to taxes. I just sat through watching television interviews with politicians left and right about how they want to make more money. I believe that our country is one of the only countries that has the highest taxes out there. I can't afford it any more. I got two kids, a wife. Find another way to make money. Why don't you guys take a pay cut," the man said.
Another woman says that she will travel to Indiana just to get her cigarettes and this will make her do it all the more often.
Besides the $1 per pack, the county is also talking about imposing a $25 tax on guns. In addition, Preckwinkle wants to charge casino owners $1,000 per slot machine. Eventually that fee will get passed down to those who pull the lever.
Thursday, May 16 2013 9:49 PM EDT2013-05-17 01:49:53 GMT
Mayor Emanuel will celebrate two years in office by unveiling "Elevate Chicago" on Thursday, a series of construction projects to improve Navy Pier and McCormick Place.
Mayor Emanuel will celebrate two years in office by unveiling "Elevate Chicago" on Thursday, a series of construction projects to improve Navy Pier and McCormick Place.
Monday, February 25 2013 1:41 PM EST2013-02-25 18:41:37 GMT
Just as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane set his sights on a variety of targets with a mixture of hits and misses, the motion picture academy spread the gold around to a varied slate of films.
Just as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane set his sights on a variety of targets with a mixture of hits and misses, the motion picture academy spread the gold around to a varied slate of films.
Monday, May 20 2013 5:52 PM EDT2013-05-20 21:52:14 GMT
Gov. Pat Quinn said Illinois lawmakers have a chance to make history on two fronts this month by approving a plan to fix the state's decades-old pension crisis and legalizing same-sex marriage.
Gov. Pat Quinn said Illinois lawmakers have a chance to make history on two fronts this month by approving a plan to fix the state's decades-old pension crisis and legalizing same-sex marriage.
Monday, May 20 2013 3:05 PM EDT2013-05-20 19:05:27 GMT
Former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers has been appointed to head the board of a government-supported nonprofit that promotes Chicago as a tourism and convention destination.
Former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers has been appointed to head the board of a government-supported nonprofit that promotes Chicago as a tourism and convention destination.
Republicans call them "scandals." Democrats call them "fishing expeditions." Whatever the case, the Obama administration finds itself trying to fix three big problems this week. FOX's Bret Baier reports.
Republicans call them "scandals." Democrats call them "fishing expeditions." Whatever the case, the Obama administration finds itself trying to fix three big problems this week. FOX's Bret Baier reports.
Friday, May 17 2013 7:51 PM EDT2013-05-17 23:51:51 GMT
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must decide if he will sign a measure allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes after the state Senate approved legislation on Friday.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must decide if he will sign a measure allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes after the state Senate approved legislation on Friday.
Faced with a trio of controversies, President Barack Obama is trying to halt a perception spreading among both White House opponents and allies that he has been passive and disengaged as unexpected developments...
President Barack Obama, seeking to regain his footing amid controversies hammering the White House, named a temporary chief for the scandal-marred Internal Revenue Service Thursday and pressed Congress to approve new...
After initially opposing the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon now supports the bill awaiting a State Senate vote. She told Good Day Chicago why she changed her mind.
After initially opposing the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon now supports the bill awaiting a State Senate vote. She told Good Day Chicago why she changed her mind.
An Afghan official says a bomb hidden in a parked motorcycle has ripped through a crowded bazaar in a remote region of the southern Helmand province, killing at least three people and wounding seven.
A roadside bomb struck a U.S. convoy in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, killing three American troops, while a motorcycle bomb in a crowded village market killed at least three Afghan civilians, officials said.
