Hefty Tax Hike

Tribune story on budget shortfalls on the RTA/CTA. State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), whose distict extends into New Trier township after the Dem jerrymandering, cries crocodile tears while sticking it to the suburban taxpayers she forgets she represents.

Hamos, who represents a significant slice of Chicago, was a proponent of a combining the two entities to set us up to subsidize Chicago's unprofitable CTA and its unfunded pension obligations. Earlier stories here and here:

The sponsor of legislation to pump millions into the Chicago area's struggling transit system through an increase in regional sales taxes will push ahead with the measure this week despite veto threats from the governor.

Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), chair of the House Mass Transit Committee, said she expects the proposal to be approved by the committee this week. She hopes to bring the measure to a full vote as soon as she secures the supermajority of 71 votes in the House that is required in the General Assembly's overtime session. [snip]

The plan calls for a 0.25 percent sales tax hike in Cook and the collar counties and would authorize the city to impose a real estate transfer tax to support the Chicago Transit Authority.

The rumor is that the sales tax hike to bail out RTA/CTA may be HALF a percent in collar counties and 1/4 of 1% in Cook. (Cook likely to institute a higher real estate transfer tax too...) PRETTY STIFF INCREASE!