Cook County Sales Tax Hike Stays As Override Of Stroger's Veto Fails, New Repeal Passed

CHICAGO (AP) -- Cook County's unpopular 1 percentage point sales tax increase is sticking around, at least for now.

County commissioners did not muster enough votes Tuesday to override President Todd Stroger's veto of a measure to rollback the tax. That leaves the sales tax in Chicago at 10.25 percent.

Fourteen of the 17 commissioners needed to back a veto override for it to be successful, but in the end only 11 supported it.

Commissioner Joseph Moreno voted to sustain Stroger's veto after initially voting for the tax repeal earlier this month.

"I made a mistake by going along, by being swallowed up with the whirlpool effect, the momentum on the vote," said Moreno, a Democrat.

But vanquished commissioners quickly passed a new measure to repeal the tax increase, setting up another confrontation with Stroger who pushed for it last year. Still, the 10-7 vote on the new measure is shy of the 14 commissioners needed to override any veto.

"This is not going to go away, people are angry, rightfully so. They see higher taxes paying for scandal and abuse in this government. They're suffering in this economy and they want a repeal," said Commissioner Forrest Claypool, a vocal critic of Stroger, a fellow Democrat.

The repeal measures pushed by commissioners continue to be larger than the smaller sales tax rollback Stroger has said he could back.

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Stroger accused commissioners who want to rollback the entire 1 percentage point increase of not finding ways to replace the money, lost revenue that Stroger said would create a $245 million budget deficit and force reductions in the county's health care system for the poor.

"If it's a battle between the have and have-nots, so be it. We are supposed to help people. That's our role," Stroger said.

Some commissioners accused Stroger of using scare tactics to maintain support for the tax increase by warning of deep cuts.

The county should rollback the tax to streamline a government famously known for its bloat, said Republican Commissioner Peter Silvestri.

"When the rest of the country and the rest of the world is suffering from these economic pinches that we're all in - pinches, I would call them slaps - we have to do our part to try to relieve our taxpayers of this burden," he said.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Comments

[jayevans20]

If your Claypool or your Perica can muster over 11,000 votes, one of them should be the winner for cook county board. The AA community is too angry at Stroger. Im not fond of ANY Chicago pol itian right now. I might miss out on voting in the next election until some one good comes along. Stop blaming everything on Stroger; Mayor Daley is the one that everyone should be ag ainst.

[jayevans20]

I don't like the Stroger as much as the next person but I don't hate him. Paying taxes is something we all have to do. Don't just blame Stroger, he has other clowns with him. Now as far as knocking B LACK ministers, that is a little too much. The Catholics came out for supports of "their candidate" as well; However, Im not going to knock them either. Also, Stroger has angered many in the AA community. Stroger will be lucky to get 10,000 votes. If your Claypool or your Perica can muster over 11,000 votes, one of them should be the winner. I don't like ANY Chicago politian right now. I might miss out on voting in the next election until some one good comes along. Stop blaming everything on Stroger; Mayor Daley is the one that everyone should be against. I find that funny that I don't here the suntimes or the tribune talk about getting rid of daley but everyone wants to get rid of Stroger. Chicago, how I love my divided city.

[Cogs]

Let's hope there's enough left in the county's budget for farewell parties.

[ekoorb]

Someone among the many who owe Todd big favors will come through. Detroit's mayor had a chartered plane waiting for him upon his release from jail.

[mjb5406]

Unfortunately for us Cook County residents, you're probably right The Black ministers will shake down their congregations for donations and ill cry "racism" if useless Stroger isn't re-elected.

[mjb5406]

Oh, how I hate being first to comment, especially since it's about the biggest waste of space, Todd Stroger. Funny how he never asks for support from Whites... just Blacks... and it's always the ministers, who are the biggest hypocrites since they are endorsing Stroger frakking their congregations (I LOVE that word... thanks, Battlestar Galactica). Once again, rather than dumping his overpaid, under qualified buddies, we have to pay for his fraud. This is a guy who lies constantly, is a criminal for not paying his taxe,s then has the cojones to say "I didn't pay because I have been too busy standing up for the people of the county, and too busy fighting the newspapers". In the inimitable words of Colonel Sherman T. Potter (from M*A*S*H), "Horse hockey!" Toddler, if you weren't such a flaming J-O then maybe you wouldn't have to fight the newspapers, since they'd stop reporting that you're so incompetent. Frak off, Todd, and stop frakking your cousin Donna Demmings.