Friday, August 05, 2016

Rahm Emanuel rejects suggested alternatives to his proposed new utility tax

The Chicago Tribune reports:
The day after he announced a new water and sewer tax to shore up a city pension fund, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday rejected revenue-generating alternatives offered by aldermen.

Emanuel's proposal for a new tax that would increase water and sewer bills by 30 percent over four years was immediately met with criticism from City Council progressives who argued the mayor hadn't considered their ideas.

On Thursday, he shot most of those ideas down.

A tax on financial trading? It's a no-go, because it would require Springfield's approval and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's unlikely signature, the mayor said.


A graduated income tax? Again, Emanuel said he can't rely on state lawmakers and the governor, especially with rating agencies threatening further credit downgrades.

Another property tax hike? Last year's record increase for police and fire pensions hasn't even been phased all the way in yet, and Emanuel said he was unwilling to go that route again.

A commuter tax on suburbanites? "You can't construct that without state approval," the mayor said.

Increasing the sales tax? "We have the highest sales tax in the United States of America," Emanuel said. "I don't think raising the sales tax higher than it is is the right way."
Blue America faces reality. Don't progressives care about average people?