Cook County's Giant Tax Increase Supported By Government Workers

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Amid dozens of average taxpayers at Wednesday night's public hearing on Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's proposed tax increases were a large number of health care professionals who support the plan.

But other residents were critical of the proposal to increase sales, gasoline and parking taxes to pay for the $3.2 billion county government budget and the $153 million Forest Preserve budget.

The three-hour public hearing in the auditorium of south suburban Oak Forest Hospital, attended by about 280 people, was the first of four on the plan.

Provident Hospital nurse Debra Ali said the tax increases are necessary to support the county's public health care system. She said, for example, trained professionals have had to take on additional tasks.

"Nurses have become furniture movers," Ali said. At the same time, she said, "We're really trying to work together."

Your tax increase is their pay raise.