Deborah Sims threatens taxpayers: "We've got to get that penny back"

We've been given fair warning. If Deborah Sims is re-elected, she will vote to raise our taxes (again) here in Cook County. "I think that penny -- we need to figure out how to get it back," she told the League of Women Voters candidate forum in Flossmoor on Wednesday night, "We've got to get that penny back." Despite the observation from Sims' opponent, Sheila Chalmers-Currin, that we "pay the highest sales tax in America," the current County Commissioner for the 5th district was completely unmoved. The increase of the penny sales tax was justified, and Sims made it very clear where she stood.

With Todd Stroger and raising our taxes.

Supporters of Deborah Sims passed out the flyer that Todd Stroger has been using to explain why the County's increase in our sales taxes shouldn't be a cause for alarm. Like Todd Stroger, Sims boasts that Cook County is "in good shape," one of the few governmental entities in the country that is completely unaffected by the worst recession most residents have ever seen. But the reason that Cook County can "afford" to pay for Deborah Sims' expensive Cadillac or her chauffeur or Stroger's relatives or contracts that go not to the lowest but the highest bidders (who just so happen to be political backers of Todd Stroger and Deborah Sims) is because Stroger and Sims raised Cook County taxes to a level that allowed excessive spending for their personal benefit.

But we aren't overtaxed, Sims told us. Nope, the County's portion of your tax bill is miniscle and more than justified. So much so that she pledged to add another penny to it!

"We've got to get that penny back," Sims told the crowded room in Flossmoor.

Sims' opponent couldn't have disagreed more with her intention of raising our taxes again. "We are taxed enough," Sheila Chalmers-Currin said last night. She noted that Sims' comments were a "perfect example of being out of touch with your constituents."

"This tax is too much," she concluded.

Wherein one of Deborah Sims' employees interrupted Chalmers-Currin, and was publicly admonished by the League of Women Voters' moderator.

Given additional time, Sheila Chalmers-Currin observed that "We can't afford four more years of the same." The back of the crowd erupted in applause.

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Truth about the Cook County Sales Tax

This leaflet was handed out at the recently held Chicago Football Classic on Saturday. In fact they had children hand these leaflets out before game where two HBCU football teams Mississippi Valley State University had defeated Alabama State University 10-3 at Soldier Field. Of course this wasn't the only political activity there on that day as Congressman Danny Davis, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, and a woman named Kari K. Steele (from Chicago's Sixth Ward) were seeking petition signatures respective for County Board President and Commissioner on the Water Reclamation District.

Anyway, here's the flyer explaining the purpose of the Cook County sales tax it doesn't seem to advocate for a reduction of it. In fact it seems to want to qwell some of the bellyaching over the fact that Cook County has the highest sales tax in the county.

 

I want to present here another flyer from Bill Beavers asking us if his constituents are willing to pay an extra penny in sales tax. I got this in the mail over the summer. Posted about it on The Sixth Ward.

Well both of these pieces have an agenda one was more informative, perhaps even to quell bellyaching over the county sales tax. The other agenda was to maintain the health care services in the county.

The next question is to ask if you think these pieces were effective?

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Arlene Jones musing on economic stimulus checks

Arlene writes on what she'll do with that check.

Lastly, I know if America's economy is suffering, Black America's economy is almost dead. I will make an effort to spend that money with a black business or a black person, like those who will be at the Juneteenth celebration on Chicago Avenue next month. I got an offer to renew my Jet Magazine, so I'll renew it for four years rather than two. I'm sending some money for the King Memorial in Washington so I can say when I see it that I helped to build it. Lastly, my handyman is going to make money doing some of the home repairs that I need done that I cannot do.

Chicago's got a ten-and-quarter percent sales tax now. If that isn't a crushing tax on the people I don't know what is. Best thing the County could do for any business is reduce this tax.

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