An example of how Chicagoans are taxed to death (Springfield: sales, rental)

[lenniel]

I was looking at my Comcast bill the other day because the amount I owe seems to be creeping up recently. While I think these bills are designed to be so confusing that you need a PhD in applied mathematics to figure it out, I was once again amazed (I know I shouldn't be) to see in detail how we're taxed on just one single service in Chicago. This is on top of what we pay to own a car in the city, gas, sales tax, property tax, cell phone tax, etc,etc, etc.

My point is, I don't know if the Olympics would be good for Chicago or not, one thing I can virtually guarantee though, is that we will pay for it partially with taxpayer money.

-Univ Connectivity charge: .03
Regulatory Recovery fees: .31
FCC fee: .07
City amusement tax: $8.19!!!! (what the hell is this for!)
Leased transaction tax: .24
Fed excise tax: 1.21
Infrastrastructure maintenance fee: .17
State and local excise tax: 4.90
per call taxes: .04
911 fees: 5.00

[chet everett]

Why that tax is for the AMUSEMENT of the Mayor & Alderman of course. They are very amused that they can get away with wasting money the way they do!

The population of the City of Chicago is incredibly gullible. They swallow the BS that taxes like this are paid by "out of towners" that go plays or Cubs games or Solider Field. BS! The amusment tax sucks in MILLIONS from City residents!

Same for the restaurant tax and the bottled water tax and the parking tax and so many others. Chicago is able to throw away money because the saps that love love love being able to walk to a bar on the corner are too dizzy to figure out where their money really goes.

You would not believe how many people I know in my town (in eastern DuPage) that 'come to their senses' and realize they can own homes that are huge by City standards and still have LOTS MORE MONEY in their pocket TOGETHER with OUTSTANDING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE and safe quiet streets for about a 25 minute Metra commute. They generally kick themselves for supporting da Mare's taxes as long as they did...

As for the Olympics I strongly disagree that this will be a burden on tax payers of Chicago. The reason is simple, the Mayor is NOT all powerful and the same categories of taxes that are available to him are available to pretty much every other city in the State. The legislature authorizes these things, the City enacts them. Chicago would be powerless to collect taxes if Springfield did not OK them. There is NO WAY that anyone "downstate" would let Chicago bury a tax for just the Olympics!

Don't get me wrong, the Olympics will not be a model of efficiency -- all the "usual suspects" will take a BIG CUT out of the till, but the NATIONAL SPONSORS will see more of their investment go to stuff that they can BANK on than if the things go to any other country. Millions if not billions of "cost overruns" will go to Daley connected contractors. But the City will get a once in a lifetime party. There will be HUGE improvements to Parks and Transportation and the revenue from full hotels and fully utilized airports will be ENORMOUS. The City's EXISTING crazy taxes really WILL be paid by "outsiders" for a change who will gladly give us their currency in exchanged for DEVALUED US Dollars. It will NOT fall on residents of Chicago to make up any shortfalls, because the City will make a ton of dough. A TON!!!

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by lenniel

I was looking at my Comcast bill the other day because the amount I owe seems to be creeping up recently. While I think these bills are designed to be so confusing that you need a PhD in applied mathematics to figure it out, I was once again amazed (I know I shouldn't be) to see in detail how we're taxed on just one single service in Chicago. This is on top of what we pay to own a car in the city, gas, sales tax, property tax, cell phone tax, etc,etc, etc.

My point is, I don't know if the Olympics would be good for Chicago or not, one thing I can virtually guarantee though, is that we will pay for it partially with taxpayer money.

-Univ Connectivity charge: .03
Regulatory Recovery fees: .31
FCC fee: .07
City amusement tax: $8.19!!!! (what the hell is this for!)
Leased transaction tax: .24
Fed excise tax: 1.21
Infrastrastructure maintenance fee: .17
State and local excise tax: 4.90
per call taxes: .04
911 fees: 5.00

I think you're getting screwed by COMCAST mostly because these are the taxes on my cable bill:
High Speed Internet
City Rental Tax $0.24

Cable
Franchise and Peg Fees $3.00
Regulatory Fee $0.06
City Entertainment Tax $2.70

[softdev]

He has a phone bill mixed in there.

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by softdev

He has a phone bill mixed in there.

ohhh. yeah there's definitely more taxes on a phone bill - that's like $13 bucks of my phone bill!

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

I think you're getting screwed by COMCAST mostly because these are the taxes on my cable bill:
High Speed Internet
City Rental Tax $0.24

Cable
Franchise and Peg Fees $3.00
Regulatory Fee $0.06
City Entertainment Tax $2.70

I have phone, hight speed internet and cable with a couple HD boxes. It's still highway robbery though!

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by lenniel

I have phone, hight speed internet and cable with a couple HD boxes. It's still highway robbery though!

Oh I agree.

I probably shouldn't post so early in the AM, I don't read things all the way through.

[SJaye]

I will vote against all incumbents next year. They are doing us a real disservice right now!

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Gioobag

Another Olympic tax will be in the form of a subsidy from the middle class taxpayer to the non-tax payer who will end up with "free tickets for the disadvantaged" to "attend the World's games, blah blah blah."

The middle class person will end up footing the bill, having to buy the tickets and getting reamed on concessions -- a microcosm of life in America.

Gioo, the most taxing thing around here is you and your crybaby act.

[Avengerfire]

There is no tax on internet services (YET!.) If you rent a modem the city charges you a tax of like 8% on it every month.

Where they get you with the b.s. taxes is on the phones (landline or cell) and cable.