Friday, May 22, 2009

Ald. Fioretti: Reduce or nix Chicago's gas tax

Sun-Times:
Chicago should either reduce its nickel-a-gallon gas tax or get rid of it altogether to stop the “annual mugging” of motorists forced to endure the nation’s highest gas prices, an alderman suggested Thursday.

Just in time for the Memorial Day kick-off of the summer driving season, Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) said it’s time to give struggling families a break, even if it exacerbates the city’s budget crunch.

“In this city, we’ve started to tax everything except for the air that we breathe. Now, we have to lower [taxes] in areas to bring back the business,” Fioretti said.

Noting that most gas stations double as convenience stores, he said, “By lowering taxes, we’re gonna be able to draw more people in. …By people coming into the city and spending more money on other items, it will make up for it.”
Someone is actually making sense for a change!

Via CapFax morning shorts!

1 comment:

  1. I don't think that makes any sense at all! I do think too many things are taxed around here, but gas is one thing that *ought* to be, since driving creates so many negative externalities (pollution, congestion, danger of accidents). If you want to put money back in the pockets of people who need it most, cut taxes on something much more important - food!

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