McHenry County Blog

That was the editorial message from the Chicago Sun-Times to the Cook County Board for a committee’s having recommended that 53 restaurants and taverns in unincorporated Cook County not be allowed to have electronic slot machines.

Of course, most of the media label them “video poker machines,” a description that makes them so much less threatening.

After all, people watch poker games on TV.

Nobody would watch people playing slot machines.

The McHenry County Board’s License and Liquor Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 7th, at the Administrative Center, which is on Ware Road north of the McHenry County Jail.

It’s too boring.

So far, I have seen no position from either of the daily Heralds. 

Too potentially addictive.

The Cook County Board voted to cut the Cook County sales tax by 50%.

The suggestion in this article in today’s Chicago Sun-Times proved correct.

The Cook County sales tax hike took effect the same day that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% city sales tax was imposed.

July 1, 2008.

Both tax hikes have been in effect just over a year.

No one on the Crystal Lake city council has proposed cutting back on the local version, to the best of my knowledge.

Jeff Thorsen was the only council member to vote against the tax hike.

Crystal Lake shoppers apparently don’t care.

While I’m in Woodstock tomorrow, I’ll stop in the Super Walmart and save myself some sales tax.

Until I read it in Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown’s column today, I didn’t realize that the Cook County sales tax fight is racial.

Talking about the possibility of a veto, Brown writes,

“That’s unlikely given the current split, now breaking down along racial lines. All the African-American commissioners either backed Stroger or voted present, while all the white commissioners opposed him.

“The two Hispanic commissioners split, with Joseph Mario Moreno backtracking from his earlier vote to repeal the tax increase, which was a flip-flop from his original support for the tax.”

At least that’s the way it appears when one looks at the article on the facing page. (Click to enlarge.)

Take a look at the faces voting to repeal Todd Storger’s sales tax.

They are all white.

Stroger’s supporters are all African-Americans, except one.