Chicago-Area Politicians Continue to Push Bullet Tax

Chicago-area politicians just won’t get the message delivered by the U.S. Supreme Court in the McDonald decision. They keep trying to weasel around the Second Amendment to keep the citizenry disarmed.

Most recently, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle floated the idea of a tax on guns and “bullets” to help close a $115 million budget deficit in 2013. As reported in the Chicago Tribune, Preckwinkle said “Gun violence is a real problem for us. It’s a problem for us in our criminal justice system, and it’s a problem for us in our health care system, and I make no apologies for the proposal.”

“Acute care for a shooting victim costs $52,000 on average, and 70 percent of shooting victims have no insurance,” she said. “Costs to Cook County go beyond those related to public health and medical treatment, as the county is responsible for maintaining public safety and for the prosecution and detention of those responsible for gun-related crimes.”

Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association immediately criticized the proposal, saying, “What’s causing the violent crime in Chicago are the drug dealers, the gangs, and if you are going to put a tax on something, why don’t you start taxing the gangs or the drug dealers,” Pearson said. “They are just making law-abiding citizens pay for something that they didn’t do. That’s all this is going to do, and drive business out of Cook County, of course.”

Cook County has some areas that are surprisingly rural, along with decayed industrial areas and run-down neighborhoods. The desires of the rural population, as you might guess, are not foremost in the minds of the county board majority.

Preckwinkle has generally been a pretty good board president, cleaning up after the corrupt Stroger family dynasty that ran Cook County for many years. But this proposal is very typical of the political calculus most urban politicians utilize. Gun owners are perceived to be middle-aged rural white men who live downstate. Young black men are both the authors and victims of crime in places like Cook County. You don’t get votes in a majority black area by suggesting young black men are the problem.

The safe course? Blame those white guys downstate. And that’s why even one of the better Chicago pols will propose a goofy idea like this.

john

doesnt sound like u need a bullet tax u idiot.it looks like u need to give gun shooting courses for free.which equals less medical cost all around.we all make choice's and its not american for u to make my choice. please everybody remember to double tapand practice shooting
- Craig S.
  
  I agree, and apparently she dosent realize that the people with guns that do the shootings didn't buy them legally and go threw the right processes. she needs to get a brain transplant. but that is a politician for ya
http://twitter.com/judithalamance @judithalamance

It's not just racially skewed – but also about taxing NONVOTERS (nonresidents) for inner-city social collapse and fiscal collapse. Just another scheme to pay Chicago's bills by taxing people not living in it – thus ineligible to vote in its elections. Just like taxes on rental cars at airports.
Fortunately, that also suggests the way to defeat it: make Chicago residents pay for their political idiocy and their failed city – by boycotting Chicago tourism, entertainment, and retailers. That will make people who DO count to Chicago politicians lean on them to do what it takes to stop any such tax(es) – end them.
Common Sense

One well placed bullet for each drug dealer would go a long way to fixing the county's problems.
- Liberals Suck
  
  And every liberal…
bill

the drug dealers are not as guilty as the politicians
GT6

@bill

/thread
http://www.facebook.com/robert.mccallum.754 Robert Mccallum

Now if this was a white person suggesting we tax the black people to pay for white problems ….people would say it's racist. However since she is black it makes it ok…. you got to love the double standards
- gman
  
  White people are not the only legal gun owners affected by this.Stupid is not biased.There have been plenty idiotic proposals by politicians of all races.
Tommy

Drunk drivers kill people with their cars everyday, yet no one is trying to take or tax my car. Why are they trying to take or tax my guns???
Dr. John

Thats nothing !!! the number 1 killer of man is modern medicine, the number one killer of man, yet there are no restrictions on doctors to slow prescription writing… legal drug atticks are ruining our water supply too !!
pissed

its a complete waste of tax payers money to try to pass these stupid laws. criminals dont pay taxes on the drugs they sell or the stuff they steal and seldom have to pay for any damage or hurt to anyone they done. so i dont think they will start paying taxes on the bullets. they will probly just start stealing them as a tax would make them worth more money..
Ben

Vote them all out. Everyone needs to be aware of the politians that threaten our rights and simply vote them out. I believe the number is over 50% of all Americans own a firearm. Thats a lot of votes for the candidate that believes in the Second Amendment and will not attack law abiding gun owners.
mike grunewald

good grief some politicians are dumber then dumb,they should have a permit to breathe
Scott

Harsher penalties for criminals & enforcement of existing laws is what is needed. The tax payers already pay for law enforcement, pay for the courts,and pay for correctonal facilities…enforce more restitution & sieze more assestsfrom criminals….I can barely afford to pay my own way, why should I foot the bill for politicians mistakes.
elihu

It is virtually impossible to underestimate the intelligence of Cook County positicians. It may be something in the air or water there that affects them, and the effects linger long after they are pushed out of Cook County into national office.
http://www.facebook.com/ben.martinez.12979 Ben Martinez

You need to educate your race from being "Thugs!" Jungle mentality.
Nate

One day all the guns and ammo will be outlawed, and the lowly, unemployed machinists whose jobs have long been sent to China will realize they can make A LOT of money manufacturing guns and ammo in their garages. Then they'll start selling those guns and ammo to the criminals who will use them to continue their criminal enterprises. And the law-abiding, unarmed citizens will continue to be victimized…while the politicians retire with their pensions tied to the consumer price index in their upscale neighborhoods with armed security.
jeepers creepers

Is Chicago in the USA or is it in Canada? I know New York City is a suburb of England. So many Anti-Amercian Cities trying to say that they are American. Please return all the un-American law makers back to England or Canada. If it would help I would give some money for the plane ticket (s).
guy

Buy a gun, buy bullets, all that you can because one day you'll need them to protect yourself, not from middle aged White guys but from Thugs and POLITICIANS who dont want you to be able to protect yourself from THEM, what kind of lame Racist Idiots are these num nuts?
Dan

So, let me get this straight. She wants legitimate gun owners to pay the medical expenses for gunshot victims because dope dealers, street gangsters and other criminals cause the gunshot wounds? This is supposed to stop gun violence? Or is she just looking for some quick money to close the county's budget shortfall?
Jim

It is to close the counties budget shortfall. You are totally right Dan. It the same thing they did with cigarettes. Because they can lead to cancer or heart problems, put a tax on them to pay for the medical costs. They will stop at nothing and use every excuse to get rid of the firearms. Anyone with common sense knows that the criminals don't care and they get there guns illegally. They are also using the courts to try and hold the dealer who sold the gun, the distributor who sold the gun to the dealer, and the manufacturer who made the gun responsible if they can trace the gun back to a legal sale. Complete crap!
- WY_Not
  
  Don't agree with either tax in the least. However, at least the cigarette tax has some SMALL basis in rationality. You were taxing the users who were costing the system. At least in theory anyone smoking cigarettes was contributing to the problem. The problem was with the system. It was treating those who had made the concious decision to smoke knowing they did not have the means to pay for the consequences.
  
  With an ammo tax, you are taxing a HUGE base of law abiding people who are doing no harm nor imposing any burden on their fellow citizens to pay for the illegal actions of a few criminals.
Peyton-111th

With Cook County having a 1-4 obesity rate.Should be taxing fast food not guns and ammo. I doubt 1-4 are affected by gun violence!
Alphapatriot

Misguided political liberal thinking, its what is destroying our great nation. Its not too late to take heart, take a stand, wake your neighbor, search your soul and take action. Unite as a group and be heard. Its our country , our liberties are being eroded .Many have died to allow us these freedoms, many morehave paid a heavy price, you only go around once in this life make it count.
Starky

I find it hard to believe with Obama being from Chicago that there is any crime. You would think he would have made it paradise before moving on to the national scene. This is however a indicator of the thought process of the left. With enough legislation and taxes we can solve everything. When will they learn it is the human element you have no control over. Laws and taxes will not change a person who has made their mind up. It will be very hard to get a hold on crime until the penalties (FAR!!!) out way the possible rewards of the crime. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.