It's Official

[ATBackPackin]

$25-a-gun sales tax approved in Chicago area.

Story

A controversial "violence tax" on guns in the Chicago area was approved Friday by Cook County commissioners, NBC Chicago.com reported.

The $25 tax on every gun purchased in the county -- city law prohibits gun sales in Chicago -- is meant to offset health care and other costs of gun violence, Board President Toni Preckwinkle said.

"Gun violence is a real problem for us," she said. "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."

Preckwinkle said the average shooting victim cost taxpayers $52,000 in acute care because nearly 70 percent of the victims don't have health insurance, NBC Chicago.com reported.

Here we go. I have a feeling that this is only going to be the beginning.

 

[gp911]

Yep, they'll only get bolder over the next few years...

 

[hso]

They can approve it, but whether it will stand up in court is another matter.

They may argue that the $25 isn't so high that it effectively prohibits purchase, but when a store can't make a sale in the affected area because their competitors just across the county line don't have the same tax applied the courts will probably treat it as a backdoor ban.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I wonder how many impoverished and uninsured drivers kill and maim there.

A few years ago here, at pioneer square or somesuch, they instituted a $600 fine for smoking there. The cops let the many bums smoke there but ticket the tourists etc.

 

[Apple a Day]

Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that Congress can levy taxes on whatever they like (see also: Obamacare) expect to see a push for the same on guns and ammo nationwide.

 

[leapfrog]

But everyone is supposed to have health insurance. OH wait that is just working folks.

 

[beatledog7]

You know what's gonna happen? People who support more government control, regulation and taxation are going to applaud this sort of thing for a while, then some new control measure, tax, or regulation they don't like is going to come down the pike, and they're going to say, "Hey, wait a minute. I don't like this one." And the government is going to say, "But you said you want this sort of thing; I'm just doing what you said you want me to do." And it will be true.

Freedom will die the death of a thousand tiny paper cuts.

And lest we forget, the outright banning of handguns was narrowly defeated by SCOTUS. One more anti-gun Justice, and "backdoor" bans will be passe.

 

[Pilot]

Dangerous precedent. We all know how these things spread, usually eminating from California. This is what the majority voted for, no?

 

[mr.scott]

You all seem to forget or not know, but there already is a tax on every gun andbullet made or imported into the US.

 

[r1derbike]

What is to keep people from buying in outlying counties, and bringing them into the taxed commie county? Will there be a ban on that too, if not already in the works?

 

[ATBackPackin]

You all seem to forget or not know, but there already is a tax on every gun andbullet made or imported into the US.

That's true, but this is on top of all of that.

 

[ATBackPackin]

What is to keep people from buying in outlying counties, and bringing them into the taxed commie county? Will there be a ban on that too, if not already in the works?

I guess it will depend on the individual shop's prices, but I wouldn't buy in Crook County just out of principle. Even if it cost me more outside that county.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Cali already has death of a thousand fees

 

[bushmaster1313]

How about a "Fat Tax".

It is well known that there is a correlation between being obese and medical problems.

 

[barnbwt]

Freedom will die the death of a thousand tiny paper cuts.

Does it die any other way? The dangerous precedent of this law is not the tax itself, but the justification being taxing legal guns to combat the ills of those used illegally. The sportsman's tax was developed to promote the shooting sports and the lands they take place on. This new tax will go toward promoting additional bans, propaganda, buy backs, and maybe--just maybe--toward the medical bills of the victims it is supposedly intended for (if there's any left after promoting "the greater good" and graft).

The Supreme Court has ruled a "penalty" may be levied on tax payers for whatever purpose the Congress thinks is beneficial. Deep down, a governmental power would never see an armed populace as beneficial. Bans and taxes on our arms are staved off by little more than fickle popular opinion at this point; and their outright confiscation by a handful of court rulings. The "third rail" has lost some voltage...

Chicago appears to operate with little in the way of democratic restraint these days--yet another vaunted public figure is headed to prison, days after being re-elected in a landslide, by a constituency who hasn't seen him in months.

TCB

How about a "Fat Tax".

I think it used to be called "shame"--something in glorious absence these days

 

[Shadow 7D]

the already did it once, called the NFA...

 

[Owen Sparks]

Could the city of Chicago get away with a tax on other constitutionally enumerated rights?

How about a 25 dollar tax on free speech, legal counsel, religion, assembly or newspapers?

 

[aussiepedro]

Okay...Im not the sharpest tool in the shed, but as about ( Im guessing ) 90% of these woundings would be by crims using stolen/ illegally obtained fire arms and as such no sales tax!.

 

[oneounceload]

What gun stores are still in business in Chicago? Otherwise, no biggie. Most crimes in Chicago are black on black, maybe they should look at the root causes and blame Jesse, Al, and company for their lack of being good role models

 

[InkEd]

Aussie, how DARE you point out obvious facts and logic to liberal politicians? LOL

 

[mg.mikael]

What gun stores are still in business in Chicago? Otherwise, no biggie.

This is a tax on guns sold in Cook County. A tax on guns sold just in Chicago wouldn't do anything since their are no gun stores within city limits(although if they could jump through the hurdles a gun store could technically open in Chicago, but I'd bet on pigs flying before this happened.)

 

[Deus Machina]

Does the $25 cover a Lojack unit mounted in a grip panel?

Because that's the way to follow violence in Chicago.

 

[HorseSoldier]

Could the city of Chicago get away with a tax on other constitutionally enumerated rights?

How about a 25 dollar tax on free speech, legal counsel, religion, assembly or newspapers?

I'd want to say no, but we are living in an era where NYC's mayor can apparently get away with declaring a nutritional jihad on transfats and non-diet soda, so maybe all bets are off these days . . .

 

[ErikO]

Cook county is the land of Unintended Consequences. All this means is that shops in Will, Lake, Du Page, Mc Henry and Kendal Counties will make out very well as will gas stations that are close by. Near total win for Northern Chicagoland.

I bet that Cabela's is sad that they chose the wrong county to open that store in.

 

[Halal Pork]

What is to keep people from buying in outlying counties, and bringing them into the taxed commie county? Will there be a ban on that too, if not already in the works?

I wonder the same thing.

Additionally, trying to see the other side's point of view, I'm trying to figure out how this tax is going to help alleviate the problems it's intended to address. I don't understand how anyone who supported the tax honestly believes this will reduce violence or offset the costs thereof.