Anger over higher Chicago sticker prices

金牛银熊

Chicago Alderman make about $100,000 each (5million) plus benefits. Cutting it down to say 30 saves 20 million guaranteed in ten years. More so if we cut all city politician salaries say 10%. It would bring the city deficit down to about even. Now if we do that in combination to cutting wasted cost we can actually start lowering taxes.

Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
$216,210
Jacquelyn Heard
Mayor's press secretary
$156,444
Joan Coogan
Assistant to the mayor
$111,900
Rod Blagojevich
Governor of Illinois
$150,691
Pat Quinn
Illinois lieutenant governor
$115,235

Lisa Madigan
Illinois attorney general
$132,963
Jesse White
Illinois secretary of state
$132,963

Alexi Giannoulias
Illinois state treasurer

$115,235

A. George Pradel
Naperville mayor (part-time)

$21,600
plus $5,400 to serve as city liquor commissioner

Bobbie Steele
President, Cook County Board of Commissioners, retired

$56,666
for four months (plus $136,000 pension in 2007)
(Source: Sun-Times)

William Bell
Chief, Oak Park Fire Department
$115,033

Marilyn Elder
Sanitation laborer, Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation
$56,826

John Eberhardt
Wastewater maintenance field supervisor, Naperville Public Utilities Department

$62,152

Richard Figiel
Machinist, Chicago Department of Water Management
$76,731

Annette Amelkovich
Recycling coordinator, Oak Park Department of Public Works
$16,224

Tong Tran
Deputy chief administrative officer, Chicago Board of Election Commissioners
$112,152

Philip Cline
Superintendent, Chicago Police Department
$182,016

Vincent Gortner
Lieutenant, Naperville Police Department
$105,383

Julie Schwerdtner
Sergeant, Oak Park Police Department
$78,483

James Gillingham
Law clerk for the Hon. Judge Martin S. Agran, Cook County
$38,916

Assistant public defender (level 2)
Office of the Cook County Public Defender
$44,974

Ronald Mohammed
Paralegal, Chicago Department of Law
$57,444

Margo Ely
Attorney, Naperville Legal Department

$127,244

Joshua Martin
Lawyer/partner, J. M. Martin & Associates
$125,000

CSI CHICAGO
Daniel Vasquez
Evidence technician, Chicago Police Department
$72,726

Percy Allen Jr.
Latent fingerprint examiner, Chicago Police Department
$75,258

Stephen Strzepek
Forensic investigator, Chicago Police Department
$94,188
Kelly McMullin
Explosives technician, Chicago Police Department
$88,356

金牛银熊

Parking uptown used to be a quarter for an hour. Now it's $1.25 an hour. Have you ever seen anything increase by 400%? Not a 5% increase, not 10, 400%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

金牛银熊

this is one of the reasons why I moved way. I was born and raised in chicago, on the near northside and went to lincoln park high school. You can thank mayor daley for all of these raise in in stickers, tickets and car boot fees. two years ago they started ticketing for having tint on the front side windows, $250.00. Property taxes and renting and everything else is already high; it is very unattractive for someone wanting to move to chicago. the gas and taxes on goods and food are some of the highest in the country. I feel sorry for some of my family and friends who still live there.; doesn't make any sense.

金牛银熊

22 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 4 users disliked this commentG.I J0E 15 hours ago Report Abuse I left chicago years ago because of this @#$%. It does,nt pay to live there. All the crime, parking issues, higher everything. I can not understand why anyone would want to live there. My next move will be out of this corrupt state all together.. They need to get rid of half the aldermen and every union only when you get rid of all the crooks will there ever be meaningful change...

金牛银熊

Chicago nice city, only one huge problem stupid mayor, who sold out Chicago for 75 years to newyorkers for parking. Only stupid person can do this kind business.

金牛银熊

6 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 1 users disliked this commentMad 14 hours ago Report Abuse I just moved to Chicago from the West Coast (Portland, OR.) I moved here for a unique opportunity that is offered only here in Chicago, but as soon as my work is done here, I'm gone! Everyone I talked to about this city prior to moving here ranted about how amazing of a city it was and I came in with a good attitude and high expectations. This city is taxed to the hilt and always seems to keep coming up with more reasons to charge its citizens. The crime is out of control and the city so far has appeared very gritty and dirty to me. I have noticed quite an agressive and almost "police state" like presents that I can't quite put my finger on. I have also noticed the city to be quite segragated and racist as hell. I am living in Lincoln park, but during an unsuspecing ride across town I found myself in a dangerous situation that lead to me being called a "white boy about to get robbed" and I litterally had to peddle my a$$ off to get away. I did notice while riding into the neighborhood that I got a few strange looks. Sorry but this city has some serious issues.Replies (1)

金牛银熊

moved from Chicago to Champaign ten years ago and haven't looked back. Cook County is too expensive and full of corruption. What do you people get back in return? I'll tell you....terrible traffic conditions, frequent parking tickets, towings, etc; 3 imprisoned governors, poor schools, extremely high cost of living, crime, ever-increasing taxes, overbearing labor unions. Oh...wait; I forgot....you get that dirty toilet they call the "L" subway system, and what about that museum of science and industry, that place hasn't been updated in over 20 years. Forget about any free public attractions too; I can't afford to shell out for the aquarium, art museum, Navy Pier, etc. (the Shed Aquarium is supposedly non-profit but the president pays himself a whopping annual salary of $6 million, it was on Dateline) Even the Godamn car show has become too expensive! Shouldn't that stuff be free, it is everywhere else, In D.C. everyplace I visited was free and not to mention, far better than what Chicago had to offer. I always tell people that visit Chicago that they'll go broke just for walking around and looking at the city for a day. I still visit friends in the city, but I'm always happy to leave and go to a place that feels like home. I've always been told that REAL VOTING is with your money, if your fed up with Chicago's bullshit, take your money somewhere else; but as long as you submit to their rules and pay up, it's business as usual for the politicians. You keep getting these liberal democrats because while your too busy working on electian day, all the deadbeats in that city are at the polls deciding what to do with your money.....Wake Up! The only people who like living there is because they see Chicago as impressive or prestigious; well, it's quickly losing both.

金牛银熊

I think it's a great idea! SUVs and pick ups take up more room, pollute more and create more wear and tear on our streets due to their weight. Why should the rest of us have to subsidize this? SUV owners should pay more. Owners of small hybrid cars make the city a better place to live (quieter, smaller, pollute less wear and tear on the streets). Let's encourage ownership of small hybrid cars - it's a great idea that they should pay less (and no, I don't own a small hybrid car). I personally am fine with the rate increase for the rest of the cars, including my own.

(I have lived in London and Rome and the cost of the Chicago sticker is peanuts in comparison). In London, it's $208 per year if you own an SUV. Plus for any car driving in congested areas (equivalent to our Michigan Ave, Loop or Lake Shore Drive), it's $15 per Day to drive through those areas. That does not include parking. If you do not pay this by the next day, the penalty is $192.00.

金牛银熊

You are paying these hikes because the public unions in Illinois are putting ads on TV stating that there is no way that any of their benefits should change or be cut, etc. The legislation in Illinois is not going to repeat what is happening in Wisconsin. So... this is one of places the money is going to come from. My question is: What is going to be targeted next? Air?

金牛银熊

The City of Chicago charged me an extra $130/month as a car lease tax. A lot of people do not know that...lease a car and live in city limits, we will tax you for that too. Chicago and Illinois are taxing people to death. I moved out of Cook County and never looked back. If it was up to me, I would leave this God awful State...taxes ("temporary" increased state income tax, "temporary" tollways), politicians, corruption, pensions, deficit, road conditions, weather...shall I go on?). I am so tired of, "But what about the restaurants, the culture, the sports teams, the lakefront, the skyline, the people"? I would rather have more of my hard earned money in my pocket than live here.