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Call to Action: Oppose Cook Co. Ammo Tax


Molly B.

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Cook Co. Board President Toni Preckwinkle Continues to Hold Law-abiding Gun Owners Responsible for the Cost of Crime in Cook County!

- Cook County Proposes Ammunition Tax -

CALL NOW TO OPPOSE THIS UNFAIR TAX!

Instead of holding violent criminals accountable for the high cost of their crimes, Board President Toni Preckwinkle wants to punish law-abiding gun owners with an outrageous ammunition tax. Three years ago, the board passed a $25 tax on gun sales under the pretense that it would help to defray healthcare costs caused by violent criminals. A proposed ammo tax failed at that time but now Preckwinkle is back to try again to punish law abiding gun owners for crimes they did not commit.

This is not an equal tax on everyone. It is specifically targeting law-abiding firearm owners. The only people who can legally purchase ammunition in IL must have a valid Firearm Owner Identification card, so the only people who will be taxed are the people who are NOT committing violent crimes.

The proposed tax will add 5 cents a round to the cost of centerfire ammo, over 20% increase in cost, not counting the regular sales tax. A 1 cent per round for rimfire ammo means an increase of $5.00 a box for 500 .22 rimfire! This is not just about revenue, it is an attack on the 2nd Amendment!

If you live in or shop in Cook County, contact the board members and oppose this unfair tax.

 

Cook County District maps are available here.

 

Richard R. Boykin (1st)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-4566
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-3696
Email: richard.boykin@cookcountyil.gov

Robert Steele (2nd)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-3019
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-4055
District Phone: (773) 722-0140
District Fax: (773) 722-0145
Email: r.steele@robertsteele.org

Jerry “Iceman” Butler (3rd)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603 6391
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-5671
Email: jerry.butler@cookcountyil.gov

Stanley Moore (4th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-2065
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-2039
District Phone: (773)783-2412
District Fax: (773)783-2799
Email: stanley@commissionermoore.com

Deborah Sims (5th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603 6381
District Phone: (708) 371-4251
District Fax: (708) 371-4376
Email: deborah.sims@cookcountyil.gov

Joan Patricia Murphy (6th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-4216
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-3693
District Phone: (708) 389-2125
District Fax: (708) 389-2240
Email: joan.murphy@cookcountyil.gov

Jesus G. Garcia (7th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-5443
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-3759
District Phone: (773) 376-2700
District Fax: (773) 376-3320
Email: Jesus.Garcia@cookcountyil.gov

Luis Arroyo Jr. (8th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-6386
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-9531
Email: luis.arroyojr@cookcountyil.gov

Peter N. Silvestri (9th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-4393
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-1154
District Phone:(773) 444-0346
District Fax:(773) 444-0373
Email: cookcty9@aol.com

Bridget Gainer (10th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-4210
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-3695
District Phone: (773) 561-1010
District Fax: (773) 561-1025
Email: Office@bridgetgainer.com

John P. Daley (11th)
Phone: (312) 603-4400
Fax: (312) 603-6688
Email: john.daley@cookcountyil.gov

John A. Fritchey (12th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-6380
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-1265
District Phone: (773)71-4000
District Fax: (773) 423-0392
Email: commish@fritchey.com

Larry Suffredin (13th)
Main Office Phone: (312)603-6383
Main Office Fax: (312)603-3622
Email: larry.suffredin@cookcountyil.gov

Gregg Goslin (14th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-4932
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-3686
District Phone: (847) 729-9300
District Fax: (847) 729-2279
Email: commissioner.goslin@cookcountyil.gov

Timothy O. Schneider (15th)
Main Office Phone: (312)603-6388
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-6500
District Phone: (847) 640-1632
District Fax: (847) 640-1910
Email: tim.schneider@cookcountyil.gov

Jeffrey R. Tobolski (16th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-6384
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-4744
District Phone: (708) 352-2301
District Fax: (708) 352-2197
jeffrey.tobolski@cookcountyil.gov

Sean M. Morrison (17th)
Main Office Phone: (312) 603-4215
Main Office Fax: (312) 603-2014
District Phone: (708) 349-1336
District Fax: (708) 349-1627
Email: sean.morrison@cookcountyil.gov



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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-toni-preckwinkle-hotel-tax-met-1110-20151109-story.html

 

 

 

...

The bullet tax would be 5 cents per round for "centerfire ammunition" and 1 cent per bullet for "rimfire ammunition." It would raise about $320,000 a year.

...

At a projected $320,000 in revenue, this tax has nothing to do with enhancing a $4,500,000,000 budget. It's 0.007% of the whole.

 

No, it's a punitive move, combined with a desperate political attempt to show progress on gun control.

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The people who create revenue projections for the county are shameless hacks. Their revenue projections are notorious for being off. The projections are just lies that the politicians have their cronies cook up to try to build support for their tax schemes.

 

This is brought to you by the same people who claimed that raising the cigarette tax would not result in a black market for cigarettes, but would instead raise $10 million.

 

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20131113/OPINION/131109803/guess-who-gets-burned-by-chicagos-cigarette-tax

 

The fact that they keep getting away with their blatant lies is infuriating.

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IF they ever start collecting the tax, I smell a lawsuit .

 

Cost them MORE than the tax revenues.

they've been collecting the tax on guns now for a couple of years, and seem not to be abating that one anytime soon, and that's even more directly related to direct infringement on arms than even taxing the ammunition. this will pass and i bet some ranges will close because of it too. thanks cook county!

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Molly you would love this district map is a very pretty rectangular shape.

 

http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Documents/Cook%20County%20Board%20Commissioner%20Districts/Municipality/CB16.pdf

 

It's the New Rectangular, kind of like "new math"

That's the new map for next election cycle ... designed to hand another district to Hispanics. That's right, they preach that race politics are wrong, then gerrymander maps to link up Hispanic communities wherever they can be found. That was a Republican district until a couple of cycles ago. Al Carr, Peraica, now D with Tobolski.

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I'm having a hard time finding out who my cook county rep is. I live downtown in the loop.

Which one is mine? Does it even apply?

It's gerrymandered, but likely Bobbie Steele II ... you lucky bassturd.

 

 

Looks like I'm in District 2

 

https://datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov/download/sg3k-5cf5/application/pdf

 

Yup - Robert Steele

 

http://www.cookcountyil.gov/robert-steele/

 

Will he let me have some Steele ammo? I would like some ammo with Steele in it.

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For what its worth, back in 2012, two of the commissioners were opposed to the ammunition tax:

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-31/news/chi-preckwinkle-drops-bullet-tax-keeps-gun-tax-20121031_1_bullet-tax-gun-tax-budget-director-andrea-gibson

 

* John Fritchey

* Edwin Reyes

 

Note that they were not opposed to it because they are die-hard 2A supporters, but for their own reasons.

 

 

Also interesting - revenue generated by the $25 firearm tax:

 

http://www.vocativ.com/news/220658/seattle-gun-tax/

 

 

Figures show it actually generated $490,000 [in 2013], but rose to $900,000 in 2014. The tax is expected to generate a further $950,000 by the end of 2015
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The commissioner maps are so ridiculously difficult to follow that I had to use the board of elections site to look my voter info up and give me my district number.

 

Turns out I'm district 12, which isn't even shown on this website. http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Pages/CommissionerDistrictMaps.aspx

 

It's quite literally missing district 12.

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Molly you would love this district map is a very pretty rectangular shape.

 

http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Documents/Cook%20County%20Board%20Commissioner%20Districts/Municipality/CB16.pdf

 

It's the New Rectangular, kind of like "new math"

I like my district

 

http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Documents/Cook%20County%20Board%20Commissioner%20Districts/Municipality/CB6.pdf

 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

 

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I've sent out the following e-mail to the commissioner in my district, John Fritchey. Should I send it to other ones as well, do you think?:

 

Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 12:41 AM

To: 'commish@fritchey.com'
Subject: From a disabled veteran: I expect you'll gladly represent my interests regarding the Cook County ammunition tax.

 

Date: November 11, 2015

 

To: John A. Fritchey, Cook County Commissioner

 

Greetings:

 

As a disabled veteran who served in combat to preserve the rights enshrined in our Constitution, I am deeply disturbed by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle’s attempt to impose a tax on Cook County firearm owners in a specious and disingenuous attempt to penalize law-abiding citizens such as myself for our exercise of our Second Amendment rights. Not only is such a tax discriminatory against people like me who own and use firearms legally, Federal courts and courts in our own state have held that taxes that are imposed on fundamental rights such as free speech, marriage, and in this case the right to bear arms, are unconstitutional, as was adjudicated in cases such as Minneapolis Star and Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Com’r of Revenue, 460 U.S. 575 (1983) and Boynton v. Kusper, 494 N.E.2d 135 (Ill. 1986).

 

Since I am a disabled combat veteran who understands deeply the value of unhindred exercise of those rights that I sacrificed to protect, I can say that such a proposal as put forth by President Preckwinkle is an affront to myself and every veteran that I know, and I have spoken to quite a few regarding this matter. This proposed tax does nothing to reduce firearm crimes by unlawful users, nor will any of the miniscule amounts of revenue collected benefit anyone living in the county. Rather, it will burden and cause individuals such as myself to purchase our ammunition for the exercise of our Second Amendment Rights outside of the county, if for nothing else on principle, thus depriving local businesses of sales revenue. Additionally, whatever tax revenue that might be obtained will almost certainly be consumed, along with a far greater amount of other taxpayer money, by litigation challenging this ill-advised anti-gun taxation scheme. Therefore, I consider such taxes to be a disgraceful waste of the hard-earned money that veterans such as myself earn and receive from our disability pensions.

 

Furthermore, since I am quite active in corresponding with other veterans and helping them have their voices heard, due to my vocation, also as a matter of principle I will be devoting a significant amount of time and effort to supporting any efforts against this tax should it pass, and assisting other veterans in rallying against it in any way possible, including as participants in any litigation challenging it. I am also active as a voter and aid my fellow veterans in informing their own voting efforts, so in upcoming elections we will certainly remember and vote accordingly regarding those elected officials who represent our interests in matters such as this. Since I have worked as a journalist and researcher for many years, I am absolutely inclined to follow up on verifying who truly serves our desires and necessities as our elected officials.

 

Thus, I expect that you will gladly represent those interests by voting emphatically AGAINST this proposed unfair, descriminatory, and unconstitutional tax on ammunition by Cook County.

 

I would appreciate an acknowledgement and reply to this correspondence from your office, so that I can have a clear idea of what your office’s position is on this matter, so that I may make note of it for future reference.

 

Thank your for your time and consideration on this matter, and I will look forward to the expected reply. I hope that this Veterans Day finds you well.

 

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That's a fantastic letter.

 

I addressed my e-mail to my rep, and cc'd all the rest. And included a picture of the check :devil:

 

Thanks, and I just sent a copy of the letter to the rest of the commissioners, as well.

 

I didn't add the check photo in, although I was tempted to, but I think they are well aware of what it ends up costing for stupid things such as this. If only we could make those checks be paid for by the salaries of the elected officials who allow them to have to be necessary in the first place. That would curtail this kind of thing right quick.

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Anybody planning on speaking at the meeting? (link: https://cook-county.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=443985&GUID=D10CB62F-6B91-46F3-9B97-64F9B36B1A45&Options=info&Search=).Looks like you need to send them this form if you do: http://www.cookcountyil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Testify-Form.pdf. I want to do it myself but I have to be at work.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-toni-preckwinkle-hotel-tax-met-1110-20151109-story.html

 

 

 

...

The bullet tax would be 5 cents per round for "centerfire ammunition" and 1 cent per bullet for "rimfire ammunition." It would raise about $320,000 a year.

...

At a projected $320,000 in revenue, this tax has nothing to do with enhancing a $4,500,000,000 budget. It's 0.007% of the whole.

 

No, it's a punitive move, combined with a desperate political attempt to show progress on gun control.

$

The county could get rid of 2 or 3 highly paid do-nothing bureaucrats and save more than $320k. If the tax passes, it is only a short drive to the burbs.

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The commissioner maps are so ridiculously difficult to follow that I had to use the board of elections site to look my voter info up and give me my district number.

 

Turns out I'm district 12, which isn't even shown on this website. http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Pages/CommissionerDistrictMaps.aspx

 

It's quite literally missing district 12.

I had the same problem, I'm District 12 also.
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This is all about driving business out of cook county and "we have to do something."

Anyone who chooses to take their business out of Cook County is HELPING the anti's.

Lets be real here. Im not rich, why would I want to pay already inflated prices, on top of high taxes when I can support stores 5 miles away across the border, that dont rip off customers by charging premiums.

 

Sure supporting a lgs is noble, but not when they see you as a walking wad of cash. Charging msrp/above msrp with high taxes is economic suicide.

 

Either way Im "helping" the antis. Mind as well avoid giving them my money.

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Molly you would love this district map is a very pretty rectangular shape.

 

http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Documents/Cook%20County%20Board%20Commissioner%20Districts/Municipality/CB16.pdf

 

It's the New Rectangular, kind of like "new math"

 

 

OH. GOOD. HEAVENS! Look at that thing!! Gerrymandering in all its glory, for sure.

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