Going to Nc? Be Aware of Chicago's Dirty Little Secret.

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

The __________ (fill in the derogatory term of your choice) that run Cook County have just raised the county sales tax, and the city of Chicago also raised their already outrageously high sales tax. The sales tax rate in Chicago is now 10.5%. TEN AND HALF PERCENT!That means your hotel rate has a hidden amount you're going to get smashed. Your hotel room is going to be taxed with both the local sales tax AND the hotel and travel tax. You can expect an additional $10-25 (or more) per day added to your hotel bill - keep that in mind when you're planning.If I were a resident, or business owner, in Chicago or Cook County, I would be absolutely outraged but that's another whole topic.

NOTE: Please see post #20 before you make a contribution to this thread.

 

[redsoxgirl]

WOW! That's insane!!!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

What scares me is that whatever bad idea takes flight in Illinois often gets duplicated here.

 

[dannyzmom]

Unreal!!!
Thanks for the head's up KG.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Thanks for the insight!

 

[SusanBP0129]

That is crazy!
I thought our tax rate was high!! (8.375%)

 

[wadesgirl]

Wow! It's almost expected to get slammed with crazy taxes, fees, etc everytime you get a hotel room though!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

There are secret taxes added to every car rental and hotel room in the country (if not the world) that are levied by the travel and tourism boards - that's how they pay for those television spots that beg for you to discover South Dakota or spend your vacation in beautiful Open Overshoe. Those taxes can be anywhere from a couple of pennies to as much as 12-15%. (Chicago's hotel tax is 15.4%.) Pile on 10-1/2% sales tax on top of that, and when you go to check out, suddenly your bargain $200 per night hotel room is $251.80 per night.Not that it would be a whole lot cheaper to stay in the 'burbs and ride the train in every day.ETA: I'm trying to find out if the downtown hotel tax of 15.4% includes the city and county sales taxes or if it's separate from the hotel tax.

 

[legacypc46]

thanks for the info kg; it will help with the budgeting for conference

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Just make sure, when you book your hotel, to find out UP FRONT AND IN WRITING what the hidden taxes are, so you don't get surprised when you arrive.Incidentally, you're also going to be taxed 10-1/2% on anything you buy in the city - so remember you're going to pay $110.50 for every $100.00 you spend and budget your spending cash accordingly. Unless, between now and then, the good people of Chicago and Cook County revolt and overthrow their government.

 

[DebbieJ]

Thanks, Todd Stroger. He's the president of the Cook County Board. He replaced his late father. Nepotism at its finest....Talk about corruption....

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

We're going to school on Chicago up here. In the last election, one district elected an alderman who's in jail, without bail, on Federal charges.

 

[janetupnorth]

We're going to school on Chicago up here. In the last election, one district elected an alderman who's in jail, without bail, on Federal charges.

No really, I'm not that surprised...

 

[susanr613]

I hope you all are not too scared by KG's venting to come here and enjoy the following FREE attractions - this is just a partial list:

Art

Art Institute of Chicago for no admission charge on Thursday evenings.

The City Gallery is an old water tower now used as a venue for local photographers to display their work. It is right on Michigan Avenue, across from Waater Tower Place mall

Museum of Contemporary Art is free on Tuesdays.

National Museum of Mexican Art is always free.

The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art charges no admission and displays visionary art and works by self-taught artists.

Attractions

See a free water display every hour at the Buckingham Fountain from mid-April to mid-October. The best time to go is between dusk and 10 p.m. when the fountain's 134 spouting jets are accompanied by a music and light display.

Lincoln Park Zoo. Admission to the zoo is free seven days a week.

Millennium Park incorporates art, music, architecture, and landscape design. This 24.5-acre (9.9-hectare) sanctuary, located in downtown Chicago, boasts the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the interactive Crown Fountain, and a popular sculpture designed by British artist Anish Kapoor. Free programs—such as Music Without Borders and Home Cooked Jazz—are held in the park throughout the year. Susan's note: this is one of my favorite places in Chicago, for the installations and people-watching.

The Chicago Greeter Program offers free walking tours of the city hosted by resident volunteers.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: Visitors can enter for free on Thursdays, but a donation is appreciated.

The DuSable Museum of African-American History offers visitors free entry every Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Oriental Institute Museum is free to the public.

The Chicago Public Library offers a host of exhibits and ongoing programs at no charge.

Check out the Jane Addams Hull House, one of the first settlement houses in the United States.

Interested in learning more about Chicago's architecture? Visit the Archicenter, which is free to the public seven days a week 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Every year, the Chicago Cultural Center hosts a variety of free programs and events related to the visual, literary, and performing arts.

Outdoor

Enjoy a break from the city's urban side at the Chicago Botanic Garden and stroll through miles of bucolic landscapes. During spring and summer, gardens are open from 8 a.m. until sunset, for free.

In the middle of Lincoln Park lies a free conservatory with four display houses: the Palm House, Fern Room, Orchid House, and Show House.

The Chicago Park District shows free classic and contemporary films outdoors at dusk from June through September in parks city-wide. Grab a blanket and unwind while watching The Wizard of Oz in the fresh summer air.

Theater/Dance

The Shakespeare Project of Chicago offers Shakespeare performances such as 50 Minute Macbeth and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest throughout the year, bringing high-quality drama to the public for free.

Chicago's annual summer dance festival is held from June 14-August 26. Get a free one-hour dance lesson and follow that by indulging in two hours of live music and dancing. The dance extravaganza—which includes jazz, Latin, funk, and ballroom—is held every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening, 6-9:30 p.m., and Sunday afternoon, 4-7 p.m. in the Spirit of Music Garden at Grant Park.

Of course, the ultimate freebie is walking around the city and the lakefront.

So, write off the travel and hotel charges on your income tax and enjoy what we have to offer!

 

[wadesgirl]

Navy Pier is also fun and free!

 

[susanr613]

yes it is, but there are tons of shops and restaurants, all of which have that nasty tax. i wanted to list places that are absolutely FREE and paid for with the afore-mentioned taxes and property taxes ;-)

 

[DebbieJ]

Susan, that is a GREAT list! I am saving it for myself! I keep telling DH we need to get downtown more....he hates to go cuz he commutes there every day.

 

[wadesgirl]

yes it is, but there are tons of shops and restaurants, all of which have that nasty tax. i wanted to list places that are absolutely FREE and paid for with the afore-mentioned taxes and property taxes ;-)

We didn't spend a dime but had a lot of fun just looking around at stuff. The indoor garden is beautiful and the jumping fountains are amazing.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

(Cute little icons removed for sending the wrong message.)I wasn't ranting - I was educating. That tax on a hotel room is an awful surprise if you're not expecting it.By the way, I'm not mad at Chicago - I'm amused. I don't have to live there.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I have been called on the carpet for an inaccuracy, and I wish to issue a correction. I was wrong, and I admit it: The increase in the Cook County sales tax does not take effect until November, 2008, so you are not going to be subject to the tax at NC - at least, in 2008 anyway.You might want to look at the government of Pallatine, a suburb in far northwestern Cook County. According to the http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northwest/chi-tax-protest_both_05mar05,0,6220605.story, they are investigating ways to secede from Cook County.

 

[janetupnorth]

Ah, well that is good news (for the conference at least). The rest is a pain... My DH has relatives in Pallatine - don't blame them. His sister used to live in Cook County but moved to Trevor, WI. They are on the exact border of WI/IL. They live in WI but if they jump their fence they are in IL...kind of like the Mexico/US border crossing but they don't throw stones...

 

[yankeeinontario]

Taxes in Ontario are 13%. We pay taxes on haircuts, postage, hotel rooms and lots of other stuff. I am always amused when I see Americans ranting about their tax rates. Our income taxes run about 52%.

We do get services for our tax money, (like health care, thank goodness!) but you all have it easy!