Cook County Republicans speak out about the politics in Illinois

Cook County GOP Lincoln Day Luncheon March 29, 2009 Join the Cook County Republican Party as we celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday for a Luncheon on March 29, 2009. Congressman Aaron Schock will be our Keynote Speaker, and there will also be a special address by Cook County Board President exploratory candidate Paul Vallas. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets. Watch Keynote Speaker Congressman Aaron Schock profiled on NBC's Today Show: Democrats block Cook County tax rollback Daily Herald - 3/11/09 Suburban Republican efforts to force a vote on possibly rolling back Cook County's sales taxes were blocked Tuesday by Democrats in the Illinois House. State Rep. Sidney Mathias, a Buffalo Grove Republican, complained that his proposal to force public votes on such tax increases was bottled up in a House committee and hadn't been scheduled for a vote. Mathias pushed to have the plan released only to have Democratic leadership say his request was out of order...read more... Democratic Lawmakers to Cook County Residents: No Tax Relief Cook GOP News Release - 3/13/09 Republicans in Illinois want average citizens to make the ultimate decision about how their hard earned money is taxed by local governments. Unfortunately, Illinois' Democratic leaders disagree and are willing to fight to keep the citizens of Cook County the most heavily taxed in the nation....read more... Illinois Income Tax Rate may rise by 50 percent Chicago Tribune - 3/13/09 Gov. Pat Quinn is considering raising the Illinois income tax by 50 percent in a politically risky bid to address one of the biggest budget dilemmas in state history, sources said Thursday. An increase to 4.5 percent from the current 3 percent tax rate on individuals would include a corresponding hike in the corporate income tax on businesses, according to sources familiar with the new governor's preparations for his first budget address Wednesday.....read more... New Quid Pro Quo questions between Burris, Blagojevich Chicago Sun-Times - 3/6/09 On the same December day then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich named Roland Burris to fill President Obama's U.S. Senate vacancy, Burris' right-hand political man, Fred Lebed, phoned an associate and told him, "We'll have to do some things for the governor." That's the recollection of the associate, a health-care and political consultant named John Ruff, who went on to become one of Burris' co-plaintiffs on a January lawsuit that sought to help Burris claim his Senate sea...read more...