1 /5 Veronica Hoyos-Leonard: It is August 2024, and the corrupt Finance Department is still embezzling money from drivers by issuing $100 speeding tickets, despite there being no speed limit signs anywhere. Im seriously considering voting Republican in this election. Im fed up with Chicago and cant wait to move out of this filthy city.
In May 2024, the City of Chicago, now under Mayor Johnson, is as bad as, if not worse than, before. The city has added new speed and red light cameras, as well as thousands more parking meters, to drain residents of their hard-earned money. They waste our tax dollars on ridiculous programs, like providing free housing, food, healthcare, transportation, and work permits to the 50,000 Venezuelans in Chicago. Many of these Venezuelans make little effort to find jobs and seem to spend their time begging for money, attending horse races, or getting their nails done. This only encourages more Venezuelans to come to Chicago, which will further bankrupt the city. I will vote Republican.
Due to the unethical ticket collection practices of the City Council, I was forced to skip my mortgage payment in January 2019 to pay their exorbitant tickets, so my car wouldnt be booted or seized.
I take this threat very seriously, as it jeopardizes my income. I bought a new Prius a few months ago, and after paying all the government fees, I found myself short $87 for a city parking sticker. I was uncertain if I needed one because I live in a neighborhood without parking permits. Yesterday, I paid $750, which is almost a 1000% increase from the original sticker cost. This was only for six months instead of a year, as an added penalty.
This situation is appalling. The role of government officials should be to serve their citizens, not to exploit Chicago residents by setting traps through parking permits, issuing tickets, speed cameras, red-light cameras, unfair collection practices, booting cars on private property, and seizing vehicles to sell at a fraction of their value—all for the gain of the City of Chicago and its corrupt employees at the expense of drivers.
Did you know that since 2011, the City of Chicago has seized 50000 cars? Where is all that money? Certainly not being spent on maintaining our roads and infrastructure. Its highly upsetting. Please vote Republican!
Below are the thirty taxes the corrupt city charges its residents and visitors still short by ONE BILLION dollars.
- Tollways
- Red light and speed cameras
- City stickers
- Vehicle registration
- Residential parking meters
- Expired meter fees, street cleaning, and permit violations
- Charges for leaving a parking lot
- Gasoline tax: 48.3 cents per gallon; Diesel: 55.8 cents
- Towing fees
- Booting program
- Property taxes
- Water and sewer bills
- Building permits
- Vacant property fees
- Landlord registration fees
- Sales tax: 10.25%
- Amusement tax
- Bottled water tax
- Checkout bag tax
- Restaurant tax
- Freedom of Information Act fees
- Court filing fees
- Administrative hearing fines
- Business inspection fees
- Charges at city-owned parking garages
- Passenger Facility Charge: $18 round trip
- Grand transportation tax: $6.13 on ridesharing and taxis
- Airport departure tax
- Aviation fuel tax
- City liquor tax: beer: $0.29, wine: $1.29, spirits: $8.55
