Alcohol consumption takes a significant financial and human toll on society.  Youth are particularly hard hit. America’s economic price tag for underage drinking’s resulting violence, car accidents and suicide attempts is $61.9 billion (Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 2009).

Nearly two thirds of voters are in favor of increasing the Alcohol tax in [...]

Alcoholic Beverage Tax will be adjusted from $0.06 to $0.09 for beer; from $0.16 to $0.24 for beverages with 14% or less alcohol; from $0.30 to $0.45 for beverages with 14% to 20% alcohol; from $2.00 to $2.50 for beverages with more than 20% alcohol.

Beer 14% Alcohol or less 14% – 20% Alcohol 20% [...]

Cook County detains a relatively large number of youth at a considerable cost. The County aims to lower the detention population over two years by investing in alternatives.

Budget impact:

The County is investing in alternatives to detention to lower the population, enabling it to close down one of the nine [...]

An excerpt from a Chicago Tribune.com editorial that appeared Sunday, October 30th:

The president of the Cook County Board is floating her proposed budget for 2012, and there’s plenty for citizens already feeling nickeled and dimed not to like: New licensing fees on cash-operated jukeboxes, pool tables [...]

An excerpt from an op-ed appearing in the Chicago Tribune, Sunday, October 30th:

Cook County taxpayers are making difficult decisions every day to safeguard their future in this economy. They are cutting back on spending, asking everyone to pitch in and doing more with less. They expect their government to make similar sacrifices.

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