# Chicago Attempts To Tax Satellite Television



## finaldiet (Jun 13, 2006)

For all you Chicago and Cook county people, Mayor Daley wants to have an 8-9 percent tax on every satellite dish. I guess he's trying to tax everyone out of chicago. Also, cable has been paying this tax for quite awhile. Glad I don't live in the city.


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## paja (Oct 23, 2006)

Chicago's Mayor Daley trying to get his hands on more taxes, this time from satellite customers:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1267899,CST-NWS-amuse08.article


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

I don't suppose it has occurred to his honor to first reduce the cost of city
government by trimming payroll, eliminating waste and prosecuting fraud.

How about it, Mr. Mayor? :shrug:


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

finaldiet said:


> For all you Chicago and Cook county people, Mayor Daley wants to have an 8-9 percent tax on every satellite dish. I guess he's trying to tax everyone out of chicago. Also, cable has been paying this tax for quite awhile. Glad I don't live in the city.


There are parts of the country where the satellite owners are already taxed and cable wasn't, so naturally, people complained to their congressmen.

The result is a bill that will force states to treat the 2 entities equally, if they tax cable they have to tax satellite and vice versa. Of course this wasn't the result the people complaining wanted... they wanted the tax taken off the satellite owners since cable wasn't taxed. Look to most states to enact some form of taxation on all forms of media distribution in these tight budget times, they are going to be looking for new sources of revenue.


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## David MacLeod (Jan 29, 2008)

don't mess with daly or he'll rip up your driveway (or runways) in middle of night


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

dNick, it's Chicago you're talking about, and Mayor Daley! Reforme? Not! :lol: :nono:


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

How about we discuss DBS or satellite television and leave politics at home (especially Chicago politics)?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

The failure in all of these taxing schemes is that those who support them don't understand what the fees were originally for. Back in the day, the fees were to cover utility right-of-ways that the agency charged for maintenance and occupancy. DBS has no such needs for the maintenance or use of public lands.

We need some sort of constitutional amendment prohibiting taxes on things that don't cost anyone anything.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

harsh said:


> The failure in all of these taxing schemes is that those who support them don't understand what the fees were originally for. Back in the day, the fees were to cover utility right-of-ways that the agency charged for maintenance and occupancy. DBS has no such needs for the maintenance or use of public lands.
> 
> We need some sort of constitutional amendment prohibiting taxes on things that don't cost anyone anything.


The taxes on satellite now are pushed by the cable companies. They argue to the states that it is unfair for them to be taxed and their satellite competition not to be taxed. So, the states of course only caring about being fair do the only thing they can and put a satellite tax in place. In Florida we pay a 13% tax for the privilege of getting satellite tv.


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## curt8403 (Dec 27, 2007)

Ken S said:


> The taxes on satellite now are pushed by the cable companies. They argue to the states that it is unfair for them to be taxed and their satellite competition not to be taxed. So, the states of course only caring about being fair do the only thing they can and put a satellite tax in place. In Florida we pay a 13% tax for the privilege of getting satellite tv.


the bad thing is that cable has in infrastructure in the state which requires involvement by the state
Satellite has no infrastructure, and so there cannot be any involvement by the state.


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## curt8403 (Dec 27, 2007)

go here, read up, Fight Satellite Tax
http://www.stopsatellitetax.com/


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

curt8403 said:


> the bad thing is that cable has in infrastructure in the state which requires involvement by the state
> Satellite has no infrastructure, and so there cannot be any involvement by the state.


You're right...but when has a valid basis been necessary as the "purpose" for a tax?


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## richiephx (Jan 19, 2006)

I guess they figure that the middle class will be getting a redistribution of wealth check from the Fed gov't and they want to get a piece of the action.


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## aa9vi (Sep 4, 2007)

finaldiet said:


> For all you Chicago and Cook county people, Mayor Daley wants to have an 8-9 percent tax on every satellite dish. I guess he's trying to tax everyone out of chicago. Also, cable has been paying this tax for quite awhile. Glad I don't live in the city.


It's just Chicago, not suburban Crook Co. also.

Whew.. a relief. Daley and his buddies would tax oxygen if they could come up with a way to do it. They already tax bottled water. Odds are he'll lose this legal battle and try to get the whole state to implement a tax, so be alert!


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## heisman (Feb 11, 2007)

The day this goes into effect, I expect D* to receive 135,000 phone calls from their Chicago customers all mysteriously "moving" to the 'burbs on the same day. :eek2:


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

heisman said:


> The day this goes into effect, I expect D* to receive 135,000 phone calls from their Chicago customers all mysteriously "moving" to the 'burbs on the same day. :eek2:


Nah it will go state wide soon enough. Without going into politics too much Ryan won't take Daley getting more money from tax's and him not getting his cut. The law makers will ensure that more states start taxing sat service if they don't. With today's economy it's a safer subject to tax.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Who's Ryan?


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