What could be more Georgist than a tax on sulfur dioxide emissions? Well, maybe something else, but at least it would be a move in a Georgist direction.
Such a tax was introduced at the Cook County Board, to raise a little badly-needed revenue while providing incentives to reduce emissions. It actually passed, with votes from the machine commissioners (Butler, Daley, etc.), as well as Mike Quigley, but opposed by “reformers” Claypool and Peraica. It passed, 10-6 but was vetoed Monday by Pres. Stroger.
Mixing poor syntax with bad economics, Stroger wrote:
“I oppose this Ordinance on the grounds that said emissions should not attempt to be controlled through a Cook County tax but rather, said emissions should be regulated by the County, State, and Federal Government in order to fully protect our environment and the health of our citizens. “
Probably there’s more politics here than meets my naive eye.
Thanks to Bill Wendt for the report, DJWInfo for the vote tally, and Mike Pitula of LVEJO for pushing (whether he knows it or not) a good Georgist reform.