The city of Chicago has the honor of charging the highest sales tax rate in the nation at 10.25%. Spearheaded by the Cook County Board President, Todd Stroger, the one percent increase tipped the Chicago sales tax rates into the double digits for the first time in the nation.

It’s scheduled to be enacted just before Christmas, of course.

The sales tax increase is estimated to provide $400 million every year to the city. This is a solution for the cities $234 million deficit.

The fallout of a floundering economy is surrounding us across the board (from individual debt to state debt to the federal deficit). The evidence is overwhelming.

The response from our fearless leader is nothing less than insulting. Last week on NBC’s Today Show, President Bush claimed that our Iraq war spending (at nearly $10 billion a month) is actually helping our country.

CURRY: You don’t agree with that? It has nothing do with the economy, the war — spending on the war?

BUSH: I don’t think so. I think actually the spending in the war might help with jobs…because we’re buying equipment, and people are working. I think this economy is down because we built too many houses and the economy’s adjusting.

Ignorance must be bliss.

Watch the interview here:

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