Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce survey shows widespread public concern over increased taxes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2008
Contact: Justin DeJong (Chamber) 312-494-6725
Greg Durham (Ask IL) 217-899-7181

New poll shows widespread dissatisfaction with Chicagoland tax climate

Results indicate that taxpayers plan to hold elected officials accountable for
latest increases; pending 10.25% sales tax rate will cause consumers’ to
leave Cook County for purchases

CHICAGO ­– Even as many taxpayers scramble to pay their federal taxes, a new poll released today shows widespread dissatisfaction with the Chicagoland tax climate which has burdened the region’s taxpayers with more than $1.2 billion in higher city, county and state taxes in the past six months. Among the most astounding findings: more than 92 percent of Cook County residents polled said the latest tax increases will affect who they vote for in future elections, while nearly 76 percent said the pending 10.25 percent sales tax rate will change their purchasing behavior and cause them to travel outside of Cook County to avoid paying higher sales tax.

“This poll confirms that there is widespread anger and dissatisfaction about the current tax climate in our region and voters plan to hold their elected officials accountable at the ballot box,” said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jerry Roper. “Despite raising taxes by $1.2 billion within the past six months, we continue to hear officials at every level of government threaten to raise taxes again, but we’re reaching a tipping point where our region’s economic competitiveness is at risk. Our elected officials must recognize that enough is enough.”

The Ask Illinois poll, commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, was completed on April 10 with 3,025 participants from throughout Cook County. The poll had a 1.78 percent margin of error. Complete poll results are available at www.chicagolandchamber.org.

Additional poll results show:
· Nearly 36 percent of those polled hold the Cook County Board most responsible for higher taxes, while 42 percent held the Chicago City Council, Cook County Board and Illinois General Assembly equally at fault.
· 95 percent of those polled felt the overall tax burden on Cook County resident was high, with nearly 82 percent who felt the burden was ‘extremely high.’
· The pollsters noted that there is growing dissatisfaction about the overall tax burden – up more than 24 percent over previous surveys.

“These results indicate a total lack of ambiguity in the opinions of Cook County residents concerning the region’s tax climate,” said Greg Durham, pollster for Ask Illinois. “There is across-the-board anger about recent tax increases, which transcend all geo-political differences and will impact both future voting and where purchases will be made.”

Within the past six months, elected officials at all levels of government have approved a flurry of tax increases which impact the economic climate of the region and state. These tax increases include:

Date
Jurisdiction
Amount
November 2007
The Chicago City Council passes record property tax increase and raises many fees for the 2008 budget
$270 million
January 2008
The Illinois General Assembly and Chicago City Council pass a .25% sales tax increase and real estate transfer tax increase to fund the RTA
$530 million
February 2008
The Cook County Board passes 1% sales tax increase, and hikes rate to 10.25% – the highest sales tax rate in the nation
$425 million
Total

$1.25 billion


About the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce:
Since its founding in 1904 as the first regional chamber of commerce in the United States, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to make our region the most business-friendly region in America and enhance its members’ success through aggressive programs of advocacy, member benefits and services, and actionable information. The Chamber’s 2,600 members employ more than 1.2 million individuals in the region. Learn more by visiting www.chicagolandchamber.org.

About Ask Illinois:
Ask Illinois and its national division, We Ask America, have polled more than four million American households since its inception in 2005. A division of Xpress Professional Services, Ask Illinois specializes in large sample surveys on public policy issues. The company’s clients include both major political parties, non-profit trade associations and private businesses throughout the country.
###


Justin DeJong
Director of Communications
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
200 E. Randolph Street, Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60601
312-494-6725 (office)
312-636-7666 (cell)
jdejong@chicagolandchamber.org

***ACCREDITED AS A FIVE-STAR CHAMBER BY THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE***

Upcoming Special Events:
March 26: The Exchange, Hyatt Regency, 5-7pm
June 9: Annual Meeting of Membership, Sheraton Chicago, 7:45-9am
August 11: Annual Corporate Golf Outing, Beverly Country Club

Visit the Events Calendar on the Chamber’s website for additional information and to register for any of these events: www.chicagolandchamber.org/sub/events.asp

Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center celebrates region’s entrepreneurial achievements with inaugural Momentum Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 5, 2008

Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center celebrates region’s entrepreneurial achievements with inaugural Momentum Awards

J.B. Pritzker honored as Entrepreneurial Champion; SAVO receives 2008 Merrick Momentum Award to recognize business success and growth potential

CHICAGO – As part of its ongoing efforts to nurture high-growth businesses and recognize entrepreneurial achievements in the region, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center held the inaugural Momentum Awards last evening and brought together more than 600 people from the business community at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. As part of the night’s events, J.B. Pritzker received the Entrepreneurial Champion Award and SAVO was recognized with the Merrick Momentum Award to acknowledge this high-growth, entrepreneurial business in the Chicago region. SAVO is a leading developer of on-demand sales enablement tools, which has been co-led by John Aiello and Drew Larsen since 1999.

“The entrepreneurial spirit in Chicago is strong and it’s important to recognize those who are instrumental in building businesses in our region,” said David Weinstein, president of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, a non-profit affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. “J.B. Pritzker is a true champion and advocate for Chicago businesses and his impact reverberates throughout the entrepreneurial, technology and venture capital communities.”

J.B. Pritzker is managing partner of The Pritzker Group, a private investment firm, as well as partner and founder of New World Ventures, one of Chicago’s prominent early-stage information technology investors. As a founding member of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center Board of Directors, Pritzker was instrumental in the recruitment and development of the board, as well as a catalyst for the formation of the Illinois Innovation Accelerator (i²A) Fund.

“The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center is an incredible resource for businesses in this region, and they are engaged in helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals in securing capital and growing revenue. While it is an honor and privilege to receive this award, we must continue helping entrepreneurs to thrive and grow to help the Chicago region become even stronger,” said Pritzker.

The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center Board of Directors selected SAVO for the 2008 Merrick Momentum Award from a field of other prominent emerging companies with strong growth potential including Argo Tea, Inc., BrightStar Healthcare, LLC, and ClaimForce, Inc.

“The Momentum Award is intended to recognize entrepreneurial companies that have shown a solid business track record and are poised for growth,” said Michael Ferro Jr., Chairman and CEO of Merrick Ventures, LLC and Co-Chairman of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center Board of Directors. “Our board saw the remarkable potential in the SAVO organization, and believed that the company was deserving of this honor not only for its past success, but also its great potential to be a dynamic, flourishing company in Chicago.”

SAVO has grown rapidly since they began collaborating with the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center in 2004: from 15 employees to 75 today; from two customers to approximately 65 today; and from approximately 700 subscribers to the company’s on-demand application to about 120,000 today. SAVO’s technology is now being utilized by clients including IBM, American Express, Morgan Stanley, ADP, Staples, SPSS, Northern Trust, CareerBuilder.com, and dozens more.

“Our momentum to date is driven by our commitment to meeting the needs of our customers, and we look forward to making Chicago proud as we continue to build our company,” said SAVO CEO John Aiello.

“We are honored and humbled to be selected as the inaugural Merrick Momentum Award winners. Our passion for entrepreneurship and our pride for Chicago combine as we accept this award,” said SAVO President Drew Larsen.

For more information about SAVO, visit www.savogroup.com.

About the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center is a nonprofit affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce that seeks to make a perceptible and lasting economic impact on the Chicago region by helping entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses build viable, sustainable, and profitable enterprises. The CEC works with entrepreneurs to create and sustain opportunities for business success, job growth, and profitability. To learn more visit www.chicagolandec.org.
###