Vote 'no' Tuesday and shop at home

Carol Bay had this letter published in the April 5 Dispatch/Rock Island Argus. A similar letter, severely truncated and with a different last paragraph appeared in the Quad-City Times. ..... marks paragraph breaks. "I urge you to vote "no" on increasing taxes in Rock Island County. You have control over this local option tax: you cannot stop increases in state taxes or property taxes. How would this increase in tax affect you? ...... For instance, the sales tax would increase to 8.5 percent on most purchases and to 10 percent on prepared food and liquor. Just imagine having a restaurant meal that cost $20.You would pay $2 in taxes and to that you would add a gratuity of $4 for the server. Over many meals the increase will add up to less money in your pocket and you may have to eat and drink out less. You would also have to budget your money very carefully on other purchases. Retail merchants might fail in RICo with the result of less sales tax being collected. That would hurt our schools and local governments. ..... By contrast across the Mississippi River the sales tax is 7 percent on these same purchases. By shopping and dining in Iowa you would save money of food and drink, clothing, appliances and gas. You would have more money in your pocket, but you also would be helping Iowa, schools, governments and merchants. Again, you would hurt our schools. ..... Let's make a healthy retail environment in Rock Island County where businesses thrive and more jobs become available to our schools. You can help accomplish this by voting "no" to the tax increase." The following final paragraph appeared in the truncated Quad-City Times letter. "The Quad-City Times agitates against raising taxes in Iowa yet urges Rock Island County residents to raise their taxes. Do you really want retail to fail in Illinois so that retail in Iowa prospers? Don't let this happen -- vote "no"."