Governor Quinn is humming a new tax tune likely to sound sour notes in those white iPod earbuds.
The governor is floating an idea to slap the state's 6.25-percent sales tax on downloaded songs and movies to generate new revenue from an as-yet-untapped source: the Internets.
"We think that's an area where we've not kept up with technological change," David Vaught, Office of Management and Budget director told the Sun-Times reports..
So how much would downloading a new album or movie cost?
Taxpayers would have to cough up another $.62 for a $9.99 album and $.94 for a $14.99 movie.
Illinois could rake in up to $10 million annually to help fill the $13 billion budget hole swallowing up the state's future.
It's not an original ideas: 19 states have imposed similar download taxes, including Indiana, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Kentucky, Mississippi and Washington, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures
Politics
But the GOPers complain Quinn's same old "tax this and tax that" tune will anger the iPod and iPhone generation.
"It will be an interesting education for younger voters about the reach of the state's treasury into their pockets," said Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine.
Quinn is still pushing raising the income tax by 33-percent (from 3 to 4 percent) to fund education. The Sun-Times reports the governor needs 15 more votes to move the bill from the House to the Senate.
It doesn't appear likely he'll get them, so he's looking to put the squeeze on your ears.
