The extra taxes are real

If the extra charges on your receipt look like an April Fools' Day joke, it's no laughing matter. Sales taxes will increase today following a law approved by state legislators in January to fund mass transit. The sales tax rises by a quarter-percentage point in Cook County and the suburbs. This will provide new revenues for the operating budgets of Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace. In addition, consumers in DuPage, Kane, Will, McHenry and Lake counties will see another quarter-percentage point boost, earmarked for transportation or public safety. The tax hikes were approved as part of a last-minute deal to avoid transit layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes.