Slam brakes on Chicago's rent-a-tax

In these days of craterlike budget holes, who can blame any town for seeking creative ways to plug the gap?

Typically, we encourage such creativity and think it's vital in these troubled times. But, that said, the city of Chicago should likely get a special chutzpah award for its tax on car rentals . . . from other towns.

The city started charging collar county rental firms an 8 percent tax on all car rentals last year - unless the renters sign an affidavit swearing they'll drive less than half the time in the city of Chicago boundaries. Mind you that's on cars rented outside the city, anywhere in the six collar counties, not just on those rented within city limits. And it's automatic. You have to pay it unless you show your license and sign a legal affidavit - under threat of perjury - about where you'll drive said car.

What's next?

Could Algonquin levy a tax on those who go to another town to buy, say, a green shirt unless they swear on their firstborn that they will wear it less than half the time in Algonquin?

Perhaps Mundelein could tax those buying a snowblower unless they vow they will plow less than 50 percent of the time on Mundelein streets. Naperville could automatically demand an 8 percent tax on those who buy food elsewhere unless they sign a court document pledging not to eat it in Naperville.

Des Plaines might definitely want to consider an automatic levy on air travelers flying overhead out of O'Hare unless they sign an affidavit they won't spend more than 30 seconds on Cloud 9 over city limits.

Seriously, the practice of a city levying a tax on purchases outside its own city limits boggles the mind.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car recently filed a lawsuit in Kane County courts seeking to stop the practice, questioning Chicago's right to tax something purchased in another municipality and saying it's an invasion of customer privacy to demand the affidavit. City of Chicago representatives say the law, in place since 1997, wasn't enacted in Kane County until last spring. They defend the practice and note the tax applies only to those who drive in the city the bulk of the rental.

We'll leave it to the courts to decide the legality of the city's move. But we are guessing the court of public opinion will have plenty to say. At minimum, it sure makes us wonder what other hidden fees, taxes and the like might be zinging consumer wallets.

Let this be a reminder to all of us to check the fine print and those not-so-fine extra charges on all transactions, be they in the city of Chicago or elsewhere.

Meanwhile, do you suppose Illinois could next pass a hefty tax on certain former and any future lawmakers unless they promise to spend less than half their time behind bars?