From the Editorial Board

Why Chicago hotels have a case for taxing themselves. And why we worry.

Choose Chicago wants an additional 1.5% tacked onto guest bills of hotels. What would Choose Chicago do with the 1.5%? Fund itself, essentially. Currently, this destination marketing organization has about $33 million in annual revenue; with the new 1.5% tax — or “assessment” as they prefer to call it, being marketers — that revenue is projected to roughly double.