The Englewood TIF coughs up $3 million to help bridge Chicago’s budget gap.
Tag: Chicago budget crisis
Posted inBlogs
The Story I Read Today That Explained the Most About Things
The TIF hustle, explained (again).
Posted inNews & Politics
FAIL: The Reader’s Parking Meter Investigation
Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke’s report on the privatization of Chicago’s parking meters, how the deal went down, and its fallout
Posted inNews & Politics
A Round of Really!?! With Mayor Daley
We have some follow-up questions to the questions other outlets have been asking him about our stories.
Posted inBlogs
Dear Mayor Daley: Thank You For Making Our Point About TIFs
The mayor inadvertently reveals one of the biggest problems with TIF districts.
Posted inBlogs
Goodbye to the 7 Percent Property-Tax Solution
Confused by the phaseout of the 7% property tax cap? Here’s the deal, from the annals of Ben Joravsky’s property tax reporting.
Posted inBlogs
We’re from the private sector, and we’re not here to help
Homer Glen in Will County relies on Lake Michigan water, but the supply comes from a German-owned firm. Locals say there’s a lot more than water going down the drain. [snip] [Homer Glen mayor] Jim Daley says residents pay about three times more than those in neighboring communities. He said Illinois-American Water Co. offers the […]
Posted inBlogs
No taxation without urbanization
Urban scholar Joel Kotkin, writing in Newsweek magazine, describes the American nomad as something of an endangered species: “Perhaps nothing will be as surprising about 21st century America as its settledness.” Greg Burns makes the salient point that one of Chicago’s struggles in dealing with tax revenues has been suburban flight – but obviously the […]
Posted inBlogs
TIFs on the air, plus how TIFs drive up taxes and inequality
Via Progress Illinois, last night and this morning found TIFs a hot topic on Fox News Chicago and WTTW:
Posted inBlogs
QOTD: A tie
#1: “It’s called economic sadness.” #2: “If I didn’t have this creative, innovative management style about leasing public assets, we would not be talking about that [Ed. note: not sure what ‘that’ is].” – Mayor Daley to the Sun-Times editorial board For more on the mayor’s management style, see Mick Dumke’s fact-checking of Daley’s budget […]
Posted inBlogs
News roundup: Dog bites man edition
* The city’s going to use parking meter funds to cover the deficit in lieu of raising taxes. * Property taxes are going up. Meaning it’s a good time to start paying attention to the Cook County Assessor’s race. * Block 37: facing foreclosure. Of the public TIF money gone to the hole project, $60 […]
Posted inBlogs
Subsidized display of excess may be latest victim of budget crisis
Every couple years I happen to be on Lake Shore Drive wondering why there are a bunch of lighted-up boats on the lake, and then I remember that it’s Venetian Night. Maybe not next year.