We’ve reached an “I told you so” moment, dear readers, where I get to say . . . I told you so! It was roughly one year ago that I predicted the Bears would probably call upon the good citizens of Arlington Heights to fork over a TIF handout to build their new football stadium […]
Tag: TIF
Posted inOn Politics
Whole Foods flight
In the aftermath of Whole Foods closing its taxpayer-subsidized store in Englewood, it’s as good a time as ever for me to once again remind you that it was only four years ago that the city and state were begging Jeff Bezos to please, please, please take billions of our tax dollars and build a […]
Posted inOn Politics
A bad hand
Now that Mayor Lightfoot has officially revealed the three finalists for Chicago’s casino, the bamboozling of the city will begin. Oh, Chicago, you know you’re getting bamboozled. I think you sorta like it—a little attention from the boss. It’s like you matter as they try to win you over into supporting something you don’t really […]
Posted inOn Politics
Listen to Olin
With another disappointing Bears season having finally, mercifully, come to an end, the time has once again come for me to once again ask the burning question . . . No, not who the McCaskeys will hire as coach now that they’ve fired Matt Nagy, about a year after it was obvious he was the […]
Posted inOn Politics
Sorry, Arlington Heights
Pound for pound the funniest headline for the last week, if not month, came from the unlikeliest source—Crain’s Chicago Business. Not widely known for its knee-slappers. But in this case they had me laughing out loud, when a few days ago they posed the following question in a mass e-mailed clickbait post: “A new Bears […]
Posted inOn Politics
The mayoral promised land
In what was for me a dizzying overload of riches, Mayor Lightfoot delivered her budget speech at roughly the same time that Mayor Rahm’s financial disclosure statement went public. Hello, Monday morning! My takeaway from reading them side by side is this: the rich get richer and the poor get platitudes. Same as always. OK, […]
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Squeeze play
The Bears pit Chicago versus Arlington Heights in a bidding war to see who’s the biggest sucker.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
To trust or not to trust . . .
Teachers, parents, and students have to decide if CPS can keep COVID-19 out of the classroom.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Some things never change
Aldermen can vote to fire city workers but they better not vote against a TIF.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
The inequity buster
If Mayor Lightfoot and Sam Skinner want to help the west and south sides, they should look to the TIFs.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Bob Dylan’s ode to Chicago
The new Michael Reese TIF plan tries to undo the damage of the old one.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Chicago’s three-card monte
Mayor Lightfoot’s TIF “reform” does not tell you how much the scam costs.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Reefer sanity
Mayor Lightfoot’s cannabis cultivation center—finally, a TIF expenditure that makes sense.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Defending the indefensible
The Ed Burke question: If the city’s going to waste millions on downtown TIF deals, why shouldn’t he get a little piece of that pie?
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Let’s make a deal
If corporate Chicago wants money for One Central, it should drop its fight against Pritzker’s Fair Tax initiative.