This post was contributed by a person who has attended several of our TIF town meetings. I work for a Chicago company that was the recipient of a $5 million dollar TIF grant. We got a building makeover, including a new roof, an upgrade to the electrical service, remodeled bathrooms, and advanced window coatings. Everything was done according to LEED guidelines,... Read more
Archive for the ‘TIF News’ Category
Inside Story Of TIF Abuse Plus A Call To Get involved
May 20 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Tax Scams, TIF Abuse, TIF News, TIF Town Meeting
DePaul Wants $103 Million Of Public Funding For New Stadium Complex
May 17 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Tax Scams, TIF Abuse, TIF NewsThe Mayor has announced plans for hundreds of millions of dollars on tourism-related construction, including 10,000 seat basketball arena for DePaul University near McCormick Place. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the project will require $103 million in public finance and TIF-related dollars. Read DePaul’s description of the project. When you read the hype, you hear phrases like “world-class destination” and “tourism... Read more
Coverage Of 4th Ward Illumination
May 14 | Posted by Tom Tresser | In The News, Research, TIF 101, TIF News, TIF Town MeetingDespite a Bull’s playoff game 50 people came Room 43 on Monday, May 13 for the 4th Ward Illumination. Read the coverage at Progress Illinois. See the presentation and listen to the audio at SlideShare.
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4th Ward TIFs To Be Illuminated!
May 11 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Research, TIF 101, TIF News, TIF Town MeetingIt’s time to shed some light on the 11 TIFs inside the 4th Ward. Join us on Monday, May 13 at 6pm at Room 43 to learn: - How much property tax is extracted from each TIF inside the ward - How much money FROM the ward was left in the TIFs at the end of 2011 - What projects inside the... Read more
Pass The Privatization Transparency Ordinance
April 27 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Privatization, Public Action, Public Education+Organizing, Research, Tax Scams, TIF NewsIs your alderman on the list of sponsors of the Privatization Transparency Ordinance”? If so, call them and tell them to get it out of Alderman Mell’s committee and have voted on by the full City Council. The sponsor is 6th Ward Alderman, Roderick Sawyer. He said, upon introducing this bill in November of 2012, “I do not believe that there... Read more
Opponents Shut Out Of Alderman’s “Advisory” Committee
April 24 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, TIF 101, TIF Abuse, TIF NewsIt was Mayor Daley (I and II) all over again. In the old days, when an alderman dared to question the mayor their mike was often shut off. In other ploys meetings were quickly gaveled out of session. Opponents of a planned gift of $29 million in public funds for a luxury high-rise across the street from Lincoln Park got... Read more
A Brief History OF TIF Transparency
April 22 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Research, TIF 101, TIF NewsLong time Rogers Park activist Don Gordon summarizes the TIF program from the point of view of transparency online at Chicago Now. When it comes to the lack of government transparency in Chicago, there’s no better poster child than the Tax Increment Financing program or TIF. The program was first recommended by the late Mayor Harold Washington back in the early... Read more
Tom Presenting On Technology & Community Engagement 4/26
April 22 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Public Education+Organizing, Technology+Democracy, TIF News, TrainingCivicLab co-founder Tom Tresser will be presenting at eChicago at UIC on Friday, April 26 on the TIF Illumination Project, as part of a panel on technology and community engagement.
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Wait, Does This Have Anything To Do With Dick Mell?
April 19 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Privatization, Research, Tax Scams, TIF Abuse, TIF NewsSo we are seeing a lot about the Bus Rapid Transit project being pushed aggressively by the city and an impressive list of policy, planning and transit organizations. But wait, who is going to PAY for this new public service, using our streets, the full power and authority of the CTA and the federal government? Check out this answer from their... Read more
Alderman Mell Wouldn’t Screw Us, Would He?
April 19 | Posted by Tom Tresser | Privatization, Tax Scams, TIF NewsAccording to the Chicago Sun-Times, Alderman Dick Mell is blocking a vote on a bill that would make privatization deals in the city more transparent and S L O W them down. “Introduced last November by Alderman Roderick Sawyer (6th), the Privatization Transparency and Accountability Ordinance has been bottled up in Ald. Dick Mell’s (33rd) Rules Committee, even though a... Read more
