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Next Wednesday, Cook County Board commissioner Mike Quigley is taking his TIF act on the road, heading off to Springfield to address a private meeting of legislators, legislative aides, and gubernatorial advisers.
"I talked to the governor's office and they said, 'Leadership wants you to come to Springfield and talk about tax increment financing,'" says Quigley. "I assume that means the speaker [Michael Madigan], the senate president [Emil Jones] and the governor [Rod Blagojevich] will have people there. But I really don't know."
Quigley, who commissioned a report (PDF) critical of Mayor Daley's TIF program, is being intentionally circumspect about his role in the ongoing behind-the-scenes struggle between the state's most powerful elected officials. Here's what going on.
For the last several years Blagojevich has held his tongue while Daley and schools CEO Arne Duncan rip the state for not providing more money for Chicago's public schoools.
It hasn't been easy for Blagojevich to remain silent. As gubernatorial insiders have explained it to me, they're all for giving more money to Chicago's public schools, but they find it hard to call for more state funding knowing how CPS suckers the state for the money it already gets. It's complicated, as most TIF matters are, but the bottom line is that it's a schools scam: for roughly every property tax dollar the schools divert to the TIF districts, the state gives them about 70 cents in educational assistance. Effectively, Daley and Duncan are manipulating the state's goofy education-funding system to divert money intended for schoolchildren to TIF deals -- like the $58 million handout they're ready to give developers to build an 18-story tower on top of Union Station.
Up until now Blagojevich has stayed away from TIFs, allowing Daley to freely spend the money. But apparently this last session was the last straw. Not only did Daley not support Blagojevich's ill-fated business tax, he embarrassed the governor by sending Duncan and busloads of schoolchildren to Springfield to call for more state education funding.
As a result our governor has evidently decided to send Daley a message: Mess with me and I'll mess with your TIFs. Over the last few weeks Blago's aides have been contacting Quigley, no fan of the mayor's, to pick his brain on the TIF scam. Now they've quietly let everyone (particularly Daley aides) know that they're inviting Quigley to Springfield.
Among the many things that Quigley intends to talk about is the Central Loop TIF, a $100-million-dollar-year boondoggle that funds development in an area where developers don't need incentives. Created in 1983, it's supposed to expire this year. But Daley's been asking the state to extend it for another 12. According to statehouse sources, Daley and Madigan recently struck a deal on the TIF: Daley agreed to support Madigan's watered-down home owner's property tax exemption in exchange for the speaker's support for an extension.
Blagojevich has the power to cut off Daley's TIF slush fund. He could hold hearings on the program. He could oppose extending the Central Loop TIF. What's at stake for the mayor? The Olympics, for one thing. As folks in Springfield will tell you, Daley's looking to use the TIFs to pay for his games. If the state threatens to plug up his money pipeline, he'll have to figure some other way to pay for them.
Quigley says he understands there are larger issues at play. "I don't have any expectations about any of this," he says. "They asked me to talk about TIFs, and that's what I'll talk about."
The truth of the matter is School funding should not be dependant on property values of any given community, and the state should live up to its obligations. The State further has a responsibility to ensure that its laws do not allow the kind of abuse of establishing TIF districts in the first place. Quigley endorsed and supported every incumbent alderman in his district, and voted for Stroger’s budget. He seems to me as committed to reform and "new politics" as is Obama. They all talk a good game, but when it comes down to the wire, they're no where to be found.
In the 48th Ward right now, we have a gun to our head with the threat that we are going to kick out 190+ senior citizens if the community doesn't approve one of the largest TIF districts on the North Side. If Quigley is truly interested in stopping the abuse of TIF's, it starts in his own back yard. We need him to come out and oppose this TIF district now. Being used as a pawn in the state budget debacle does us little good unless the state reforms and clearly defines what constitutes "blight" because by its current definition, you might as well make the entire city of Chicago a TIF district.
I wish him luck down in Springfield, but this seems to me more about petty personal pay back than any true interest in sound public policy.
And the obligatory,
VOTE THE RASCALS OUT.
So, the shell game continues to be played, the taxpayers continue to be played, the 'high and mighty' continue to engage in their typically cynical and blatantly dictatorial 'representation' of the public's 'best interest' and we all bitch and moan, as if on cue.
Since 'you can't cheat an honest man' rings so true, does this mean we are all dishonest men and women, being that we're consistently cheated?
After all, these are all the hustlers that we've reelected, or allowed to be reelected, time and time again, over and over and over.
Same faces, same arrogant attitudes, same old schemes, same old results.
Yep, we must all be cheaters, or how could our elected cheaters be so thoroughly successful at cheating us?
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE THEM OUT.
So, you haven't yet amassed enough swag for your retirement plans to bear fruit?
You still feel the need to put in your 2 cents worth, to keep the gravy trains rolling?
What an excellent example of being a stand-up guy, keep up the 'good work'.
God bless IL - we need someone to save us from our elected officials.
Thanks Ben for another great article – if only the pension debacle wasn’t going to nix all good government initiatives.
While I appreciate all those who are conscious enough to realize how badly we citizens are miss-represented, here in Illinois, and particularly here in Crook county and the 'city that works', the mindset of "we need someone to save us from our elected officials." is why we find ourselves so blatantly exploited by same.
WE are responsible for the 'rascals' running our state, county and city governments into bankruptcy, WE are responsible for the manipulative control freaks currently infesting our governing authorities, WE are responsible for electing and reelecting these lackluster hustlers and WE are responsible for failing to take the necessary steps and make the required efforts to ever have the kind of political, social and economic environments that are conducive to the free, fair and beneficial living of our lives.
We continue to act as if we enjoy living our lives with our heads stuck firmly up our own asses, and then wonder why we keep smelling shit with every breath we take.
We continue to feel the creeping hands in our pocketbooks, and then are upset when we come up short when the bills come due.
We continue to bitch and moan about what 'the rascals' are doing TO us, all the while doing NOTHING of any practical effectiveness to render these 'rascals' impotent.
In the final analysis, WE are our own worst enemies.
The simple, and incredibly effective beginning of a solution, to our present, political morass, is, amazingly, one that seems to be beyond our ability to appreciate and act on, namely, FIRE THE BASTARDS, and deal with those who replace them in the same manner, should THEY prove to be no better.
1) REGISTER TO VOTE
2) Determine who the INCUMBENTS are and make a list of same before every election.
3) Bring this list with you when you GO TO VOTE on election day
4) With few exceptions, DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY INCUMBENT
5) If there are 2 or more CHALLENGERS listed for a given office, cast your vote according to this formula:
a) If the INCUMBENT is listed FIRST, vote for the CHALLENGER who is listed LAST
or
b) If the INCUMBENT is NOT listed first, vote for the CHALLENGER who IS LISTED FIRST
In the beginning of this 'house cleaning' process, don't concern yourself about who the challengers are, focus on voting out basically ALL INCUMBENTS, as the incumbents are the people who have brought us to the present sad state of affairs.
Don't waste your time, efforts and hearts on buying into the false premise that those presently in public office can be 'persuaded' to do anything substantially different than what they have been doing, they've proven themselves to be both incompetent and dishonest 'employees' and deserve only to be fired.
If you must reelect any given incumbent, think long and hard about your reasons to do so, compel that specific incumbent to give you those reasons, by studying their past actions, the effects and effectiveness of same and demanding they provide believable proof that they will not continue the failed and harmful activities of their fellow, soon-to-be former 'public servants'.
Talk is cheap and plentiful.
Feeble excuses abound.
We will always have the government we deserve, and what we deserve will always be the result of the efforts we choose to make, or fail to make.
If you were running your own business and you found that your employees were 'performing' their jobs as our current crop of politicians have been, wouldn't you find that, for your business to survive, most, if not all, of your 'workers' would have to be fired?
And, after firing these bums, wouldn't you have to interview and hire new people, unsure, at that point in time, of whether the new hires will prove to be better workers than those you fired?
What's the difference between the above, business situation and our present governmental / political situation?
Please think about it.
A house built on a weak foundation is bound to fall, but a house built on an informed and disciplined approach will stand against the political winds and be a lot less likely to be swayed by golf outings and trips to Cancun.
I know, informed and disciplined is the hard part, but it is the bestway to go.
As opposed to spinning the wheel of bums.
Ask the average person about TIFs and the best you are going to get is someone saying they are not as high in quality as JPEGS.
I mean if people are able to successfully obfuscate available information, how long do you think it will take for them to learn how to manipulate the ballot? Especially since they have already been successfully manipulating ballots since Moses voted.
Government IS a business, a NOT-FOR-PROFIT business.
It's purpose is to serve the essential needs of the citizens, as efficiently and as honestly and as fairly as possible.
To take the position that the risk of who will replace the present crop of bums is not worth taking, is to enable that crop of bums to continue to shit and piss all over the neighborhood.
Hardly sanitary or desirable.
The strongest political, governmental foundation is made of honest people.
Can you honestly say that the current incumbents are honest people?
At the very least, a united strategy to vote out all incumbents will force those holding power to either commit gross amounts of vote fraud or declare the election invalid, should they be determined to retain power, both actions effectively exposing them for what they are.
At best, the turn-out will be so large that no amount of concealable vote fraud can overcome the will of the people, and we'll get a chance to see what substantially new faces can accomplish.
The greatest strength of the above voting strategy is that the inspiration and encouragement the heretofore non-voters would experience will lead to their further participation in their own governance, participation that rises far above merely showing up at a sham 'public hearing' and shouting obscenities for the hearing impaired politicians to ignore.
Our greatest strength lies in our votes and nowhere else.
Unless you prefer hitting the streets in 'protest', or the oxymoronic concept of 'civil' disobedience, unless you are misguided enough to think that there are enough souls with the hearts of Martin Luther King Jr.'s to engage in non-violent protests, or even to participate in protests of any kind, you'll have to admit that the mass firings of incumbents will surely get the attention of the few that remain, as in the few that were not up for reelection.
Think about it, bk, then think about it some more.
As to "how long do you think it will take for them to learn how to manipulate the ballot? Especially since they have already been successfully manipulating ballots since Moses voted.", well, THAT'S VOTE FRAUD.
The selection of the order in which candidates for public office are listed on the election ballot is, BY LAW, random.
ANY manipulation of this random process is CRIMINAL VOTE FRAUD.
It is unlikely that any politician will believe there will ever be enough voters implementing the proposed voting strategy above to warrant a preemptive, CRIMINAL ACT of rigging the ballots, unless and until, they experience this strategy.
By then, it will be too late to discretely do so, as the public will unavoidably be made aware of this strategy, the media will have a field day discussing, analyzing, and pondering what the fuck just happened in this election.
Those responsible for the prosecutions of CRIMINAL VOTE FRAUD will have no choice but to pay close attention to the public officials charged with the authority and responsibility of ensuring that the determination of the ballot order of candidates fully complies with the law.
The greater the public scrutiny of the electoral process, the greater the number of citizens participating in same, the slimmer the opportunities will be for these rascals to cheat us all out of the fair and honest elections which are our birthright.
This strategy will work, if enough citizens appreciate and embrace it.
Think about it and spread the word.
And he does it with such style.....
God bless Ben!
Our property tax bill is where the rubber meets the road. It's impossible to talk about fiscal responsibility and our state & local government without talking about TIF. The only reasons more of our local press corp are not also talking about TIF is that they have been laid off or they can't handle the subject. In a few months when our love letters from Maria Pappas start hitting our mailboxes we will all be looking to Ben, "Ben, what does this mean? This can't be real, can it?"
This one has lots of dirt in it and it hasn't even passed, so come and look for it.
if you make it to the meeting
please let us all know what's said and--maybe--done
i'd go but i gotta work late
But be sure to ask how long that moron of an alderman has known about the shaky financial situation of Hollywood house? Why she is now proposing to establish a TIF advisory council after several request to establish on for the Clark/Ridge TIF? How will that council be accountable to anyone in the community since she will appoint the 10 members (likely the same people who sit on EDC, ECC, SSA, UDC, Uptown Chamber, possibly the Edgewater Chamber unless they have the guts to oppose the property taxes being ported out of Edgewater and down to the uptown entertainment district) Make sure you ask how many SBIF grants have been awarded in the 48th ward, and when they say this is new, ask how many have been awarded in the city? What is the measurable success of the SBIF program? Ask Fraser to fully explain how the communities failure to approve this TIF is going to leave 190 senior citizens homeless, and if that is the case, why the hell did they wait when they have known for two years about Hollywood House and then spring this TIF proposal at the last minute on the community? Ask how the Andersonville and Devon streetscape were funded, and why the need for TIF funds on Argyle for that streetscape? Ask why the Bryn Mawr TIF hasn't funded small businesses (Salon Echo was never paid, don’t let him say they were awarded a grant) and why it is taking more than five years for Nookies to live up to its obligations? Has Pierce or Senn received any TIF funds, and if not, why would McCutcheon need money generated from this TIF and not Swift? What school outside of the Loop has received TIF funds? If your going to use TIF dollars to fund Sheridan as a three-lane road north of the Hollywood intersection, doesn’t have to be in the TIF district? And exactly were is that traffic going to go – Hollywood to Ridge? Why traffic calming/greening on Foster (a state highway eligible for state funds) and not on Hollywood/Ridge where there are very serious traffic problems? And the library – how many more years is she going to use that damn thing as a campaign promise – every other alderman has gotten a new library built, IS Mary Ann THAT INCOPOTENT? And please point out that no TIF dollars were used for assisting the property that houses the Little Mexican Café and Chase, and that after all our tax dollars went into the Goldblatts building to subsidize Borders (over the objections of women & children’s book store and other small independent book stores) , they are shopping around looking for someone to lease this store.
But please do not get hung up on CTA stations funded with TIF dollars - it isn't going to happen, and funding a CTA station will not affect the EAV of properties, so it shouldn’t be funded with TIF dollars. Ask when the SB Friedman study was made available for the community to review, who has read it, why only a few weeks for a community of over 60,000 was the study made available for review, and if all they are relying on is the greater than 35 year old buildings, couldn't we just make the entire city of Chicago a TIF district and get it over with. Fix the amount of money generated from our property taxes going to the County, Schools, Water Reclamation, police and fire protection, and so many other programs and governing bodies that are funded with property tax dollars, and fix it for the next 23 years so that we stop playing this game of dividing half the taxable property in each ward and just let the mayor have his secret budget to fund the developers who fund him and his hacks campaigns once and for all.
I hope you raise hell. Sheridan road has the votes to defeat this ill conceived proposal. I think like most things in the 48th ward, its fixed and this is a dog and pony show - Rickover - 5440 Sheridan - the aldermanic elections - the committeeman selection - they don't give a shit what the taxpayers of this ward want. They have manipulated and are putting lipstick on a pig and calling it Democracy.
And Quigley endorsed the fat bitch. Don't forget about that either.
This post is so rich in very interesting questions, that I took the liberty of making it easier to follow.
"Re: f.kennedy
June 24th - 1:14 a.m.
Monday is the BIG night for ASCO, the Association of Sheridan road Condo Owners, the decision will be made on Wednesday at the 48th Ward Z&P committee.
You have several block-clubs in Edgewater who will be opposing it, but MAS has her Z&P committee stacked with the votes she needs.
But be sure to ask how long that moron of an alderman has known about the shaky financial situation of Hollywood house.
Why she is now proposing to establish a TIF advisory council after several request to establish one for the Clark/Ridge TIF?
How will that council be accountable to ANYONE in the community, since she will appoint the 10 members (likely the same people who sit on EDC, ECC, SSA, UDC, Uptown Chamber, possibly the Edgewater Chamber, unless they have the guts to oppose the property taxes being ported out of Edgewater and down to the uptown entertainment district).
Make sure you ask how many SBIF grants have been awarded in the 48th ward, and when they say this is new, ask how many have been awarded in the city?
What is the measurable success of the SBIF program?
Ask Fraser to fully explain how the communities' failure to approve this TIF is going to leave 190 senior citizens homeless, and IF that is the case, why the hell did they wait, when they have known for two years about Hollywood House, and then spring this TIF proposal at the last minute on the community?
Ask how the Andersonville and Devon streetscapes were funded, and why the need for TIF funds on Argyle for that streetscape?
Ask why the Bryn Mawr TIF hasn't funded small businesses (Salon Echo was never paid, don’t let him say they were awarded a grant), and why it is taking more than FIVE YEARS for Nookies to live up to its obligations?
Has Pierce or Senn received any TIF funds, and if not, why would McCutcheon need money generated from this TIF and not Swift?
What schools outside of the Loop have received TIF funds?
If your going to use TIF dollars to fund Sheridan as a three-lane road north of the Hollywood intersection, doesn’t it have to be in the TIF district?
And exactly where is that traffic going to go – Hollywood to Ridge?
Why traffic calming/greening on Foster, (a state highway eligible for state funds,) and not on Hollywood/Ridge, where there are very serious traffic problems?
And the library – how many more years is she going to use that damn thing as a campaign promise – every other alderman has gotten a new library built, IS Mary Ann THAT INCOMPETENT?
And, please point out that NO TIF DOLLARS were used for assisting the property that houses the Little Mexican Café and Chase, and that after ALL our tax dollars went into the Goldblatts building to subsidize Borders, (over the objections of Women & Children’s book store and other small independent book stores), they are shopping around, looking for someone to lease this store.
But please do not get hung up on CTA stations funded with TIF dollars - it isn't going to happen, and funding a CTA station will not affect the EAV of properties, so it shouldn’t be funded with TIF dollars.
Ask when the SB Friedman study was made available for the community to review, who has read it, why only a few weeks, for a community of over 60,000, was the study made available for review, and if all they are relying on is the greater than 35 year old buildings, couldn't we just make the entire city of Chicago a TIF district and get it over with.
Fix the amount of money generated from our property taxes going to the County, Schools, Water Reclamation, Police and Fire protection, and so many other programs and governing bodies that are funded with property tax dollars, and fix it for the next 23 years so that we stop playing this game of dividing half the taxable property in each ward and just let the mayor have his secret budget to fund the developers who fund him and his hacks' campaigns once and for all.
I hope you raise hell.
Sheridan road has the votes to defeat this ill conceived proposal. I think like most things in the 48th ward, its fixed and this is a dog and pony show - Rickover - 5440 Sheridan - the aldermanic elections - the committeeman selection - they don't give a shit what the taxpayers of this ward want.
They have manipulated EVERYTHING, and are putting lipstick on a pig and calling it Democracy.
And Quigley endorsed the fat bitch. Don't forget about that either."
I suggest everyone planning on going to this meeting print this gem of a comment out and bring it with them, along with their own, personal bullhorn, they'll need it, to be heard over the shout-down tactics that the 'bitch' will be having her clout monkeys use, to suppress the community's opinions.
It seems to me that this is a ploy to promise everyone in the ward their favorite project will be funded, with absolutely no history of this alderwoman letting the community decide what to use their tax dollars to fund. I hope my fellow residents of the 48th ward, particularly those along N. Sheridan road, see through these clever ploys.
"I hope my fellow residents of the 48th ward, particularly those along N. Sheridan road, see through these clever ploys."
They'll have a better opportunity to see thru the smokescreens, if as many people as possible print out the 'Re: f.kennedy' or 'retro' posts and bring them to the meeting and hand them out.
Anyone willing to make the effort?
(I can't make the meeting, I gotta work late tonight)
yes, we could, and they're working on it
If she is serious she should be willing to write the TIF advisory council INTO THE ENABLING ORDINANCE, make it real, give it teeth.
There are currently four TIF districts affecting the 48th ward, and this Alderman has never backed establishing an advisory council in over 17 years. This proposed TIF will allow property tax generated in Edgewater to be ported into the Uptown community and is a bad deal for Edgewater. Sadly, they have so manipulated the 'community input' process (remember this is the same community that opposed the Rickover Naval Academy, the development of 5440 N. Sheridan, and despite nearly 2,000 signatures of registered voters for two candidates in the aldermanic elections were denied an opportunity to vote for them by hiding behind election law governing an economic disclosure form that were filed by the candidates.)
Once again, they are putting lipstick on a pig, and she will hide behind her Z&P committee and declare that the 'community' supported it.
Quigley has an obligation to his constituents to do everything he can to oppose this, and needs to stop endorsing all those incumbents who are working against the needed reforms of TIF abuse.
Maybe Hugh missed the point of this story, but Quigley was going down to the State because there is no 'enabling' controls at the local level. That shouldn't justify this needless TIF with little benefits to the citizens of the 48th Ward or the City of Chicago.
Hugh, you need to stop parsing other peoples comments, and start backing up those fighting for reform. Otherwise, you are going to be taken as seriously as ‘Orion’.
Uh, 'orion's' new name is 'Ass-rion', courtesy of 'Frank to Ass-rion'.
Seriously.
More empty rhetoric.
This is a done deal. One more fraud that is going to contribute your tax increases for the next three decades as we prolong the pain that TIF's are causing the system.
As for the advisory committee, it will be the same old supporters of Ald. Smith and as accountable as the development corporations are to the community. You have no say or input on who will represent you on this advisory panel. Another great democratic moment in the 48th ward and City of Chicago. Yeah!
Yes, TIFs are regulated by state law, but the City passes a package of 3 laws each time they establish a TIF:
1. an ordinance accepting the report & plan prepared by the TIF consultants
2. an ordinance establishing the boundaries of the district
3. an ordinance initiating the re-direction of property taxes in the district to the TIF fund
The City is obligated to work within the boundaries of the state TIF law, but they are also free to expand on it. For example, although a TIF board is not specified in state law, is no reason the City can't establish one. To date no TIF in Chicago has any kind of formal oversight. In the handful of wards that THINK they have a TIF advisory council, they are only operating at the pleasure of the alderman, they have no legal standing, no teeth.
FYI as an example here's the trio of enabling ordinances for the "Loyola" TIF:
APPROVAL OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR DEVON/SHERIDAN REDEVELOPMENT
PROJECT AREA
http://council.forum49.org/Journal-2004-03-31-002....
DESIGNATION OF DEVON/SHERIDAN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA AS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT
http://council.forum49.org/Journal-2004-03-31-002....
ADOPTION OF TAX INCREMENT ALLOCATION FINANCING FOR
DEVON/SHERIDAN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA
http://council.forum49.org/Journal-2004-03-31-002....
Are you proposing that MAS write into the ordinance of the proposed redevelopment plan for Hollywood/Sheridan an advisory committee and how it will be made up and accountable to the community? Even if the local alderman did that, it would have no bearing on any of the other 160+ TIF districts in this city. And the committee that MAS is proposing will have the same old faces (and her supporters) who are not accountable to anyone in the community. The mayor and CDC will have the final say. Just ask Alderman Schulter how much control the local alderman has.
The State could mandate that tax dollars generated in a TIF district remain within the designated project area (end porting), could more clearly define what a 'blighted' area is to prevent the LaSalle street financial from being designated as 'blighted', and it could establish advisory councils (much like the LSC's) were the taxpayers within the TIF have representation accountable to the community.
The STATE - not a city council ordinance, or a county commisioner passing a resolution.
TIFs are becoming a problem in the suburbs and rural areas as well, Chicago just led the way. The reform needs to come from the state, not a battle with the establishment of each TIF district at the local level.
it's possible
> Even if the local alderman did that, it would have no bearing on any of the other 160+ TIF districts in this city.
The City uses boilerplate TIF ordinances. As a start, we could ask that language for an advisory board and other reforms appear in all new TIFs.
Also, the City amends the TIF ordinances from time to time. To take 2 easy examples: the Howard TIF ordinances were revamped 3 times, the Wilson Yard TIF went through City Council twice. They could update ALL the TIFs in the City at once if they so chose. They make the laws.
> The reform needs to come from the state
Not necessarily. We could get a lot done locally if there was consensus. Nothing in the state law prohibits establishing additional controls or reporting or other accountability at the City level.
An analogy is zoning. There is a state zoning law. Most Cities go beyond that.
Why so anxious to let our local alderman off so easy? They are responsible for Chicago's TIF program. "Don't talk to me about TIF reform, that's a state problem, I just work here." When an alderman brushes you off, don't accidentally pick up their rhetoric.
I don't let the local alderman off too easy, they are responsible for abusing the TIF programs, but I also don't think you should let the State off the hook. They have the ability to reform the laws before another two decade old problem is created like their pension obligations being abdicated.
The ‘advisory council’ is useless if they are not accountable to the residence within the community of the given TIFs – MAS is not committed to community input, she lacked the courage to even debate and conduct a fair election, instead choose to hide behind a technicality in election laws to throw off a decorated Iraqi veteran and a community activist who has worked with the homeless for years. She championed the Rickover Navel Academy despite the Senn LSC and nearly 70% of residence of the 48th ward voting against it on a referendum. Thousands of Sheridan road residence opposed a development at 5440 N. Sheridan, and she rushed it through her Z&P committee, many of whose members are not accountable even to the groups they supposedly represent. This advisory council wouldn’t operate any different, hand picked by MAS, and not accountable to anyone in the community. Your not going to get consensus from the Alderman to institute advisory committees, for Christ sakes, they won’t even let the public have a say in public art projects, you think they are going to hand this over ½ billion dollar yearly program over to advisory councils?
Yeah right.
As the above series of posts are very interesting, I've taken the liberty of 'opening them up' a bit, for easier reading:
"Hugh
June 26th - 1:23 p.m.
> Tax Incremental Finance districts are governed by state law
Yes, TIFs are regulated by state law, but the City passes a package of 3 laws each time they establish a TIF:
1. an ordinance accepting the report & plan prepared by the TIF consultants
2. an ordinance establishing the boundaries of the district
3. an ordinance initiating the re-direction of property taxes in the district to the TIF fund
The City is obligated to work within the boundaries of the state TIF law, but they are also free to expand on it.
For example, although a TIF board is not specified in state law, is no reason the City can't establish one.
To date no TIF in Chicago has any kind of formal oversight.
In the handful of wards that THINK they have a TIF advisory council, they are only operating at the pleasure of the alderman, they have no legal standing, no teeth."
and
"Hugh
June 26th - 2:06 p.m.
> show us what ordinance the city has on the books that is the 'enabling ordinance.'
FYI as an example here's the trio of enabling ordinances for the "Loyola" TIF:
APPROVAL OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR DEVON/SHERIDAN REDEVELOPMENT
PROJECT AREA
http://council.forum49.org/Journal-2004-03-31-002....
DESIGNATION OF DEVON/SHERIDAN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA AS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT
http://council.forum49.org/Journal-2004-03-31-002....
ADOPTION OF TAX INCREMENT ALLOCATION FINANCING FOR
DEVON/SHERIDAN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA
http://council.forum49.org/Journal-2004-03-31-002....
and
Not the enabling ordinance
June 26th - 2:25 p.m.
Not one of those is an example of an 'enabling ordinance' governing tax incremental finance districts - they all are examples of local ordinance complying with the State mandate (your enabling law) under the governing authority of the creation of TIF's.
Are you proposing that MAS write into the ordinance of the proposed redevelopment plan for Hollywood/Sheridan an advisory committee and how it will be made up and accountable to the community?
Even if the local alderman did that, it would have no bearing on any of the other 160+ TIF districts in this city.
And the committee that MAS is proposing will have the same old faces (and her supporters) who are not accountable to anyone in the community.
The mayor and CDC will have the final say.
Just ask Alderman Schulter how much control the local alderman has.
The State could:
Mandate that tax dollars generated in a TIF district remain within the designated project area (end porting)
More clearly define what a 'blighted' area is to prevent the LaSalle street financial from being designated as 'blighted'
And it could establish advisory councils (much like the LSC's) where the taxpayers within the TIF have representation accountable to the community.
The STATE - not a city council ordinance, or a county commisioner passing a resolution.
TIFs are becoming a problem in the suburbs and rural areas as well, Chicago just led the way.
The reform needs to come from the state, not a battle with the establishment of each TIF district at the local level."
and
"Hugh
June 26th - 3:56 p.m.
> Are you proposing that MAS write into the ordinance of the proposed redevelopment plan for Hollywood/Sheridan an advisory committee and how it will be made up and accountable to the community?
it's possible
> Even if the local alderman did that, it would have no bearing on any of the other 160+ TIF districts in this city.
The City uses boilerplate TIF ordinances.
As a start, we could ask that language for an advisory board and other reforms appear in all new TIFs.
Also, the City amends the TIF ordinances from time to time.
To take 2 easy examples:
the Howard TIF ordinances were revamped 3 times,
the Wilson Yard TIF went through City Council twice.
They could update ALL the TIFs in the City at once if they so chose.
They make the laws.
> The reform needs to come from the state
Not necessarily.
We could get a lot done locally if there was consensus.
Nothing in the state law prohibits establishing additional controls or reporting or other accountability at the City level.
An analogy is zoning.
There is a state zoning law.
Most Cities go beyond that.
Why so anxious to let our local alderman off so easy?
They are responsible for Chicago's TIF program.
'Don't talk to me about TIF reform, that's a state problem, I just work here.'
When an alderman brushes you off, don't accidentally pick up their rhetoric."
and
Miss the point
June 26th - 5:06 p.m.
The reform does need to come from the state.
For every tax dollar that is lost from a local school district, approx. 70% of that dollar is picked up by the state.
As more and more local governments throughout the state see how Chicago has manipulated what was
1)Intended as a limited tool to attract business development into the most depressed areas by giving them tax incentives and
2)Transformed it into a means to hide a property tax increase in order to fund all kinds of development that has nothing to do with business development in the inner city or abandoned industrial areas,
3)Those local governments throughout IL will start seeing this as a means to raise taxes without it ever appearing as so on the bills taxpayers receive.
I don't let the local alderman off too easy, they are responsible for abusing the TIF programs, but I also don't think you should let the State off the hook.
They have the ability to reform the laws before another two decade old problem is created like their pension obligations being abdicated.
The ‘advisory council’ is useless if they are not accountable to the residence within the community of the given TIFs
MAS is not committed to community input, she lacked the courage to even debate and conduct a fair election, instead choose to hide behind a technicality in election laws to throw off a decorated Iraqi veteran and a community activist who has worked with the homeless for years.
She championed the Rickover Navel Academy despite the Senn LSC and nearly 70% of residence of the 48th ward voting against it on a referendum.
Thousands of Sheridan road residence opposed a development at 5440 N. Sheridan, and she rushed it through her Z&P committee, many of whose members are not accountable even to the groups they supposedly represent.
This advisory council wouldn’t operate any different, hand picked by MAS, and not accountable to anyone in the community.
Your not going to get consensus from the Alderman to institute advisory committees, for Christ sakes, they won’t even let the public have a say in public art projects, you think they are going to hand this over ½ billion dollar yearly program over to advisory councils?
Yeah right."
Shouldn't let the State off the hook.
That is the third time you have copied my post - do I ramble that often?
No, indeed, your posts are filled with information and I humbly attempt to make them a bit easier to read.
I apologize for taking the liberty of slightly changing a few words here and there, usually, when I re-post someone's interesting comment, I copy and paste verbatim, yours seemed like it could use a little tweaking.
I hope didn't do anything to change the meaning of it.
The ideas and opinions contained within your comments are important and informing.
Thank you for commenting.
I think what you meant to say, you said the first time, ie., "I don't let the local alderman off too easy, they are responsible for abusing the TIF programs, but I also DON'T think you SHOULD let the State off the hook."
OR
I don't let the local alderman off too easy, they are responsible for abusing the TIF programs, but I also think you SHOULDN'T let the State off the hook.
I try to be accurate and respectful of the intended meaning.
you are not helping readability by duplicating everything
I think I understand your despair.
We are seeing more of this in recent TIFs - the alderman comes to the community with YET ANOTHER TIF - but THIS one is going to be different - we will have a community advisory board!
All I'm trying to suggest is that when we hear this from our aldermen that we should call their bluffs and not hesitate to ask for it IN WRITING, in the enabling ordinance, specifying the composition and powers of the "community" board. Otherwise it's just hot air.
Stone agreed to a "community" advisory board when he was stumping for his latest TIF. Now the TIF is passed and gosh darn if we can't get him to actually convene the thing.
Okay, I'll make a point of not ever including your posts in my humble attempts at clarity.
I need not point out that even if you find nothing useful in my occasional efforts, others may.
"I don't know what you THINK you were appointed to do, but I appointed you, you serve at the pleasure of the alderman, and I'll let you know when your services are required."
Meanwhile, he's talking to developers about TIF-subsidized projects in the TIF.
Please correct me where I'm wrong, but, aren't TIFs supposed to be solely for the purpose of attracting private sector investments into areas sorely in need of same?
Isn't the whole purpose of TIFs intended to be to stimulate this private sector investment to provide opportunities for employment to those areas' residents desperately lacking in same?
Isn't the freezing of tax revenues going to the very government functions that educate those areas' residents' children the reluctant compromise that is supposed to be offset by the gains in private sector investments and the benefits garnered from same?
And doesn't the state bear a substantial portion of this shortfall, otherwise the schools in those areas would be greatly under-funded?
So, why are ANY of these TIF funds being spent in any other areas than the ones in which the TIF is located?
And why are TIFs being designated for areas clearly NOT needing this type of 'assistance'?
And how has it come to be that the decisions on where TIFs are to be designated, quite properly being in the hands of the local authorities, who would know best where they are the most needed, have been made in such a way as to neglect the very areas they were designed to assist in the first place?
And WHO are the individuals responsible for this perversion of what was initially an intelligent and beneficial program?
should be
Stone sat
of course
sorry
Why are TIF's being designated for areas clearly not needing this type of assistance? Because we tolerate our local officials lack of leadership, and I would include Commissioner Quigley in this as well. I have never seen anyone fold so fast when the mayor’s minions started ripping into him.
if you want to contribute please stop re-posting and tell us WHY you thought it was interesting
thank you, hugh
June 27th - 3 p.m.
"Okay, I'll make a point of not ever including your posts in my humble attempts at clarity.
I need not point out that even if you find nothing useful in my occasional efforts, others may."
Since you seem to know everything, you tell us why I thought it was interesting.
It was about 10 years ago she promised us a plan for traffic in 3 months. We are still waiting.
Funny how the same people who have ruined previous blog discussions in the 48th Ward are here, too.
So 2000 residents of the neighborhood signed a petition against 5440. Big deal. With our population density that is a drop in the bucket. And with our population diversity, a lot of them didn't even know what they were signing. On the other hand, many thousands of other people wanted 5440 built. They count too. The mistake Mary Ann Smith made was letting the Bob and the anti-people delay the process and spoil the design. What she did accomplish was she set neighbor against neighbor so she could divide and conquer.
Her newbie chief of staff bungled it all badly. But she who never makes a mistake, would never admit that. She will just say that the vote in favor of the TIF and higher taxes was a vote of confidence in her policies.
In the meantime, Edgewater gets plundered for the boondogle Uptown Theatre. I am really surprised that given the state of the Chicago
Theatre's economics, people are still thinking about renovating that old white elephant. OOPS! I said the mystical word -- elephant. I will now turn into a pumpkin.
Maybe they are jealous of Lakeview which has a CUBS immersion whenever there is a night game. No parking on any of the streets, customers can't get to businesses, babysitters and guests can't park.
Or maybe they have penis envy and just want to see drunks pissing on their lawns?
What people would that be?
Few of them who voted on this issue are held accountable, and so MAS and her bungling COS won't be held accountable either. I wouldn't be so dismissive to the concerns of thousands of people who voiced objections to 5440 though. The naval academy, committeeman selection, aldermanic non-elections, and so many more missteps is revealing that the empress has fewer and fewer close to hide behind. This is not someone who is committed to a transparent and inclusive community involvement, but in simple power plays. A few more years, and Harry will inherit his mommy's title, MAS will have little to show for a lasting legacy.
The big question in my mind is what happened to much vaunted Quigley? In his own back yard, and yet another whimper from our hero who voted for Stroger’s budget and is talking about TIFs in a ploy to get press attention. Everything I've heard Quigley talk about was pointed out by the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group well before he took up the issue. He'll make another half-hearted attempt at getting TIFs on your tax bills, and in the end, he'll cower yet again. He’s ‘The man with little expectations.’
And yet, Mike LOOKS like an honest guy.
Is this the new 'combine' strategy, finding people who APPEAR to be honest and incorruptible, yet, are internally pliable, if no rotten to the core?
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT?
And keep doing so, until truly honest people find the encouragement to run for office.
That encouragement will be quickly following a massive firing of incumbents, by having no doubts and voting practically all incumbents out of office, making exceptions where one chooses, but doing so only when convinced the incumbent has EARNED the privilege of being retained.
Who would benefit from the opening of the Uptown Theatre? First of all, it would give a legacy to an alderman who is available to the press but not the people. How about the people like JAM who buy it and then get TIF money to develope it. Then there are the owners of the adjacent buildings like the Longs and the Bridgeview Bank (formerly Uptown Bank) which has lots of buildings and mortgages in the hood. It will be interesting to see who benefits from the two TIFs that will be involved. The rape of Edgewater goes on. Congratulations Dougie, she must love you for pulling this one off. But then isn't that why she put you over at the Community Council??
THEY don't really care if they find a particular one of their 'faces' "out of sorts with just about everyone.", THEY'VE got plenty of faces to replace the few and far between ones they have to write off.
It's the BODY of the multiple-faced clout-creature that keeps regenerating faces that we must render impotent, not merely the individual faces.
Ironic, that the majestic elephant and the hard-working donkey are the chosen mascots for this creature, as it possesses NONE of the characteristics of either.
(Hi Doug! kisses).