August 13, 2009 News & Commentary » Politics

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• Cook County Needs Cojones

  Which Dem candidate for county board president is most likely to take on Mayor Daley?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jan 21, 2010

• It Doesn't Take Much to Be a Maverick

  Alderman Tom Allen makes history by daring to question the mayor's pet financing scheme in City Council chambers.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Dec 17, 2009

• Shedding Light on the Shadow Budget

  The TIF budget we recently pried from the city's grip reveals drastic inequities in how the money's spent.

  • by Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke
  • Dec 10, 2009

• The City Releases the "Shadow Budget"

  The Reader acquires a copy of the city's proposed tax increment financing budget.

  • by Mick Dumke
  • Dec 6, 2009

• Transparency in Action

  How a bill intended to expand the state Freedom of Information Act was bastardized to expand the mayor's shadow budget

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Nov 19, 2009

• October Surprise

  Mayor Daley says he’s not raising property taxes. But he is. Here’s how.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Nov 5, 2009

• 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.

  • by Mick Dumke
  • Nov 5, 2009

• Clout on the Calumet River

  Marina owner Mike Olsen has reason to fear the city will force him out of business to the benefit of his competition.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Oct 29, 2009

• The Shadow Budget

  The Daley administration commands an off-the-books kitty of taxpayer money equivalent to a sixth of the official city budget. Now we’ve got documents that show what they want to do with it.

  • by Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke
  • Oct 22, 2009

• Mr. Big Spender

  As the city faced a gaping budget deficit, the Daley administration closed out Chicago’s oldest and fattest slush fund by spending every last cent in it—and then some.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 5, 2009

• What TIFs Giveth, the Olympics Taketh Away

  Instead of getting a new pool out of the games, the west side will lose a pool and gym paid for with $30 million in tax increment financing funds.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jun 11, 2009

• University Village: The Story’s Not Finished

  How did UIC spend the money it got from the local TIF?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • May 28, 2009

• Alderman Cochran's TIF

  Alderman Willie Cochran needs to learn the first lesson of TIFs in Chicago: it's the mayor's money to spend as he likes.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Apr 14, 2009

• An Open Letter to the IOC

  Why you don't want to give Chicago the Olympics

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Apr 2, 2009

• Stimulus, Chicago-Style

  MillerCoors gets $24 million in subsidies to move to Chicago. What does Chicago get?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 26, 2009

• Boss Shiller

  Is there a difference anymore between aldermen Helen Shiller and Berny Stone?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 25, 2009

• Money for the taking

  The city explains--in a manner of speaking--why it has so little evidence that it monitored its $10 million TIF deal with Republic Windows and Doors.

  • by Mick Dumke
  • Mar 19, 2009

• Show Us the Money

  How well is the city monitoring its multimillion-dollar corporate subsidies? There's only one way to find out.

  • by Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke
  • Mar 19, 2009

• TIFs: Hidden in plain view

  The City Council can approve a 99-year privatization deal in days, but it needs months to decide whether to put public records online.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 17, 2009

• Pardon the interruption

  The City Council's hearing on TIF transparency is interrupted by demands for a more inclusive Olympics plan.

  • by Mick Dumke
  • Mar 16, 2009

• The City Council, for no apparent reason, puts TIF transparency on hold

  A proposal to make tax increment financing deals more transparent receives broad support and no opposition in a City Council hearing--then gets tabled anyway.

  • by Mick Dumke
  • Mar 16, 2009

• Manny and Scott Take on the TIFS

  Aldermen Manny Flores and Scott Waguespack take up Mike Quigley's TIF reform crusade.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 13, 2009

• Money for Nothing

  How the city managed to spend $1.4 million to turn a commercial strip into empty lots.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 12, 2009

• Transparency on TIFs

  Two aldermen call for TIF reform, starting with transparency.

  • by Mick Dumke
  • Feb 11, 2009

• Out the Window

  Republic Windows and Doors will make good on what it owes workers. Now what about our $10.4 million?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Dec 18, 2008

• The Right Fight

  Alderman Shiller says Uptown residents are suing to dismantle the Wilson Yard TIF for the wrong reasons. But so what?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Dec 11, 2008

• When the Slush Dries Up

  The TIF kitty's still growing, per the county clerk's annual report—but it may not be growing fast enough to cover the bets Chicago has made against it.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Nov 6, 2008

• October Surprise

  Why your property taxes may be going up even as your property loses value.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Oct 9, 2008

• The Endangered Watchdog

  Strapped for cash, yet another of the city's independent advocacy groups is foundering.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Sep 25, 2008

• Daley Doesn't Need Him

  Why a vote for Obama is not a vote for the mayor

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Sep 18, 2008

• Here's a Tip for the Defense: TIFs

  Mayor Daley's all for suing the state over the education spending gap—but his pet program's partly to blame.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Sep 4, 2008

• It's the Mayor, Stupid

  The city's facing a $420 million deficit, but as usual it's somebody else's fault.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 28, 2008

• Three Million Lawsuits Oughta Do It

  A downstate court ruling empowers Chicago taxpayers to sue the city for TIF abuse.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 7, 2008

• The Dead Zone

  The mayor's biggest power play yet—the acquisition of a swath of Bensenville—may soon be a fait accompli.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jul 3, 2008

• The Road to 2016

  Is paved with rubber-stamp votes like the City Council's decision on the Children's Museum.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jun 19, 2008

• The TIF That Keeps On Taking

  The city has found a way to extend the life of its oldest, fattest tax increment financing district.

  • Jun 5, 2008

• The Mystery of the Construction Obstructionist

  Why is Alderman Ray Suarez blocking a new school that could ease overcrowding in his ward?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • May 29, 2008

• A New Twist on an Old Trick

  If the state has its way, a TIF on sales taxes means you'll be funding the rehab of Wrigley Field.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 6, 2008

• A Good Day for the Rainmakers

  The well-connected score again as the city works out new TIF deals for a former alderman, a wealthy private hospital, and a big car dealer.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jan 17, 2008

• A Zell of a Deal

  The state's proposed purchase and renovation of Wrigley Field is a corporate handout not even the mayor can swallow.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jan 3, 2008

• The True TIF Tally

  Cook County clerk David Orr reveals—nay, publicizes—that TIFs sucked up more than $500 million in property taxes last year.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Nov 22, 2007

• TIFs for Dummies

  The city finally posts some (mis)information about its tax increment financing program online.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Nov 1, 2007

• Thar She Blows

  The white whale lurking behind the mayor's new tax increases

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Oct 25, 2007

• Fair Warning?

  The city has reserved the right to wipe out this block for a developer to be named later.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Sep 13, 2007

• The Storm to Come

  As Chicagoans face tax hikes that will force people from their homes, Daley deflects blame onto state leaders.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 30, 2007

• A Sucker's System

  Only in Chicago could an $8 million affordable-housing subsidy in Edgewater cost taxpayers $75 million.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 16, 2007

• The Millions for the Merger

  Why is the city offering $40 million in public money to subsidize the Merc's merger with the Chicago Board of Trade?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jul 26, 2007

• Soccer for Some

  Did alderman Vi Daley know about the sweet deal the Park District gave Latin School on public land?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jul 19, 2007

• TIF for Tat

  Why the governor is suddenly so interested in the mayor's pet financing scheme

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jun 28, 2007

• Get Ready for Sticker Shock

  While lawmakers fiddle, a huge property tax hike awaits home owners.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jun 7, 2007

• A TIF That Might Make Sense/Starting With a Handicap

  The city's plan for the old main post office

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • May 24, 2007

• Will the Games Displace Their Games?/Quigley the Brave

  Washington Park's users fear the Olympics will leave them nowhere to play.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • May 10, 2007

• Think Smaller/TIF Watch

  While Chicago courts the Olympics, future Olympians practice in school hallways.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Apr 19, 2007

• Where Appointed Officials Fear to Tread

  In Oak Park, the school boards have demanded their money back from TIFs.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Apr 12, 2007

• Let the Games Begin/Berny's Boy Knows How to Pick 'Em

  The question isn't whether the public will pay--it's how the city will hide the amount.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 15, 2007

• TIF Now, Ask Questions Later

  Good intentions aren't enough to justify the city's latest slush fund.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 1, 2007

• A Lightning Rod in Logan Square

  The Mega Mall is a megaissue in the 35th Ward race.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Feb 15, 2007

• Does East Garfield Park Need a TIF?

  The city says it can develop 54 vacant lots on the west side without drawing on the local slush fund.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jan 18, 2007

• Sweet Deal

  The company that shuttered the west-side Brach's plant in 2003 is coming back, enticed by $880,000 in TIF funds.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jan 4, 2007

• With Friends Like These

  If Daley and Madigan truly supported the property tax cap, don't you think it would've passed by now?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Nov 30, 2006

• There It Is, Right on Page 19

  Almost all the vendors who got paid out of the Pilsen TIF last year are donors to the Daley and Solis campaigns.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Nov 9, 2006

• Whose Slush Fund Is It Anyway?

  In the 47th Ward, an alderman gets a rude awakening. Before long, we all will.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Oct 12, 2006

• Repeat After Me: TIFs are Great

  Why would the Cook County Board give up a chance to have some control over how the city spends property taxes?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Oct 5, 2006

• All the King's Aldermen

  How City Council really works

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Sep 21, 2006

• Sleight of Hand

  Daley's big-box brouhaha obscured the rubber-stamping of the LaSalle Central TIF.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Sep 21, 2006

• The Lone Gunman

  Reform-minded county commissioner Mike Quigley is gearing up to take on TIFs--and by extension Mayor Daley.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Sep 7, 2006

• The Big Budget Bamboozle

  With an election coming up, the mayor takes his magic show on the road.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 31, 2006

• Million-Dollar Lies

  The tax bill for 77 W. Wacker is just one glaring example of how the county helps the city hide the real cost of TIFs.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 10, 2006

• Financial Aid for the Financial District?

  Never mind whether the LaSalle Central TIF district is a good idea--we couldn't afford it even if it were.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jul 20, 2006

• Lucky Loyola

  Just months after securing millions in TIF funds from the city, the tax-exempt religious institution bags another big handout from the state.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jul 6, 2006

• The Schools Scam

  Under the TIF system millions of dollars in property taxes are being diverted from education to development.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jun 22, 2006

• Can You Spot the Blight?

  Insiders say Mayor Daley wants to re-up the Central Loop TIF, a barely overseen slush fund that sucks tax dollars away from schools and other public services in the name of stimulating development.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jun 8, 2006

• Officially Screwed

  In one amazingly dumb deal, the city stiffed a property owner, the developer who would get his land, and itself.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 23, 2006

• That Funny Opaque Kind of Transparency; Who's Daley's Man?; The Real County Board Race to Watch

  Alderman Rey Colon wants to know if voters in the 35th Ward approve of their TIF, but what does he plan to do if they don't?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Mar 16, 2006

• You Want Blight? You Got Blight.

  City planners and a well-placed developer with well-placed friends turn the TIF process on its ear.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Feb 23, 2006

• Public Funds, Private Windfall

  The deal's all but sealed: tax revenues meant for the public good will fund a face-lift for tax-exempt Loyola.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jan 26, 2006

• Those Slippery TIFs

  The Pilsen tax increment financing fund was created to promote industry. How does a 391-condo development qualify?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Dec 8, 2005

• Please, Sir, We Want Some More

  The schools are afraid to ask Daley for money that should have been theirs to begin with.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Aug 11, 2005

• Crazy Kruesi--His Prices Are Insane!

  If the CTA's broke, how can it afford to let Wilson Yard go for below market value?

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Apr 28, 2005

• Show Us the Money

  TIF districts are siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars away from schools and other city services, and nobody even has to tell us why.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Feb 3, 2005

• The Government Is Lying To You!

  Even city and county officials admit it: if you live in a TIF district, your property tax bill is misreporting where your money goes.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Dec 9, 2004

• City for Sale

  Mayor Daley's wheeling and dealing could leave Chicago taxpayers on the hook for decades to come.

  • by Ben Joravsky
  • Jan 1, 1984