Listen to this in-depth interview with Jim Vail, publisher of Second City Teachers, which covers all things Chicago public education and the Teacher’s Union (1 hour). Thanks, Jim! Here is my analysis of two major TIF studies (from Loyola University and the University of Illinois Chicago). Free registration is required to access content on the TIF Illumination Project website.
I’ll be lighting up the TIFs of Maywood, Illinois on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at the Maywood Park District, 921 9th Avenue at 2pm. This Illumination is sponsored by Concerned Citizens of the Village of Maywood. And they SHOULD be concerned because it appears that the mayor wants to turn the entire village in a giant TIF! It will be my 236th TIF Illumination – egads! Let us know you are coming.
Join us on September 17 at 7pm in Warren Park when we Illuminate the TIFs of the 50th Ward. This will be my 235th TIF town meeting! I wonder if the press will cover it… If you plan on attending, you may want to call the local media and you may want to come a but early as seating is limited.
Read my TIF Challenge in Sheltforce. I am hoping some organization with staff, heft, resources, and passion will take this work over. The TIF Illumination Project needs a home! Reach me at tom@tresser.com.
I was interviewed by the dulcet-toned Mike Stephen for his “Outside the Loop” progam on WGN Radio on Saturday, February 28. We talked about greedy billionaires seeking billions of public dollars for private projects – like the Bears new stadium – and the need for a more expansive and generous civic imagination. It’s the first segment of the show.
** Sign this petition – “No Public Subsidies for Megaprojects! (ESPECIALLY for the Bears Stadium)“ **
I made a special offer to Mike’s listeners – 50% off the already low price of “Chicago Is Not Broke. Funding the City We Deserve” – Get the book with $5 billion of progressive and sustainable revenue solutions for Chicago for just ten bucks (plus tax and shipping)! What a civic deal! This offer is only good with the right promo code (listen and you will learn) and only through March 28. I produced this book in 2016 and in 2024 updated it with a whole new section! Order the book today – get multiple copies and start a civic book club :)!
The great folks at The Nonprofit Quarterly have been publishing my essays on the focus and future of America’s nonprofit sector since last December. Here is the latest piece:
Here are the other pieces:
In reponse to the Disaster Election, I am hoping to start a movement for “More Public!” and “Great Public!” in America. We need to celebrate, defend, and extend all things “PUBLIC” – so follow and share via BlueSky -> https://bsky.app/profile/morepublic.bsky.social.
Super excited to see my account of the No Games Chicago campaign and its connection to fighting megaprojects that threaten to gobble up billions of public dollars and vast swathes of public land published today by The Nonprofit Quarterly!