Tom Tresser has been doing TIF Illumination workshops all over the city. Now you can see what over 1,600 other people have seen – how TIFs work REALLY.
Attend the “TIF 101” workshop at the CivicLab on Tuesday, September 17 at 7pm. 90 minutes. $10. You’ll be Illuminated! Register via EventBrite.
Watch this creative and fast moving seven minute video from WBEZ’s “Curious City” Project. Learn more at the CivicLab’s TIF Illumination Project. Do I look better animated?
Lord, it was HOT inside the Belding School auditorium tonight! And it just got HOTTER after the five TIFs of the 39th were Illuminated. Alderman Laurino was a no-show, No surprise. View all the TIF Illuminations here. Sign the petition to the Mayor – Empty The TIFs!. Read coverage from Progress Illinois.
I gave an update to a group of TIF Illumination Project organizers today at the CivicLab.
The TIF illumination Project was launched in February and six months later we’ve Illuminated 152 TIFs across 26 wards! The map hows the territory we’ve covered (Wards outlined in red received their own Illumination town forum, wards outlined blue were Illuminated together in two separate meetings). Over 1,500 people have attended these meetings.
Here is the presentation given to the group of folks who have or who are organizing TIF Town Meetings.
It was a packed house at the 33rd Ward TIF Illumination on August 8, 2013! Over 120 people filled the community room at the Christ Lutheran Church in Albany Park to learn the details of the four TIFs in their ward. Aldermen Deb Mell and Ray Colon attended the full meeting and heard from parents and school children on the devastating impacts of the recently announced school cuts on their lives. They Aldermen were asked to pledge to take the $1.7 billion from the TIF accounts and send that money to the units of government that should’ve received those funds in the first place. They did so. Then they were asked to sign a giant check for $850,000,000 – the public’s share of that money. They did so!
The meeting was organized by The Albany Park Neighborhood Council.
Review the presentation by Tom Tresser here.
Add your voice to the demand that the Mayor empty the TIF accounts and put that money to work for the people by signing this petition.
I was in the featured debate at the 2013 Bughouse Square Debate on Saturday, July 27 in front of the Newberry Library. The topic was “Should The City Subsidize The Cubs To Keep Them In Chicago?” My position was “NO WAY, NO HOW” side. On the other side was Lester Munson, reporter for ESPN. The event was moderated by Chicago’s great natural resource, Rick Kogan.
Listen to the debate and the Q&A session (34 minutes).
Here are my notes for the debate. Use them if you have to argue against subsidizing sports facilities or other private enterprise using public dollars…
Continue reading