Ald. Shiller's concerned that
affordable housing might siphon cash away from her favorite unsupervised slush fund? Well,
here's something else for her to worry about.
- TIFs are fed by property taxes -- up to 71% of them if you live in the Wilson Yard TIF district.
- So the schools, which are fed primarily by property taxes, aren't getting that money and are, in fact, $370 million in the hole. Teachers are getting fired, class sizes are getting larger.
- The result? Middle-class families -- some of the very people who feed those TIFs -- are moving out of the city because they want decent schools for their kids.
- Big Oops! Who'll pay for the fish farms and the $400K cheesy rental units if the TIF funders go away taking their property tax money with them?
Read all about it on WBEZ, in an interview with the Diogenes of Chicago TIFs, Ben Joravsky, and a rep of Raise Your Hand. "What really irked me was that the leaders of the schools were so cynical that they would allow this to continue year after year while pretending 1) that the TIFs actually benefited the schools and 2) that Mayor Daley was a great benefactor of public education even though he was taking a good chunk of their change from them and giving them only a portion back."
Right on, unfortunately. We're a middle class family w/our condo on the market because we want our daughter to get a better public education than what's available in this neighborhood. It pains us to leave the city, but we're left with no choice. More and more it seems that Daley doesn't want our kind here anymore. Instead he wants something like Manhattan, where only the very rich or very poor can afford.
ReplyDeletealthough they didn't live in uptown, my husband & i just moved our friends with their two kids to nashville because she lost her CPS teaching gig (despite being a phenomenal, graduate educated elementary school teacher!). he was fortunate enough to transfer his job & she was able to get a better job for similar salary there... all while they are renting a 4 br, 3br home with fully finished basement in nashville for less than what they are renting their 2 br, 2ba condo in hyde park that they can't sell.
ReplyDeletethey are the exact kind of workers that need to stay in chicago & the kind of family that i would think daley would want populating the city. yet they are the perfect example of what is going to happen over the course of the next 5-10 years. my husband and i aren't too far behind them in a move out of chicago... we don't have kids now, but hope to soon & if i can't afford private school, i don't think their is much chance i'll send them to public school. and we're certainly not buying real estate here either... sad :(
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/ron-huberman-cutbacks-cps-teachers-union/Content?oid=2074219
ReplyDeleteThis piece from the Reader speculates on some of the motivations behind Huberman's June 28th press conference, where he announced that class sizes will not be increased in elementary schools, but may be in high schools.
Interesting link that involves the TIF funding which is not being directed to our schools.
Chicago is just a few steps away from moving towards looking like a place like Detroit. IF someone goes to court and finds a way to do away with the residency requirement for city employees, not many will stay living in the city to prop up these TIF's.
ReplyDeleteLots of people who want services will be left but those that pay the taxes to provide them, will take their money outside the city.
I think we should all remember that our new neighborhood Target is there AT THE SACRIFICE OF OUR CHILDREN. Target is a for-profit entity but feels it is more important than our children's education. Target's profits are higher because they, and alderman Shiller have lesser regard for our children. Just saying. How much of this TIF are they getting???
ReplyDeleteActually, Target's TIF draw was lean, at best.
ReplyDeleteThey probably got a very nice deal on the land, but the sole reason for Target's existence at this location (other than to not be WalMart and to make campaign contributions to ... particular people) is to generate the tax revenues to prop up Wilson Yard.
Regardless, I do hope both Target and Wilson Yard prove to benefits to the community.
But, something fun to think about is that City Council approved Walmart due in no small part to their agreeing to pay a living wage in the city. $11/hr - give or take.
Of course, Shiller is all for the living wage. Heck she even allowed a ballot issue asking specifically that.
Target's starting wage?
$8.25/hr.