In the last few weeks, Daley has proposed setting aside money in next year's budget to hire 100 new police officers. But officers tell me the department should really hire 1,000 just to keep pace with the rate of retirement. That would cost the city upwards of $60 million. Where would we ever find that kind of money? Well, our old friend the tax increment financing program (you knew I'd get there sooner or later) collects about $500 million a year in property tax dollars.
Read the entire article here.
UU Note: At the last 2311 CAPS meeting, we learned how close to home this is hitting. A police officer was approaching a group of gangbangers on Magnolia to disperse them when the murder of Aaron Carter took place. That's how bold the gangs are getting: they committed a murder in full view of an approaching police officer.
Consider that, if TIF funding bought one housing unit at Wilson Yard for $350K (conservative figure), that money could have paid the salaries for eight rookie cops. It's not that we're against housing... it's that we're for more cops and against no-oversight spending of our tax dollars.
Chicago is in serious trouble. I always heard with out Daley this would be another Detroit or Cleveland well my friends it's going to be worse because we have more to lose.
ReplyDeleteThe gangs are taking over folks and you have Mayor Shortshanks and the thieves he surrounds himself with to thank for that.
TIF'S have killed this City while making people like Holstein rich. They don't care about low income they care about stealing tax dollars to enrich themselves.
SORRY FOR THE CAPS;
ReplyDeleteWHY DON'T WE, AS TAXPAYING CITIZENS IN THIS CITY, FLOOD MAYOR DALEY WITH EMAILS TO HIRE MORE POLICE? TO FREE UP THE TIF? WHY DON'T WE GATHER AS A LARGE GROUP AND PROTEST DOWN AT CITY HALL? WHY AREN'T WE MORE VOCAL ABOUT THE LACK OF POLICE IN THE CITY? TALKING ABOUT IT ON BLOGS AND IN THE PAPER IS ONE THING, BUT ACTUALLY SPEAKING UP WITH PROTESTS AND OR FLOODING HIS OFFICE WITH EMAILS IS THE ACTUAL "VOICE OF THE PEOPLE". JUST SOME THOUGHTS.
You can talk and protest til your blue in the face. Without money you won`t get much help on any issue. Specially in Crook County. Lets face it the city, state and all of America is broke and getting worse by the day. I would love to see cops walking the beat throughout Uptown like in the good old days but I think it will never happen any time too soon...
ReplyDelete@A. There are serious problems in Chicago, but you seriously lack historical perspective. This is Uptown. Uptown has had "problems" for generations. They pre-dated Schiller, as well as Richie. They may have predated Richard J.
ReplyDeleteWhat is now charming local lore (the Green Mill has tunnels for gangsters to escape the police in? Charming!) is also evidence that crime has been a problem in Uptown for generations.
SORRY FOR THE CAPS....
ReplyDeleteWISEGUY; WHY CAN'T THE MAYOR USE THE TIF FUNDS TO HIRE MORE POLICE? WHY WOULDN'T A CITZEN PROTEST WORK IF WE PROTEST FOR THE RELEASE OF THE TIF FUNDS TO HIRE MORE POLICE? I'M JUST CURIOUS AND CONSIDERING ALL SOLUTIONS TO STOPPING THE CITY FROM BECOMING A "CAPONE" CITY AGAIN. YOU SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF WISDOM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON A SOLUTION?
I am sure I lack a lot but the problem in IL and Chicago is people that pre-date my historical knowledge/perspective keep voting in the same old hacks.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is afraid if not Richie Daley who is going to be Mayor of Chicago? O, it's scary only Richie can do it. Funny how the Alderman don't vote against him on anything and keep the balance of power?
I don't know why we don't just let Dictator Daley run it all and get rid of the Alderman all together and save a lot of money.
I might add Daley is the one that has treated the Police in this town like crap.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that has something to do with all the crime.
Daley won't change the TIF. We need to either vote him out or hope he doesn't run next year.
ReplyDelete