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Work on Industrial Arts Glass Studio Costs Illinois Taxpayers $71,000

Wesley Fox — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:08:20 +0000

According to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Grant Tracker website, the Little Black Pearl Workshop received a $71,000 grant to help complete the industrial arts glass studio, located at 1060 East 47^th Street in Chicago. Specifically the funds were to be “used to complete the installation of a hood and exhaust system in the glass studio.” (Grant #09-203038)

According to the Little Black Pearl website, its mission “is to create opportunities for youth and adults to deepen their creative involvement through the arts, cultivate their entrepreneurial skills and use the arts as a means for economic empowerment and community transformation.”

The grant was part of the DCEO’s Grant Management Program, which provides grants “for specific purposes to bolster the State’s economy, promote a clean environment and improve the overall quality of life throughout the State of Illinois.” How does an industrial art studio improve the overall quality of life in Illinois or bolster the state’s economy? This sounds like another example of poor spending of taxpayers’ money by the DCEO and highlights, again, why Illinois is 48^th in economic performance and 47^th in economic outlook compared to the other states.

To find this information on our IllinoisOpenGov.org website, go to “Checks to Businesses & People,” under the “Department” section search “Commerce and Economic Opportunity,” under the “Vendor” section search “Little Black Pearl Workshop.”

Illinois to Spend $150k to Upgrade Lighting

Wesley Fox — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:40:33 +0000

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity recently awarded a grant to the city of Chicago to help “with upgrading the lighting in the 34th Ward of Chicago, specifically on 115th Street from Vincennes Avenue to Lowe Avenue.” The award amount is $150,000 for the project. According to the DCEO website (search City of Chicago, Grant #10-203279), the grants are awarded to “specific local governments by members of the General Assembly and the Governor for specific purposes to bolster the State’s economy, promote a clean environment and improve the overall quality of life.”

It is unclear how new lighting bolsters the economy, promotes a clean environment, or improves the overall quality of life in the state. If the lighting of the 34th Ward was such priority, why did the city of Chicago decide not to upgrade them?

To find this information on our IllinoisOpenGov.org website, go to “Checks to Businesses & People” under the “Department” section search Commerce and Economic Opportunity, under the “Vendor” section search City of Chicago.

New TIF in the Loop

Kate Campaigne Piercy — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:13:13 +0000

The city of Chicago has just approved 6 million dollars in tax increment financing (TIF) for Accretive Health Inc. “to pay for job training and the build-out costs” of a new facility, which will be located at 231 South LaSalle Street.

By law, TIFs are intended to promote economic development in blighted areas, and this is just another example of the widespread disregard of the law regarding TIF development. Can anyone call the Loop, the center of business in downtown Chicago, “blighted?” Not likely.

Why are taxpayers on the hook for subsidizing such developments, all under the guise of TIF? Cook County collected $875 million from taxpayers in TIF money in 2008. How much of this went to economic development in blighted areas?

Check out Cook County Clerk David Orr’s TIF reports, and you’ll see development after development in the least of blighted areas, like the Loop and Lincoln Park.

Taxpayers, do you live in a TIF district? Is it blighted? Take these questions to your elected officials and ask them why your property tax dollars are being funneled into a TIF instead of your schools, parks or libraries. Only when the public starts taking action on the TIF issue will any true reform occur.

Illinois Pays $100k to Host a Football Game Between Two Out-of-State Universities

Wesley Fox — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:29:59 +0000

The Chicago Football Classic Inc. received a $100,000 grant to assist in hosting the Chicago Football Classic. According to the DCEO website the game “will feature Mississippi Valley State versus Southern University.” Southern University is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Mississippi Valley State is located in Itta Bena, Mississippi.

The grant was part of the Domestic Tourism Promotion Grant Program. The Program provides grants “to assist with costs associated with attracting/hosting domestic Tourism events in Illinois.”

It is questionable if hosting a football game between two out-of-state universities actually generates tourism revenue let alone enough to justify a $100,000 grant. One also has to wonder if taxpayers should be paying to host football games at all.

To find this information on our IllinoisOpenGov.org website, go to “Checks to Businesses & People.” Under the “Department” section search Dept. of Commerce, and under “Vendor” search Chicago Football Classic.

Spotlight on Spending

Kate Campaigne Piercy — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:43:01 +0000

Check out the newest spotlight on spending covering traffic control aides in Chicago. Necessary? Some taxpayers don’t think so.

Check Out a New Paper on TIF Transparency!

Kate Campaigne Piercy — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:36:55 +0000

Although tax increment financing (TIF) has been around for over thirty years, many people do not understand how it works, how it affects their communities or their pocketbooks. Most people have no idea a significant portion of their property taxes are flowing into the hands of real-estate developers instead of their schools, public libraries or parks.

Check out a new paper on TIF, highlighting the need for more transparency, a stricter definition of “blight,” and more public control in the TIF process.

Taxpayers Paying for New Model of Chicago

Wesley Fox — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:31:06 +0000

In 2008, the Chicago Architecture Foundation was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to “assist in the development of the 2008-2009 Special Exhibitions.” According to the DCEO Grant Tracker (Under “Search Grants by Organization” search Chicago Architecture Foundation, Grant #09-335008), the Special Exhibitions will feature a “state-of-the-art scale model of the city of Chicago.”

Building models is a wonderful hobby but may not be the best use of the taxpayer’s money. I also have never heard of a “state-of-the-art” model. Perhaps there have been major breakthroughs in model-building technology. Want to see what the Institute thinks about the DCEO? Check it out here.

To find this information on our IllinoisOpenGov.org website, go to “Checks to Businesses & People”. Under the “Department” section search Dept. of Commerce, and under “Vendor” search Chicago Architecture.

State Spends $100k on New Art Exhibit

Wesley Fox — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 21:00:56 +0000

In 2009, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded a $100,000 Tourism Attraction Grant to the Art Institute of Chicago for the Becoming Edvard Munch Exhibit (under “Search Grants by Organization” search Art Institute of Chicago). According to the project description on the DCEO Grant Tracker, the “funds will be used to assist in cost associated with the shipping/installation of the Becoming Edvard Munch Exhibit.”

To find this information on our IllinoisOpenGov.org website, go to “Checks to Businesses & People”. Under the “Department” section search Dept. of Commerce, under the “City” section search Chicago, and under the “Amount in Range” section search for more than “$100,000”.

Daley Proposes Dipping into TIF Reserves to Balance Budget

Kate Campaigne Piercy — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:46:36 +0000

Mayor Daley went forward with his plans to use TIF reserves in order to “balance” his proposed FY2011 budget, leaving it to his future replacement to tackle the inherent problems that led the city into a deficit in the first place.

Balancing the budget is important, but TIFs were not created to be used by elected officials looking to fill budget gaps. Using TIFs in this manner actually encourages the irresponsible spending that leads to massive budget deficits, and TIFs should be used solely to provide low-income communities with a way of furthering their economic development. Taxpayers deserve a more responsible, transparent TIF process that would foster more government accountability, improve public understanding, and help enforce ethical behavior for everyone involved in TIF management and financing.

Rahm on TIF

Kate Campaigne Piercy — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:06:08 +0000

Not many people understand tax increment financing (TIF) very well, and the lack of transparency in the TIF process, particularly in Chicago, leaves many taxpayers unaware of exactly where TIF developments are located, how many tax dollars are going into these TIFs, and how the money is being spent.

Mayoral candidates looking to fill Daley’s seat are starting to talk TIF, calling for more transparency and questioning the practice of creating TIF districts in areas that are not exactly blighted.

TIF is an issue that needs to be talked about more and more so people can start better understanding it and start realizing its significant impact on their communities and pocketbooks. It’s good to see TIF has the potential to be a central issue in Chicago’s mayoral race.

For more information about TIF, see the Illinois Policy Institute’s take on the topic.