“Don’t go past the top of the curve.” -Robert P. Inman, Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, Wharton School By: Mark Glennon* Chicago’s south suburbs are in a death spiral and property taxes are central to the story. Most numbers reported to date have been spotty, though anecdotes are common about abandoned properties and underwater homeowners unable to sell because of property taxes. This article collects the empirical data more comprehensively from a variety of sources, most of which have become available only recently. Rates, indeed, have surpassed what any rational person could defend. The numbers provide a stark