City Council members rail about problem buildings and businesses who escape penalties: ‘Continuance after continuance’ – Chicago Sun-Times*

“We need to attack a lot of these buildings that are quote, unquote `vacant,’ but we know that they’re party venues...They’re just calling themselves vacant to go under the radar and, at the same time, the property owner who may be out in California or New York is getting a tax break,” Buildings Commissioner Matthew Beaudet said. “There’s been several bills in Springfield [to change that], but they always get crushed by the lobbyists down there.”