Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer
April 22, 2026
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Summary and audio linked here.
-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Forty-seven of the city’s 124 TIFs are set to expire in the coming months, sending the billions of property tax revenues TIFs had been capturing to the area’s taxing districts, including the city, Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park District. That would allow the city to pay off the debt without triggering a property tax increase, officials said.
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Summary and audio linked here.
Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago pension buyout plan mostly shifts debt rather than eliminating it, property tax surge doubles inflation over three decades
April 3, 2026
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Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
DEMS love higher Taxes: News Wealthy Illinois residents, ‘mega-corporations’ could face new taxes to fund public servicesby: Ryan Johnston Posted: May 7, 2025 / 05:15 PM CDT Updated: May 7, 2025 / 05:15 PM CDT SHARE SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois legislators and advocacy groups are pushing for higher taxes on the wealthiest people in the state and “mega-corporations.” State Senators and House Representatives have proposed joint resolutions to raise over $6 billion in new revenue, citing that the state’s current tax system is unfair to low-income residents. Advocacy groups that are a part of the Illinois Revenue Alliance have all shown support for… Read more »
Corruption seems to go hand-in-hand with TIFs. I’ve seen TIF districts more perverted than the district gerrymandering in IL. End ALL TIFs, and you will forever end a good deal of corruption.
My Chicago house was in a TIF created in the 90s. At the time it was needed to attract development and fix decades of disinvestment in things like pocket parks, streetscaping and beautification. It worked and the neighborhood exploded in value attracting high income tax paying property owners where prior it had been a half vacant slum dotted by low income housing. The TIF was renewed a few years back for no good reason that I can comprehend except that it acts as a slush fund for Burnnet and various NGOs to dole out money for “the community”. The TIF… Read more »
Is there a list of blighted areas the Tif money was supposed to have helped increase property values?
What projects in blighted areas were done and how much in increased value did the tifs accomplish?
How many homes and small businesses were built on empty lots and were put back on the tax roles?
Or was the money diverted to Tifs just a political slush fund?
Some of what you’re looking for is at https://www.chicagocityscape.com/tifs.php
Years ago many predicted that this situation would happen as TIFs absorbed tax dollars that should be devoted to public services. None the less the voters chose the politicians that created the TIF districts and reveled in the goodies the TIFs provided. Today we have the eventual resultant effect of the TIFs and the bills are coming due. The voters that voted for the situation though are now up in years and feel that they deserve tax breaks so as to not have to pay for mess that they created. Think about it for a min or two. They voted… Read more »
“Until all Illinoisans are fairly taxed…” How would you structure taxes to be “fair?”
For starters, start taxing income for retirees.
How about everyone get taxed equally with no carve outs…equally
The whole idea of Tifs as presented to the voting public was to increase values of properties in blighted areas which in turn increases values thus lowering taxes for everyone. Maybe in the beginning of a Tif district they allocated some money to new homes or businesses but all that extra money coming in from the cost basis on the Tif value was too much of a temptation so political pet projects to the politically connected was much more profitable to insiders. Voters most likely had no clue or were not told where the money would go. Same for Ptell.… Read more »
I thought TIFS were a bad idea to begin with and I also knew to never trust Illinois politicians. Certainly by now you would think the people would know but nope they don’t. The gimmicks, tifs, handouts continue on to provide goodies for the Illinoisans. That’s what they want and they deserve the tax hikes that come with it. The retirees escaped paying for the goodies they voted for but their offspring will pay. Its called feeding off of ones young, and on that Illinoisans are one of the first in line.