Too Much Drama
J.R. Jones replies:
Yes, there are plenty of issues with transperancy of spending and in the approval process. The JRB and CDC are a joke.
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Now, TIFs actually make development more equitable. Yes, more equitable. Why? This is because the improvements that they pay for COME FROM THE AREA BEING taxed! So increased tax increment used to finance downtown improvements comes from . . . yes, you guessed it! DOWNTOWN! Improvements from the West Side come from TIFs . . . located in the WEST SIDE! If this weren’t the case, I’m sure you would be reporting, as was an issue in this city for years, that tax dollars were going downtown to the detriment of the neighborhoods.
In the Know
I’ll just add two points to Ben’s.
If you want to articulate why this form of taxation is better or worse than others based on specifics like its reliability, the people it burdens, or some other reasons, please do so. But it’s simply not accurate to insinuate that it produces money out of the ether.
