Vote on DePaul TIF Today

Vote on DePaul TIF Today!

By Jim Vail

The Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) will vote at 11am today in City Council Chambers on giving DePaul University $55 million in tax monies from Tax Increment Financing, while simultaneously closing schools and cutting teacher positions because the schools face a major "budget deficit."

"A resolution recommending the deposition of city-owned land to the Metropolitan and Exposition Authority for a hotel with 1200 rooms generally located at 2206-58 South Indiana and 2207 South Michigan Avenue."

The CPC Chair is Martin Cabrera, who replaced UNO chief Juan Rangel as the new head of the building commission. Cabrera, who represents a financial firm, replaced Rangel after it was discovered that UNO was rewarding contract bids to build a high school to family members.

Rangel kept his job at UNO, but lost his planning commission position.

The mayor's bid to give DePaul University the TIF money to build a basketball stadium was a bold move at a time when the city is supposedly facing a massive budget problem, and thus needs to close schools and cut school budgets drastically.

Secondcityteacher will keep track of which aldermen vote on this proposal in the city council to essentially take monies from the children, and give it to wealthy investors.

The Chicago Teachers Union and other organizations have called on the mayor to release the surplus funds in the TIF to fund the schools, parks and other city services where money has been taken to feed corporate interests.

This information was provided by Erika Wozniak, a former DePaul student and current CPS teacher who organized a protest on the DePaul campus against this deal.