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Tom Tresser releases new book on TIFs and how they work
“After working in the field since 2013 on the TIF Illumination Project – after 50+ open enrollment civic workshops – after 236 public TIF town meetings – after working with organizers from 25 cities – I am able to put what I know about TIFs and how to organize around them in one place,” said Tom Tesser, one of the leading authorities on Tax Increment Financing TIF DIstricts.
The book is called Abolish TIFs – Get Lower Property Taxes, More Equity & $20 Billion for U.S. Public Schools!
The book explains how TIFs work – here in Chicago and across the USA – and how they harm our communities, and what you can do to Illuminate and engage around these shady programs.
As civic leaders in Chicago shape up the city’s 2027 budget, let’s make sure they really deal with TIFs this year!
You can get a hard copy from the print-on-demand service, Lulu, for $40 at www.tinyurl.com/Lulu-AbolishTIFsBook and you can get an online only version from ISSUU for $20 at www.tinyurl.com/ISSUU-ATB.
We have also published a companion website at www.abolishtifsbook.com that contains a treasure trove of support resources (past TIF reports, studies, images and more).
Please consider getting copies for yourself, for your school, for your civic organization, for your union, even a copy for your Alderman! If you would like to order bulk copies, say for a civic book club, email me at [email protected] :).
Over 16,000 people have attended the TIF Illuminations I have delivered over the years. Over 300,000 people have viewed the online presentations. Organizers from 25 cities have asked for our help.
Tresser also announced he is seeking an organization to take over the TIF illumination Project, as I recently turned 74.
This book makes the case for why taking on this work will help build and deepen the civics and grassroots support for the operating organization.
In the meantime, you can make a non-deductible contribution here.
You can subscribe to my weekly “CivicNotes” email newsletter here.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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