Condemnation TIF in Arlington Heights

At the Monday night Arlington Heights village board meeting, 77 demonstrators held a candle light vigil outside the Senior Citizen Center where the meeting was being held.

I wrote a background story last week that might be of interest.

They organize under the Coalition to Save International Plaza. The shopping center, incidentally, is owned by Asian-American Su-Chuan Hsu.

Covering the demonstration so well was photo journalist Windypundit.

He has so many good photos, some of which I am posting to encourage you to look at them all.

Windypundit has become the web site of choice for those who want to put a face on the buildings local municipalities want to demolish.

Now, some councils like Crystal Lake have pledged not to use its condemnation powers in Tax Increment Financing districts like Vulcan Lakes.

We’ll see what happens when the last couple of small businesses along Route 14 refuse to sell to the clout-heavy developers picked by Mayor Aaron Shepley and the city council.

In Arlington Heights, Windypundit reports that one candidate for the village board is opposing the forcible taking of property. His name is Phil Walters and you can see him addressing the board earlier this week.

= = = = =
In the top photo a businessman holds up a handmade sign which says,

OUR PROPERTY
TODAY YOUR
PROPERTY TOMORROW
TAKE A STAND
FOR FREEDOM

In the picture with the candle, the group's organizers are asking people for their names and contact information so they can be mobilized for future action. In the photograph on the lower right is village board candidate Phil Walters.

Posted on McHenry County Blog first.