Drawing a Line on TIFs [1]

The time has come to draw a line on property tax abatements that subsidize developers.

Lots of folks might agree with that, but maybe not for the same reasons. Joe Sullivan says the downtown TIFs have been beneficial, and the South Waterfront TIF district will be too. Where he draws the line is subsidizing commercial development in the suburbs. But why should downtown loft condo hipsters get all the breaks? Shouldn't these big box developers get taxpayer help revitalizing their communities by building Target and Lowe's stores with large free parking lots? Besides, nowadays it costs $100 to fill up the Escalade for a trip over to Turkey Creek when you need a plastic Chinese patio set. Wouldn't it be better for the environment and the community's local economy if folks could do that right in their own back yard? He also argues that the City has a more stringent TIF evaluation and approval process. Surely he's not suggesting that Scooby and Lumpy can't be trusted with taxpayer handouts to developers? (See also Sullivan's argument that TIFs aren't free money. He's apparently gone completely off the reservation!)