A Wrinkle in the Story of Republic Windows and Doors

I’ve had some fleeting contact with the management of the Republic Windows and Doors plant that striking workers have famously occupied. Working on an article for Governing Magazine about Chicago’s use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF)–a form of government-to-business subsidy–Chicago’s Planning and Development Commissioner cited Republic as a shinning success story for the city. Because TIF financing (which uses property taxes to return the subsidy to the public treasury) relies on the business continuing to operate and continue to pay taxes, it seems likely that the City of Chicago will end up in trouble too as a result of the company’s shut-down.