An Anti-TIF PAC in Des Plaines

Cal Skinner just sent me an email pointing out a PAC called Des Plaines Residents for Responsible Taxation. Its officers are Scott Olson and Barbara VanSlambrouck, co-owners respectively of Geiser-Berner and Chromatech, both of which are threatened by the Five-Corners TIF in Des Plaines.

I spoke to another Geiser-Berner co-owner, Robert Janczak, a while back and he told me that the non-profit they formed earlier to fight the TIF was not allowed to oppose the referendum for the TIF because of campaign finance regulations so they had to form another organization. I guess this PAC was it.

That people have to hire lawyers to jump through hoops like this is one more bit of evidence that a lot of so-called “campaign finance reform” is just another way for incumbent politicians to say “don’t bother us.”