Letter: Village pushing its own 'urban myth'

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an urban myth is a story or statement that is not true but is often repeated and believed by many to be true. For example, the statement that, had it not been for the wise and enlightened use of TIF districts by the village board, downtown Arlington Heights would still be as it was in 1983 is an urban myth. Recently, a village trustee even suggested that a 1983 photograph be compared to the current downtown as a visual aid to further enhance this urban myth.

Of course, to any rational thinking village resident, this is pure nonsense. Instead, an equally verifiable statement could be made that the downtown would have developed more efficiently under market-driven conditions.

A municipality the size of Arlington Heights would have attracted enough developer interest that would not have required consistent double-digit tax levy increases to cover future TIF subsidies to developers, the exodus of many locally established businesses, the current structural vacancy rate and the Village bailing out a politically connected TIF developer by purchasing the financially deficient Metropolis Theatre.

The question becomes: why is this urban myth being repeated so much lately? Similar to the current Big Lie, if you repeat something often enough people will believe it.

The village board intends to hand out taxpayer funds to the Chicago Bears Football Club under the same non-transparent and TIF-fueled playbook that was used to force the downtown development. Therefore, gullible residents must be constantly reminded of the village board's self-proclaimed infallible use of tax incentives, as the only way to accommodate an Arlington Park development

Keith Moens

Arlington Heights