TIFF As Social Engineering

One of my last official duties as a Nebraska State Senator was to attend a hearing on TIF financing and workforce housing last week at the State Capitol in Lincoln. As a result of that hearing, I am convinced more than ever that TIF is a bad experiment in social engineering and makes property owners pay more in property taxes than they ought to have to pay. If the Legislature ever ended TIF, it would result in lower property taxes for everyone.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a popular way for cities to promote economic development. "Economic development" is the weasel way of describing these...