红线变城了一条黑线
我曾经数次发文章和视频指出芝加哥的红线项目损害了唐人街居民的经济利益。红线项目的支持者,包括现任11区的区长 Nicole Lee发文反驳, 其中的一条理由竟然是红线项目最早由芝加哥前市长 Richard Daley 提出, Richard Daley 是11区的 Home boy, 所以我们要帮助其实现其理想, 竟然明目张胆地用居民的钱去溜须拍马,然后Daley 家族立刻跳出来支持 Nicole Lee 竞选。
无论支持红线项目的人如何粉饰, 都回答不了为什么完全不受益的35街以北唐人街的居民要为130街的红线项目买单。这个不是TIF的设立的谁受益谁出资的基本原则。
2月10日芝加哥太阳报告诉了我们为什么,红线项目是官商勾结出卖居民利益的黑暗交易。让商人赚钱,商人捐款给市长竞选,白人地产商赚钱,市长继续连任, 所有这些由唐人街居民买单。
芝加哥市地产商 Elzie Higginbottom的地产公司 East Lake Management 获得 2千3百50万美元的合同 ($23.5 Million)修建红线延长的项目。Elzie Higginbottom随后捐款5万美元支持Lightfoot 连任。
Nicole Lee 为了自己的政治前途出卖了唐人街居民的经济利益, 市长 Lightfoot 为了自己的连任出卖了所有受红线影响的业主的经济利益。 唐人街的居民要用自己的选票告诉这些腐败的政客滚出唐人街。
新闻报道的原文链接: https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2023/2/10/23595203/chicago-mayor-election-2023-lightfoot-campaign-donation-higginbottom-cta-deal-wbez
新闻的截取和翻译:
Less than a month ago, the Chicago Transit Authority — whose leaders are appointed by the mayor — announced a lucrative new contract with a company founded by prominent real-estate magnate Elzie Higginbottom.
一个月之前, 芝加哥CTA(主管地铁的机构),把一个非常赚钱的合同交给了由Elzie Higginbottom出资的地产公司。
Just a few weeks later, another company tied to Higginbottom gave a $50,000 contribution to a new political fund created by a close ally of Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
几个星期之后, Elzie Higginbottom的一个公司给Lightfoot 市长的竞选资金捐款5万美元。
A chain of events like this was supposed to have become a thing of the city’s notoriously corrupt, pay-to-play past more than a decade ago.
这种内幕交易10年前已经成了芝加哥臭名昭著的腐败象征。
The contract approved on Jan. 13 allowed for the business, East Lake Management Inc., to cash in on the 5.6-mile extension of the CTA’s Red Line, where the agency plans to add four new stations between 95th and 130th Streets. East Lake Management could be paid more than $23.5 million to secure properties along the route of the extension, records show.
这个合同把 5.6 英里的红线延长项目交给了Elzie Higginbottom投资的East Lake Management Inc. 红线延长项目将付给这个公司超过2千3百50万美元用来保证项目所需的土地。
Less than three weeks later, on Jan. 31, another company at the same address as East Lake Management, a business called ELH Partners LLC, made the $50,000 contribution to the 77 Committee.
3个星期之后, 另外一个和East Lake Management 有同样地址的公司, ELH Partners LLC, 给Lightfoot 的竞选资金捐赠了 5万美元。
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