The other day I was walking past Trump Tower, steaming over the sight of that wretched name on its side, when it hit me. I know a way that might make Trump take his name off that building. Make him choose between giving up the sign or the property tax break he effectively gets for having it there. He shouldn’t get both—especially not in a Democratic city like Chicago.
Burke recently dropped Trump as a client—in part because he’s worried the connection will cost him votes as he runs for reelection next year in a mostly Latino ward. But the damage has already been done. Thanks to Burke, Trump has saved roughly $14 million in property taxes since 2010, according to a Sun-Times exposé.
As I see it, Trump has a choice. If he wants to rent his units, he has to take his name off the building. If he wants to keep the name, he has to stop appealing for tax breaks.
