Sources say State Rep Linda Chapa-LaVia has heard the public, her supporters and everyone with common sense loud and clear they don't want to see taxpayers spend over a MILLION DOLLARS more on a failed restaurant row scheme for a pizza place in downtown Aurora that would personally benefit her.
The political insider scheme, explained in more detail HERE, based upon inflated appraisals, would involve the Chapa-LaVia family selling 29 W. New York Street to their own LLC, using taxpayer funds to gain for themselves, including wiping out a $750,000 debt with Banco Popular.
And, according to many of her supporters, she knows this situation will be making a deal with the devil himself, Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, who will turn her into the "fall guy" for anything that goes wrong with the restaurant row scheme, which is likely to fail again no matter what is put there.
Yet, despite the facts, numbers and outrage from everyone across the community, it appears Linda Chapa wants the money and is willing to risk political suicide to get it.
Unless she kills the deal, orchestrated by the mayor and her house husband, Vernon LaVia, who's primary claim to fame is bird watching, the rising political career of Linda Chapa will come to a screeching halt.
A political self-execution is currently scheduled for next Tuesday, February 26th, 6pm at the Aurora City Council meeting where the million dollars restaurant row scheme will have a vote.
Without her killing the deal, the only other chance to prevent political suicide is if the rubber-stamp city council votes against the scheme.
Linda Chapa's popularity began when she defeated one of the worst candidates in the history of politics. That person was Bob O'Connor, the wild spending, taxpayer exploiting, conduit for corruption alderman from Aurora. She smacked him and been unstoppable ever since.
Until now.
She was considering running for Mayor in 2013 before her property, at 29 W. New York, became part of this latest restaurant row scheme risking another million dollars from taxpayers.
25 comments:
Why is LaVia not concerned about "conflict of interest" ? Unless we're all being mislead here, it seems she is poised to personally profit on a business deal that involves personal property and the City of Aurora. This insider business deal doesn't pass the smell test. $1 million dollars for a pizza joint? 29 W. New York St. is a proven failure as a commercial property....why would anyone want to own it? I understand why someone would want to unload it. Are they really going to ask taxpayers to pay a million dollars for a lousy property/pizza joint? The proposal doesn't make good business sense. It sure as hell doesn't make sense to throw away another million of the taxpayers money.
I have heard of some financial issues they may be having. Private school tuition and other bills all being paid for from a State Reps salary of 70 grand doesn't work.
The mortgage on 29W NY is killing them, this is the only way out for them.
She should not listen to her husband, he is going to get her in trouble.
Linda must be really desperate financially to knowingly exploit taxpayers like this.
I will lose all respect for her if she allows this to go forward.
As a layman, I am not an expert of business law and appraisals and conflict of interest, however I do know as a long time resident of Aurora that the property at 29 W. New York St. is close to being worthless. It is an old outdated building. The property has repeatedly failed as a business venture. It is an absolute dead area. It's worthless. What upside is there for the citizens of Aurora to pay out a million dollars for it? It's worthless, anybody who's been in Aurora long enough knows it. This "business"(?) proposal for the citizens gives the plain and obvious appearence of a conflict of interest and some really slimy and shady political dealings and being somewhat of a sham.
Maybe her husband should get a real job
How much is the Lavia's electric bill? Are they on Nicors budget plan? What are their monthly grocery & gasoline expenditures? What other personal information can be obtained about the Lavia's that will make these dirt diggers happy?
Nothing but bullshit comments here. Since when does the sale of real property need investigation?
When you sell something the money is not handout.
This post is very stupid.
Follow the money, Vern has his hands in the cookie jar. The appraisal is false but the city is backing it up so he bank will loan. She can not make the payments with her husband never working is difibulator business is bust. He then tried pizza another bust. Weisner is setting her up everything will blow up and the wiz will control the township and her rep seat. Now he will control all of Aurora
I have an additional concern in this matter. And it might be more of my mis-understanding of how TIFs work. With a TIF the city freezes the amount of taxes taken in within a set area from the various taxing authorities, then assumes that their "investments" increases the values in the area. The increased values then throw off additional taxes, and this projected additional amount is then pooled into what is called the TIF fund. However, this additional amount is all based on assumed appreciation. What happens when the value of buildings falls by 50% as they have downtown? The city has to maintain the tax payouts to the other government bodies, but now the tax income is half of what it was before.
Last year the TIF portion of my taxes increased by $4000! while my assessed value and other taxes dropped with the crash in values. Since there is no longer appreciation but massive depreciation so no additional "value" to tax,it seems to me that the $750,000 TIF funding will come down directly and immediately onto the property owners in TIF one and raise our taxes several thousands next year! TIF1 is a small TIF covering the weakest commercial area in Aurora. It doesn't seem fair that we would have to loose money through taxes and further property depreciation that comes from increasing taxes, for the sole benefit of one "investor".
Well then everybody in TIf 1 should be up in arms. If they don't stand up and fight this then they deserve what they get.
Dan,
If that "one" investor is successful doesn't that help you?
If Linda or the city isn't doing anything illegal, then shutup about it already. You whining crybabies makes my ass ache.
5:39- to a certain degree. But the key phrase here is "if". The risks and costs of failure, which has been unreasonably high over there, are being transferred onto all the other business/building owners, while the tangible rewards are all being captured by a single person in this case. Further, the $750,000 grant will probably far exceed any overall gain to the taxpayer- especially given that it seems the properties are all being enormously overpriced and the developer has promised not to take all means necessary to reduce costs, but instead is going to be in the position of having to be "politically correct" with all the unions, contractors, city codes, etc.
I've used TIF in my renovations. However,I had much more skin in the game. My last renovation ultimately cost close to $2 million. Of which I received about $150,000 in TIF, which was below the standard at the time. Usually,the city would target a 15% TIF rebate.
But all the above still does not address the issue I brought up-with the massive drop in values in downtown bringing the assessed values dramatically lower than what can even be taxed to cover the "frozen" tax levels,does this mean that a $750,000 TIF grant will require an immediate $750,000 increase in rates and taxes? And if so, shouldn't the voters have a right to say whether their tax rates should be raised?
You whining crybabies makes my ass ache.
If it hurts tell you daddy to pull his cock out of it.
your not you....sorry
So let Chapa LaVia commit political suicide. She is useless anyways. Who wants her in office. By by Linda, don't let the door hit you in your growing ass on your way out.
Actually, I happen to personaly know, like and admire Linda Chapa La-Via. She did something that I always wanted to do and that was to make a difference. She did advocate for her constituents for her first couple of terms and is still trying to, but got caught up in the Illinois democratic monarchy. We used to be such a strong democrats but as we experienced first hand the wrath of the latest recession (especially since both my husband and I are in construction), I feel that she is probably feeling trapped by the Madigan/Illinois/trade unions which is what I believe drives this state and needs to be controlled
Really you know her - how well. Vern and her are LOUSY parents. Vern is a free loading mooch who pawns his kids off on all the other parents in the neighborhood. Mr Strict my daughter doe snot do this and this, hell he has no clue what his children do because he never spends time supervising them. Maybe Vern and Linda should spend less time bird watching and less time figuring out to get the taxpayers to feather their nest.
Anonymous said...
Nothing but bullshit comments here. Since when does the sale of real property need investigation?
When you sell something the money is not handout.
This post is very stupid.
2/21/13, 3:57 PM
You are STUPID, this is not a simple sale of a property at fair market value, it is funded with OUR money STUPID, if you knew anything a bout market value in that area you would realize what you say is so STUPID.
Anonymous said...
If Linda or the city isn't doing anything illegal, then shutup about it already. You whining crybabies makes my ass ache.
2/21/13, 9:12 PM
CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS ILLEGAL
Anonymous said...
Dan,
If that "one" investor is successful doesn't that help you?
2/21/13, 5:39 PM
IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE THIS I HAVE A BRIDGE I CAN SELL YOU
The joke at the City is the big spokesman Clayton Muhammed has already been given days off to persue his own speaking career, run around with Stedman at the cost of the City and worked for East Aurora all week. Wow sound like we needed him
Where is the conflict of interest Senator Cruz?
More McCarthyism.
Where is the conflict of interest Senator Cruz?
More McCarthyism.
Who will hold title when this deal is done?
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