Comments on: Column: Taxing Math Needs a Closer Look

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:48:34 +0000

Nice job, David. This appears to be a good analysis of an interesting (to lawyers and accountants, anyway) issue and I look forward to working through your logic. A query, though. Maybe you dealt with this in earlier pieces but when it comes to the DDA and TIFs, the Font of All Wisdom is bond counsel. Not the DDA’s regular counsel but whatever firm is used to provide the tax-free status opinions on their bonds. Firms like Miller Canfield, Dickinson Wright and Dykema. These are the folks who draft the authorizing statutes for bond-issuing entities in the first place. Has anyone asked the views of whatever bond counsel firm is currently providing services to the DDA on this issue?

By: schoolsmuse

schoolsmuse — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:32:05 +0000

Kids ask teachers what math is good for--and teachers often don't have a good answer. (See this post for an example: [link] Thanks, Dave, for providing a really clear, real-life example of what math IS good for.

By: Stew Nelson

Stew Nelson — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:53:07 +0000

This whole argument begs the question of why we established the TIF to begin with? Since we seem to be stuck with this one – maybe we should learn a lesson and not establish any additional TIF’s. I know I have just learned that lesson as my head is still spinning from your math. Thanks for the great article Dave. I vote for no more TIF’s!

~Stew