Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig B. Johnson’s recent defense of data centers presents a fundamentally flawed economic development narrative (“When judging data center incentives, don’t ignore the revenue,” Sept. 30). While he touts short-term revenue, his ledger ignores the long-term, structural costs these facilities impose on local communities.
First, using job creation to justify data center subsidies is a sleight of hand. While $1.2 billion in construction permits is impressive, they’re short-term bumps in revenue. This masks the reality that data centers are essentially ghost towns once operational. They consume prime industrial real estate but employ only a small number of permanent staff members, meaning taxpayers are often subsidizing millions of dollars per permanent job. Furthermore, major tech companies rely on specialized, traveling construction crews. The economic multiplier effect largely leaves town when the concrete dries.
Second, the mayor’s claim that Class 6B incentives don’t harm homeowners ignores the basic math of Illinois property taxes. When a data center’s assessed value is artificially slashed, the local tax levy doesn’t shrink. The burden simply shifts onto everyone else, driving up residential tax bills for 12 to 24 years.
This is compounded when tax increment financing districts are used, such as the one Elk Grove Village created for the Vulcan Construction Materials site in 2022. While the mayor suggests schools stand to benefit, it should be noted TIFs divert new tax revenue to pay for project costs for up to 23 years, meaning schools and municipal services wait decades for the promised windfall. Worse, once operational, these operators frequently deploy aggressive legal teams to appeal their property assessments year after year, forcing municipalities to spend taxpayer dollars defending their own revenue.
Finally, while data centers don’t add students to classrooms, they place enormous, invisible strains on our infrastructure. Their construction increases wear and tear on local roads from construction vehicles. Once completed, they are massive consumers of municipal water for cooling and place unprecedented demands on the electrical grid. These upgrades are eventually paid for by everyday ratepayers.
Subsidizing heavily automated server farms that hollow out industrial parks, generate negligible employment and strain our grid is not the “pro-growth” policy our region needs.
— Donald Guisinger, Strong Towns Oak Forest
Will data centers pay fair share?
Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig B. Johnson in his op-ed completely ignores the higher cost of water and electricity that his constituents will face subsidizing these monstrosities. Will he demand that data centers pay their fair share for the high volume of water and electricity they use? Or is it too late?
— Ken Perez, Wood Dale
Department of Justice’s credibility
I am hopeful that with the recent focus on the “Broadway Six,” in particular due to the reporting of Tribune reporter Jason Meisner, the public will begin to understand that when prosecutors go unchecked, victims face extreme consequences for which they have very little redress.
In recent years, the credibility of the U.S. Department of Justice has fallen to all-time depths as it has been weaponized against those with whom it disagrees, both political and nonpolitical, taking up positions not supported by the facts or even the law.
This is on full display in Chicago. U.S. District Judge April Perry is being asked to consider disciplinary action against the U.S. attorney’s office for alleged misconduct in the grand jury investigation and prosecution of the “Broadview Six.”
No justice system can function effectively if there are components within it that disregard the rules and mechanisms of checks and balance. The public relies upon this system to keep prosecutors in line, to punish misconduct and to send a message that misconduct cannot be tolerated.
Misconduct is anathema to justice.
— Michael Segal, U.S. National Title Services, Chicago
Celebrate parking meter deal? No.
Regarding Chicago’s parking meter deal, what a demonstration of ineptness and buffoonery — this is the 2026 edition of the 2008 disaster.
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As a Chicago resident and motorist, I have one simple question: Will it cost me less to park?
Nothing I’ve read about this deal — a transfer fee, percentages of a future sale and net income, a “city wallet” program and 25- to 50-cent-per-hour surcharges for non-Chicagoans — suggests that it will benefit the great majority of drivers in Chicago.
And as for the City Council’s self-congratulation over the deal: same-o, same-o.
A final question: Where’s Mayor Brandon Johnson?
— John Mjoseth, Chicago
I support the arts in the city
Thank you for the editorial regarding suburbanite parking in Chicago ( “Chicago may charge suburbanites more to park. How neighborly,” Oct. 1). I am a suburbanite who supports the Joffrey Ballet, the Chicago Architectural Center and the Art Institute with subscriptions to their events. I do attempt to take public transportation when I can, but that is not always feasible, since as the editorial mentions, timing for public transportation is sparse on the weekends. For example, a friend and I have Joffrey season tickets for its Sunday matinees, but trying to coordinate Metra and “L” train times with that is difficult. Although driving into town is stressful, we brave it by going down early to enjoy a great lunch at Italian Village before the show. And yes, we look for cheap parking because we’re already supporting businesses and cultural events.
Also, because we are both in our 70s, we cannot park too far from the venue just to find an extremely cheap parking lot; we would then need a taxi to get to the Lyric Opera House.
In short, considering our generous monetary contributions to the city of Chicago, asking us to pay more for parking really takes the cake!
— Dianne Casuto, Lake Forest
Naperville’s welcoming vibe
Thank you for saying “Naperville has a very nice downtown” in the editorial “Chicago may charge suburbanites more to park. How neighborly.” I have long believed that part of the reason for Naperville’s success is welcoming all with free parking in garages and ground-level lots and on the street.
Overnight parking also is available for those who would rather not drive themselves home at the end of the evening.
— Roch Shipley, Naperville
Merits of ‘traditional wives’
It’s too bad that we’re now back to defending being a traditional wife now, given the stupid label “tradwife” (“The views of tradwife influencers are evolving. It’s a complicated victory,” Oct. 1). Children raised by a loving mother are usually better off than their parents taking on the risks of bad daycare and latchkey children. Much-needed volunteer work is done by traditional wives.
Yes, it’s good for a traditional wife to have a backup financial plan, but please don’t denigrate traditional wives. They don’t deserve it and work just as hard as women working outside the home.
— Alice Marcus Solovy, Highland Park
Note to readers
With Halloween coming, we’d like you to share your most memorable experience related to the holiday, either as a child or as an adult. A costume that you’ve never forgotten? A trip to a haunted house that scared you silly? Neighbors who went above and beyond to make things fun for the kids? Send a letter, of no more than 400 words, by Friday, Oct. 23 to [email protected]. Be sure to include your full name and your city/town.
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Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].