Tit for tat cronyism in Los Angeles

Westfield (the shopping mall developer) paid for a black-tie event at LAX  attended by city politicians, and now the city is considering an "assistance package" that will redirect 42% of the tax revenue generated by the Westfield Topenga project over a 25-year period back into Westfield's pockets, (nearly $59 million).

Nice to know the city is looking out for us!  Afterall they've filled lots of potholes with asphalt so I guess we don't need our taxes going to the roads.  I wonder if Westfield will pocket the cash or decide to cut us in with discount prices?

I'm anti-tax - but this is not a tax break.  This is misdirection and outright theft.

Westfield has a funding gap of $48.9 million, according to Miller's report. The city's financial assistance, when calculated in present-day dollars, would be valued at $25 million, or 42% of the net new taxes generated by the project over 25 years, officials said. The final mix of taxes that Westfield would get to keep still needs to be negotiated, but could include hotel taxes, property taxes or other revenue, Miller said. 

Miller said he recommended the financial help partly on the grounds that Westfield would provide $100,000 worth of equipment for a nearby police station, creation of a $500,000 scholarship program for high school seniors and a promise to run a hotel that allows workers to join a union.