Regarding the story "Tax breaks OK'd in plan for mall" (2/25, Metro): Let's say I have some land with a useless building on it, and I can't rent or sell it because nobody wants the land with a structure someone would have to tear down. How can I make the property produce income? I know! Get the city to give me $25 million to tear down the old structure and put up a new building that Wal-Mart will rent! We'll call it tax-increment financing! Yeah, that's it. Get the taxpayers to make my property valuable. What a deal.
George Harris
Kansas City