On: The middle class is shrinking and in Chicago it’s ...

[nostromo]

I agree that’s likely true for New York and Boston (and San Francisco) but Chicago is actually fairly developer friendly and ok with density.

I think Chicago’s taxation is the problem. The taxes are the highest in the nation and have scared off the middle class.

[lotsofpulp → nostromo]

Not only are they the highest, they have to keep going up for the next few decades due to the structural debt of the city and the state.

[dvtrn → lotsofpulp]

due to the structural debt of the city and the state.

That's a very soft way of saying "we have a super, mega, ridiculous pension crisis sucking the city dry"

[tptacek → nostromo]

Which taxes are you referring to? Chicago's total tax burden, including property taxes, is lower than most East Coast cities, and the state is 8th, not 1st, in statewide tax burden. Doesn't NYC, for instance, have much higher taxes than Chicago?