Business closures continue raging through Missoula. Displaced shopkeepers cite increased rents and property taxes as the prime cause. But the same vice squeezing locals out of business is also pinching residents from their homes. 26% of Missoula’s work force must now commute from outside of town because they cannot afford to live in town anymore, as Missoula’s income disparity rises to the 33rd highest in the nation. Locals are not happy about this deadly trend, and they’re beginning to realize its origin: Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a taxpayer-giveaway scheme that spikes property taxes, increases rents, displaces locals and gentrifies cities. TIF forces taxpayers to bail out private businesses, extracting money from deteriorating roads and underfunded schools, police and fire departments to benefit wealthy developers. TIF addicts never respond to specific criticisms, claiming instead that Missoula citizens just are just too goddam dumb to understand how TIF works.