Taking
tax dollars from lower and middle income folks in order to fund
massive construction
projects that benefit the well connected wealthy. In turn the well connected wealthy make sizeable political contributions to the politician in question.
The theory of Helenomics was created by Helen Shiller, the alderman of the 46th Ward of
Chicago - you skim $125,000,000 in incremental property tax revenue from the county's coffers to build low, very low, and extremely low income housing
projects, giving the
government contracts to your cronies and friends, who then turn around and donate large sums of money back into your political campaigns.