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"An obscure, secretive city council entity, the "Hardship Committee," was charged with determining which property-owners were so poor they should be excused from paying all their taxes. But in many cases the breaks meant for the cash-strapped went to the seemingly well-off, including people who drove luxury vehicles, multiple property owners and others who got six-figure home-equity loans. These stories also looked at the members of the committee and found its members were being sued for fraud, had filed for bankruptcy, had a trail of unpaid debts and, in one case, had submitted a false resume."