How much is a hot-dog joint worth to Peoria leaders?

What's the price for their dignity? How long and how hard will they allow themselves to get pushed around in exchange for a Portillo's?

I realize that economics should be based not on emotions but dollars and sense. And this deal (according to the developer) could bring Peoria annual sales tax of upwards of $880,000.

But is it worth it?

Is the money a fair exchange for creating a special-service tax to the developer to help him recoup his investment? Such a deal never was offered to eateries that have invested in Peoria for decades?

And does the money make the city feel comfortable enough to endure developer Willie Torchia trying to put the squeeze on Peoria? He warns the project would be done on free land offered by East Peoria, even though East Peoria denies any such offer exists.

Excuse me, but I'm starting to choke on something. Maybe that's because this deal feels as if it's now getting rammed down our throats.

I don't blame Portillo's. By and large, Peoria has always been a lousy town for Italian beef. That seems weird to me: you can find scads of solid beef places in Chicago, just 2½ hours away. But Peoria somehow has never much got the hang of it.

Portillo's makes a good beef. Even better: the combo, Italian beef with Italian sausage. That, I welcome to Peoria with open arms and mouth.

But this project just gets messier and messier. Ye gads, it's just a short-order eatery. It shouldn't be this hard. Never has so much newspaper ink been spent covering a hot-dog saga.

In Peoria, special-service taxes are infrequent and supposed to go directly toward infrastructure improvements of a specific area. In this case, an extra 1-percent sales tax would go to Torchia to cover costs of prepping the property for Portillo's.

Granted, it's a voluntary tax: You'd pay only if you were to patronize Portillo's. Yet by giving the sweet deal to the developer, Peoria risks alienating longtime local proprietors who never demanded or enjoyed such an arrangement. On Nov. 15, the day after City Council could approve the tax, perhaps a line will begin at City Hall and wind around the block, with veteran restaurateurs waiting to hear what Peoria now will do for them to level the playing field.

But here's the thing: Why is this tax necessary? Can't Portillo's just charge an extra 1 percent and hand it to Torchia? Why must Peoria be the middleman?

Then again, Torchia suggests East Peoria is champing at the bit to be the middleman, if Peoria dares to dilly-dally on the deal. That's according to an email he sent last week to Peoria leaders, claiming East Peoria has offered free land to build a Portillo's.

Ouch. East Peoria has been a sore spot to Peoria poobahs since the riverboat slid across the river. Since, hotels and other developments have popped up there, making Peoria look upstaged by its little brother across the river.

So Torchia's email poked that sore spot: "Why can one city offer free land and the other city (Peoria) has very little incentive in their tool box. This offer from EP is another shot at your city!"

Strong words. Yet misleading words, according to East Peoria — which says it never offered free land.

Meanwhile, Torchia later said he wasn't trying to twist Peoria's arm — which, as anyone who can read can see, is exactly what he is trying to do.

There's an old saying about the wisdom in not watching sausages being made: You don't want to witness the unpleasantness of the process. With this development deal, I'm starting to feel queasy. And if city leaders have backbones, they should start feeling insulted and intimidated.

What's your next move? Is $880,000 enough to make you just take it? What's the price these days for a bully to buy silent submission?

PHIL LUCIANO is a Journal Star columnist. He can be reached at pluciano@pjstar.com, facebook.com/philluciano and (309) 686-3155. Follow him on Twitter.com/LucianoPhil.