CTA ridership just 60% of pre-COVID levels while budget is 30% higher

By Ravi Mishra

10/17/2024

Chicago transit ridership is barely 60% of pre-COVID levels while the budget is 30% higher, now they face a $577 million budget shortfall.

TAGS: CTA: Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago has more public pension debt than 43 states

By Ravi Mishra

08/15/2024

Chicago’s pension systems for city workers have $51 billion in debt, so much that they are in worse shape than 43 states. Fixing them requires Chicago’s mayor to push for a change in the Illinois Constitution.

TAGS: Chicago, pensions

Vallas: Chicago has too few police, pays too much in police overtime

By Paul Vallas

07/03/2024

Chicago's violent crime is up. A record $300 million was spent on police overtime last year. It's simple: too few cops leads to too much crime and requires a very wasteful, inefficient fix. Chicago needs more officers on patrol.

Understanding the Chicago Teachers Union’s unprecedented contract demands

By Elliot Parrish, Jess Plowman

06/28/2024

The Chicago Teachers Union's lengthy list of demands includes base raises and experience compensation each year, housing help, climate justice, more compensation added to pension calculations and a pool of health care funds targeted to racial disparities. An analysis puts the price tag at least $10 billion.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Teachers Union contract could cost at least $10.2B to $13.9B

By Bryce Hill

06/03/2024

Was Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates being facetious when she said a new contract could cost $50 billion and three cents? Maybe not. An analysis puts the price tag at least above $10 billion.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Teachers Union demands 130M free rides

By Jerry Barmore

05/06/2024

The Chicago Teachers Union has 142 pages of demands for its next contract. They include free mass transit for all students and employees in the Chicago Public Schools. That’s as many as 130.3 million free CTA tickets that could cost as much as $122.5 million.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Teachers Union contract demands about politics, bosses’ power

By Mailee Smith, Hannah Schmid

04/11/2024

A 142-page leaked document contains hundreds of Chicago Teachers Union contract demands, from 100% abortion coverage to pay for surrogates, from housing students in old schools to a fleet of electric school buses. Then there are 180 more of the union’s favored, failing schools.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Vallas: Fixing 4 myths about Chicago’s gunshot detection technology

By Paul Vallas

02/16/2024

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is pulling the plug on the city’s gunshot detection system in a bow to his “defund the police” allies. But his decision is based on four false criticisms of the ShotSpotter technology. Here are the facts.

TAGS: Chicago, ShotSpotter

Vallas: Chicago violent crime up again, as city cuts police officers

By Paul Vallas

01/08/2024

Chicago’s status as the nation’s murder capital was retained in 2023. So, what are city leaders doing about it? Cutting cops.

TAGS: crime

Vallas: Fewer cops is how mayor plans to make Chicago safer?

By Paul Vallas

12/01/2023

The Johnson administration is playing a shell game on public safety. They’re likely hiring civilians for administrative positions to free up officers at local police districts, yet they’re eliminating more than double the amount of police positions currently vacant.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department

Chicago Transit Authority

CTA ridership just 60% of pre-COVID levels while budget is 30% higher

Chicago has more public pension debt than 43 states

Vallas: Chicago has too few police, pays too much in police overtime

Understanding the Chicago Teachers Union’s unprecedented contract demands

Chicago Teachers Union contract could cost at least $10.2B to $13.9B

Chicago Teachers Union demands 130M free rides

Chicago Teachers Union contract demands about politics, bosses’ power

Vallas: Fixing 4 myths about Chicago’s gunshot detection technology

Vallas: Chicago violent crime up again, as city cuts police officers

Vallas: Fewer cops is how mayor plans to make Chicago safer?

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students