Chicago Tribune

Stroger Administration Spent 79K on Zoo Party

By Chris Andriesen
11/30/2010
by Kate Piercy Restore homes damaged by floods or throw a picnic party? Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s administration decided to use federal grant money meant for restoring homes damaged by floods to instead treat families whose homes were damaged by the floods to a nearly $79,000 party at Brookfield Zoo. The Chicago Tribune reported: The Sept....

Failure to Pay Prison Vendors Places Correctional Officers at Risk

By Chris Andriesen
11/24/2010
by Wesley Fox According to the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Department of Corrections is $95 million behind on its bills.  Many prison vendors have not been paid in months. Some have stopped extending credit to correction centers, and two havestopped doing business with the Department of Corrections altogether.  If Illinois does not start paying its bills on time, more...

Proposed Chicago Budget Avoids Necessary Spending Cuts

By Chris Andriesen
11/03/2010
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Since 2000, Chicago’s city budget has increased 11% (adjusted for inflation). Spending  reforms are needed to ensure the long-term health of city finances, but it appears that Mayor Daley would rather continue depleting the city’s reserves. Failing to make tough spending cuts today will only make the situation worse down the road. The Chicago Tribune reports: The...

Cartoon Blogging – Quinn reviving Illinois

10/19/2010
by Ashley Muchow Check out this cartoon from Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune illustrating Quinn’s far-fetched claims to revive Illinois.  Shouldn’t rescue consist of less digging?

Chicago Officials Circumvent Competitive Bidding Rules

10/19/2010
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Competitive bidding rules help governments save money, increase transparency, and avoid “pay-to-play” politics. Unfortunately, government officials don’t always play by the rules. The Chicago Tribune reports: City officials circumvented competitive bidding rules to steer a $23 million digital-radio contract to Schaumburg-based Motorola, according to City Hall’s top watchdog and documents obtained by the Tribune. Inspector General...

Trib on Superman and Illinois Schools

10/14/2010
by Collin Hitt The Chicago Tribune wrote an editorial review of “Waiting for Superman.”  I’m probably quoting at too great a length below, but the editors outlined a reform platform in a remarkably efficient five paragraphs. “Waiting for Superman” has drawn a lot of blowback. Critics say the film unfairly casts teachers unions as the...
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Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016