Inside Chicago Government

Latest Episodes:

7/22/10: "The Head Cheerleaders" Jul 23, 2010

Show notes

What Mick Dumke brought to the Reader and Joravsky's articles; the future of government reporting at the Reader post-Dumke; and a look at the Chicago News Cooperative's reporting. Length 7.9 minutes.

7/15/10: "A TIF Under a Microscope" Jul 15, 2010

Show notes

Why the inspector general audited tax-increment financing; the fact of Millennium Park's non-budget development; and why aldermen think the IG shouldn't investigate TIF. Length 8.5 minutes.

7/8/10: "Huberman's Miracle" Jul 08, 2010

Show notes

Whether teachers and students should sacrifice for administrative largesse; how Mayor Daley helps private firms compete with public schools for public dollars; and what it takes to get the public's attention. Length 8.1 minutes.

7/1/10: "Chicago Reader Fires Long-Time Editor Alison True" Jul 06, 2010

Show notes

Ben Joravsky reflects on the tenure and departure of Alison True, the recently-fired editor of the Chicago Reader. Length 8.7 minutes.

6/17/10: "The Armies Are Gathering" Jun 22, 2010

Show notes

The father of tax-increment financing activism; the myth of TIF complexity; and the financial penalty for a school system that doesn't divert money to TIF districts. Length 7.1 minutes.

6/10/10: "The Battle Before the War" Jun 12, 2010

Show notes

Whether unions should focus on company policy, worker benefits, or both; the Chicago Teachers Union's ignorance of how the city raises and spends public dollars; and a fledgling movement to get the Chicago Public Schools to withdraw from tax-increment financing. Length 8.4 minutes.

6/3/10: "Less Is More at CPS" Jun 03, 2010

Show notes

When schools lower property values; the capitalization of new schools--then vs. now; and why schools have ended up in parks. Length 6.7 minutes.

5/27/10: "Less Is More at CPS" May 27, 2010

Show notes

How to get the city to publish public information; the myth of the super-hero teacher; and teachers as whistleblowers. Length 6.9 minutes.

5/20/10: "Who Wins in Daley's TIF Game" May 23, 2010

Show notes

Tax-increment financing's fundamental flaw, and how to fix it; Block 37--the poster child for the original TIF model; and the Board of Ed's legacy of stealing from schoolchildren. Length 8.5 minutes.

5/6/10: "Check the Thermostat in Hell" May 06, 2010

Show notes

The typical Chicagoan's phases of TIF understanding; Ben outlines an unlikely TIF debate; and city officials who believe that Chicagoans don't want to know the true cost of government. Length 8.6 minutes.

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