Inside Chicago Government

Latest Episodes:

5/10/17: "Ben's new radio gig on WCPT-AM" May 10, 2017

Show notes

The culimation of a lifetime of radio listening; characteristics of the radio station's left-leaning audience; and synergies between broadcast and print material. Length 5.7 minutes.

4/11/17: "Do Chicago bike riders blindly support the mayor?" Apr 12, 2017

Show notes

In an interview by Ben Joravsky with Dave Glowacz on WCPT-AM's Ben Joravsky Show, Ben and Dave discuss the loyalty of Chicago bicycle riders to bike-friendly mayors. Length 5.2 minutes.

3/7/17: "School cash crisis tips Rauner's hand, marks Rahm's brand" Mar 07, 2017

Show notes

Roots of the Rauner/legislature pension-funding fray; the many meanings of "reform," including "cuts;" and the mayor wants new train projects, but who else cares? Length 7 minutes.

1/18/17: "Rich-guy Rahm comm" Jan 18, 2017

Show notes

The mayor turns a billionaire bungle into a lakefront bundle; plutocrat chest-thumping over retiree health-care cuts; and the Jackson Park golf project as a case study in top-down community development. Length 7.2 minutes.

11/17/16: "Trump and transit: Rahm railroads Red Line appeal" Nov 28, 2016

Show notes

Whether the city needs all of the Red Purple Modernization elements; how much slush the RPM TIF district can accumulate; and Mayor Emanuel's tentative effort to lead a Trump resistance. Length 7.5 minutes.

10/10/16: "Reader staff goes public on contract talks" Oct 11, 2016

Show notes

Joravsky's role in the bargaining unit; the contentious issues that have prevented a contract agreement; and the dilemma facing activist journalists. Length 6 minutes.

10/4/16: "Aldermen float, sink TIF school funding" Oct 04, 2016

Show notes

Why Ald. Pawar flaunted a TIF surplus alternative, then took it underground; why the Board of Education doesn't care that TIF diverts property taxes from education; and how the city applies TIF surplus to the schools budget. Length 6.7 minutes.

9/16/16: "Divvy and Fleet suck from the TIF teat" Sep 16, 2016

Show notes

Divvy installations as products of the mayor's fiduciary wizardry; why the Fleet Dept. move works better for taxpayers than the McCormick Marriott deal; and why the city finally will make use of the North Branch TIF district. Length 5.6 minutes.

7/27/16: "Building green: who profits from the city's latest development schemes" Jul 29, 2016

Show notes

Why the Loop's perimeter basks in development; commercial property windfalls masked by neighborhood investment; and some industrial businesses get a concierge while others get the boot. Length 6 minutes.

5/17/16: "Lucas Museum narrative is a mixed art" May 17, 2016

Show notes

Making a smaller mistake on the lake; Rahm's obsession with international visitors; and the administration reprises the racial strategy used for the Obama library. Length 6.5 minutes.

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