City pledges to follow through on promises it made when the Near North Side public housing complex was ordered demolished more than two decades ago.
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Posted inInvestigation, What the Gov
Grieving Father Blasts Shortcomings of Lightfoot’s ‘Scofflaw List’
The BGA and Chicago Tribune recently revealed the limitations of a new city “scofflaw list” that excludes hundreds of unsafe buildings because they don’t meet the lists’ complex criteria. Among the buildings that would have been excluded is the one where Eric Patton Smith’s daughter died.
Posted inABC 7 Videos
New Podcast, ‘The Madigan Rule,’ Takes Listeners on a Journey About Former IL House Speaker
The Better Government Association has launched a new podcast centered around one of Illinois’ most powerful politicians.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation, PolitiFact
Mayor Lightfoot’s ‘Scofflaw List’ Fails To Include Hundreds of Unsafe Buildings
The 98 buildings on City Hall’s new list of unsafe buildings — compiled after a BGA/Tribune investigation into its failure to enforce fire safety violations — would not have included buildings where 57 people died by fire in unsafe apartments. Lightfoot won’t comment.
Posted inWhat the Gov
Community Ask: ‘I submitted a FOIA request to the attorney general’s office for the vacation days and requests of the AG’s staff and have not received any type of response.’
With the hack investigation of the attorney general’s office still ongoing, some people want to know how the breach in April affects staff work at the agency. But how do you properly seek transparency from the AG’s office about, well, itself?
Posted inUpdates
Better Government Association names Vice President of Operations, Sally Gonzalez
Gonzalez promoted on the eve of her first anniversary with BGA
Posted inUpdates
Better Government Association to Launch New Podcast
The limited series podcast premieres October 6.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation, PolitiFact
Fact-Check: No Proof for Lawmaker’s Claim That 75% of Illinois Republicans Are Vaccinated Against COVID
State Sen. Terri Bryant said three-quarters of Republicans in Illinois have been vaccinated against COVID-19. That figure is out of line with national surveys and suggests that Republicans are outpacing the state’s overall vaccination rate despite higher vaccination rates in blue counties than red ones.
Posted inUpdates
BGA Raises Over $1 Million at Annual Luncheon
New limited-series podcast hosted by Justin Kaufmann, “The Madigan Rule,” previewed at event.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Pipeline to Chicago Could Make Joliet Mayor the New Suburban Water Czar
Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk is balancing his sometimes-controversial history with an ambitious plan to buy Lake Michigan water from Chicago and resell it throughout the region.