BGA

Is there a doctor in the house?

Which moves faster — a Metra train filled with commuters, or a Metra scandal filled with resignations, revelations and investigations?

It’s time for another serious look at the pros and cons of Tax Increment Financing in Chicago — a tiff over TIF — the controversial economic development program that’s supposed to revitalize struggling neighborhoods by offering financial incentives to potential investors.

“Integrity” is not a word we generally associate with state government in Illinois, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Louisiana.

The office of inspector general is one of government’s best anti-corruption tools, but only if it has authority, resources, independence and integrity.

Government officials from the White House to the field house, and every public building in between, often react to probing questions from investigative journalists and civic watchdogs with exaggerated levels of irritation normally reserved for invasions of swarming gnats at picnics.

“Golden parachutes” may ensure soft, comfortable landings for high-level officials as they float down from lofty government jobs, but those excessive severance packages drop like lead balloons on the backs of taxpayers who get crushed by the cost.