Illinois lawmakers could easily vote to give us a chance to end corrupt gerrymandering, but will they? And will we demand it?
Analysis
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Shaw: Time for a Watchdog at Metropolitan Water District
Is the government branch that cleans our water ready to clean up its own act?
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Doubek: Bipartisan Women Work to Improve Ethics Process
New Department of Assets, Information and Services reduced spending growth by $1.8 million per year post-merger, exceeding $1 million savings target.
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Shaw: Three Steps to Fix Illinois’ Broken Budget Process
In the eyes of multiple fiscal experts, the budget process is objectively flawed—a case study in worst practices.
Posted inAnalysis, Policy
Three Ways To Improve Illinois’ Budget Process
Implementing any or all of these practices, experts say, might help put Illinois on better financial footing.
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Doubek: Review These Questionnaires, Debates, Fact Checks Before You Vote
Figuring out who to vote for can be hard. But there are plenty of tools available to assist you.
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Shaw: Can Cell Phone Voting Be A Secure Election Reform?
If casting a ballot could be as easy as downloading and using a secure app, it could be a key to vastly increasing anemic voter participation.
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Leven: City Council Needs to Practice Patience When it Comes to Union Contracts
When City Council gets used to ceding final control of the contract negotiations to the mayor’s office, it increases the risk of taxpayers and service recipients getting a bad deal.
Posted inAnalysis, Policy
What’s in Chicago’s Newest Union Contracts? Lower Wage Increases, Higher Healthcare Costs
The agreements with the Coalition of Unionized Public Employees (COUPE) are the first in a new generation of collective bargaining agreements for the City of Chicago.
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Doubek: Who’s Assessing the Assessor? Voters Are, on Their Own
Government doesn’t hit any closer to where we live than this.