Policy

Happy New Year from the BGA! To borrow a couple lines from Frank Sinatra, 2015 “was a very good year” for our watchdog team. But regrets? We’ve “had a few.”

“Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”  Philosopher Santayana’s prophetic warning in 1905 is just as relevant today when it comes to the critical importance of preserving Chicago police records. But cop unions disagree.

Illinois watchdogs, including the Better Government Association, have been voicing that concern for years—powerful legislative leaders controlling the Statehouse for decades while, at the same time, profiting handsomely from lucrative businesses or law practices that intersect with government without having to disclose income or client details.

First a video, then an apology. Now Rahm Emanuel’s long road to accountability. 

Chicago-based government center is showing its age but should be revitalized instead of sold to developers, argues a respected architecture and urban planning observer.

A look at the Laquan McDonald shooting and its aftermath in context: Decades of police misconduct but no accountability or real reform.

The impact of the release of the Laquan McDonald video continues to build. While the video is shocking, the handling of this case is not surprising to watchdogs like the BGA who have been investigating the Chicago Police Department and the State’s Attorneys Office for years.