Inside Chicago Government
378 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 19 ratingsHear government insiders, activists, and journalists dive deep into the dark corners of Chicago government--driving shadowy deeds into the light. If you want to hear voices--voices that clue you to the backstage actors that affect our city--listen closely, because we're Chi!
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Episodes
4/1/16: "2016 primary election freaks out voters and pols"
April 02, 2016 16:38 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBChicago residents' deliberate lack of voting interest; whether political parties, rather than taxpayers, should bear the cost of primary elections; and why elected officials (and their families) take electoral losses personally. Length 5.5 minutes.
2/10/16: "Many on deck as public school ship sinks"
February 10, 2016 06:05 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhy Mayor Emanuel might, in summer 2015, have wanted teachers to strike; whether Gov. Rauner wants CPS to go bankrupt, with the mayor's complicity; and why CTU leadership accepted a contract offer that some felt its members would surely reject. Length 5.5 minutes.
12/28/15: "Rahm cops to 'owning' McDonald fiasco--or does he?"
December 28, 2015 06:50 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe effect of the police union's contract on curbing abusive officers; what to make of aldermen's assertion that the Emanuel administration misled them; and assessing the mayor's claim of what he'd do differently. Length 5.1 minutes.
11/24/15: "Property taxes: who to blame and why to care"
November 25, 2015 05:50 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBHow go-along taxpayers subsidize DIY taxpayers; why tax-averse building owners like vacancies; and paying for your share in Illinois' 7,000 units of government. Length 5.4 minutes.
9/21/15: "School start sees familiar class and cash chaos"
September 22, 2015 01:22 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBClassroom chaos created by the 20th-day student count; the re-imagined Dyett High School as part of the anti-charter backlash; and whether Paul Vallas can take credit for bracing CPS finances. Length 5.9 minutes.
8/14/15: "Council, assembly, and school board: education funding tag team"
August 15, 2015 01:04 - 6 minutes - 1.81 MBWhether Speaker Madigan has "seen the light" on school funding or simply continues to strategize; the "losing his mind" phase of the Daley administration; and the different pension holidays won by CPS. Length 6.2 minutes.
7/23/15: "Putting taxes where they belong: traders vs. TIF"
July 23, 2015 05:45 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe validity--and relevance--of the DePaul/Marriott TIF subsidy origin story; prudent life spans for TIF districts; and the questionable benefits of having financial markets in Chicago. Length 5.8 minutes.
7/1/15: "Chicago's big, bad bonds: revenues or ruse?"
July 01, 2015 21:45 - 5 minutes - 1.81 MBWhether Daley or Emanuel should bear greater blame for the city's financial mess; possible collusion between bond raters, investors, and city officials; and Chicago's best sources of new revenues. Length 5.9 minutes.
6/19/15: "School choices: myths, charters, dollars, and fear"
June 19, 2015 17:58 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBExamining the "more choice" argument for charter schools; charter schools deployed in poor neighborhoods till the gentry arrive; and whether teachers and principals self-censor, or would actually get hurt by speaking out. Length 5.8 minutes.
6/8/15: "Forecasting the 2015 city council: spines vs. stamps"
June 09, 2015 15:08 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhy some candidates got support from both the Rahm-aligned PAC and Rahm-opposing unions; how the appointment of council committee chairs molds the rubber stamp; and the three elected aldermen most likely to resist the dark side. Length 5.6 minutes.
5/5/15: "Refuting the rationale for closing schools"
May 05, 2015 17:13 - 6 minutes - 1.81 MBThe heart of Chicago public schools' problem; what proponents of school closings have missed; and Rahm's non-stop political campaign. Length 6 minutes.
4/26/15: "What the 2015 election tells us about Emanuel and voters"
April 27, 2015 02:08 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhen the stampede for Rahm began; comparing de Blasio's first year in office to Emanuel's latest year; and the most pathetic contingent of voters in Chicago. Length 5.9 minutes.
4/1/15: "Mayoral election endgame: what's on voters' minds"
April 01, 2015 21:07 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBAld. Fioretti's real motivation for endorsing Rahm Emanuel; the validity of the "no plan" criticism of Chuy Garcia; and whether voters deserve the "lemming" label. Length 5.9 minutes.
3/25/15: "How to arrest police secrecy streak"
March 26, 2015 06:15 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhat recourse citizens have when government won't release info; what police surveillance was actually looking for; and the "many sources" approach to requesting government records. Length 5.3 minutes.
3/9/15: "What's missing from the mayoral election?"
March 10, 2015 05:09 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBHow Mayor Emanuel's perceived financial gravitas might not work in a second term; why Emanuel has targeted some unions and not others; and whether candidates can have a serious budget discussion while ignoring tax-increment financing. Length 5.7 minutes.
2/22/15: "Why Obama won't vote for Rahm"
February 22, 2015 23:39 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhy the mayor opted to exert his personality in candidate forums but not in ads; Rahm's attributes that Obama decided he didn't need after all; and what Obama wants for Chicago. Length 5.8 minutes.
2/19/15: "2015 election: Some council incumbents are flush"
February 20, 2015 03:39 - 6 minutes - 1.81 MBRicky Hendon urges black voters to "flush the toilet" on some aldermen; which incumbents had ads funded by the Emanuel-tied PAC; and Rahm's 2-prong strategy: re-elect the compliant and defeat the defiant. Length 6 minutes.
2/12/15: "Mayoral election: Obama anoints, Rahm's on point"
February 12, 2015 18:57 - 7 minutes - 2.1 MBVoters panic that they're about to do something stupid; the limited usefulness of mayoral "debates"; and how election campaigns resemble persistent citizen movements. Length 7 minutes.
1/15/15: "Investor-funded pre-K based on false premise, excluded kids"
February 02, 2015 16:18 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBHow the investor-funded scheme demands that some kids not attend pre-K; fine-tuning delivery vs. assessing the value of pre-K; social impact bonds as the finance industry's instrument du jour. Length 5.2 minutes.
12/24/14: "Aldermen's tiff on TIF" (repeat)
December 25, 2014 04:05 - 8.77 MBThe wounding of Ald. Pawar; the myth of mayoral retribution; and the best tactic when one's ordinance gets buried. Length 30 minutes.
12/18/14: "Does social promotion pass the test?"
December 18, 2014 20:17 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe justification for staying in school when you don't learn much; student testing as a result of the administration's obsession with metrics; and how candidates decide whether to challenge their opponents' nominating petitions. Length 5.9 minutes.
11/26/14: "Banksters not risk-adverse with city purse"
November 27, 2014 14:52 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBHow citizens can control their government's risky financing schemes; choosing non-finance professionals to monitor government finance; and school-program funding becomes dependent on test scores. Length 5.4 minutes.
11/13/14: "What Rauner's election means for Chicago"
November 14, 2014 04:30 - 6 minutes - 1.81 MBWhat actions Gov. Rauner might take that affect Chicago; how Rauner might grow the number of charter schools; and lax legislative oversight of school financialization schemes. Length 6.3 minutes.
10/30/14: "State/county election brings choice insights"
October 30, 2014 21:34 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe inconsistent outrage of the reform-minded against Todd Stroger; the Sun-Times Rauner endorsement and McKinney resignation as a low moment in Chicago journalism; and supporting an elected school board while opposing the election of judges. Length 5.6 minutes.
10/2/14: "Reelection run means selective endowment"
October 10, 2014 21:27 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe merits of acting as the mayor's rubber stamp; one of the phoniest budget-saving devices in recent time; and parents who vote for Rahm having delusional issues. Length 5.9 minutes.
10/2/14: "Emanuel's privatization: a clean sweep?"
October 02, 2014 06:33 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBHow the city decided which part of the school janitor workforce to privatize; the politics of SEIU union locals; and speculating on which city services Mayor Emanuel wouldn't privatize. Length 5.6 minutes.
9/11/14: "Trumbull emblemizes lack of population planning"
September 16, 2014 18:25 - 4 minutes - 1.62 MBHow CPS's desire to maintain segregation might've kept at least one school open; Chicagoans--and especially preservationists--more reluctant than ever to speak on the record; and the false assumption about young creative types. Length 4.6 minutes.
8/18/14: "Mayoral election: What Shaw and Emanuel bring to the table"
August 19, 2014 05:25 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBDemographic shifts on the Southeast Side; what qualifies someone to hold the mayor's office; and "strong mayor" as code for "white mayor". Length 5.2 minutes.
7/19/14: "Municipal election preview: a signature event"
July 19, 2014 07:10 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhere and how Alderman Fioretti might run for city council; how much cushion candidates need on nominating petitions; and how Mayor Emanuel has inched to the left. Length 5.5 minutes.
7/9/14: "State governor campaign proves taxing"
July 09, 2014 12:05 - 17 minutes - 5.05 MBHow campaign financing reform allows the grotesque; the absence of free-market advocates from debate over corporate subsidies; and the legitimacy of tax cuts as a campaign issue. Length 17.6 minutes.
6/10/14: "A principled stand against the administration"
June 11, 2014 05:52 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe issues about which principals as a group remained silent; when kissing mayoral butt has benefited principals; and what pre-election gifts the mayor might bestow to quell principal rebellion. Length 5.1 minutes.
5/27/14: "Mayor Emanuel: a tough leader, or just an asshole?"
May 27, 2014 19:34 - 5.15 MBThe relative graciousness of Mayor Richard M. Daley; the successful promotion of brand Rahm; and Mayor Emanuel's payback to the Whittier protestors. Length 17 minutes.
5/19/14: "The resegregation of Chicago public schools"
May 19, 2014 22:05 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhether Chicago schools' resegregation reflects a national trend; using demographic tiers and magnet curricula to achieve school integration; and where integration quotas had success in Chicago. Length 5.2 minutes.
5/2/14: "Pension 'crisis' could meet its match in TIFs"
May 02, 2014 21:14 - 4 minutes - 1.72 MBThe public finally concedes the surcharge nature of tax-increment financing; diverting TIF slush to pensions or other priority obligations; and how a financial transaction tax might work. Length 4.7 minutes.
4/8/14: "South Loop deal tells of TIF's twists"
April 09, 2014 10:47 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhy aldermen voted how they did on the McCormick-area hotel subsidy; why some private property in TIF districts generate no money for taxing bodies; and whether expiring TIF districts create a "back-door" tax. Length 5.6 minutes.
3/24/14: "Digital manufacturing site: Olympics repeat, weapons mill, or both?"
March 25, 2014 02:30 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhen private interests force TIF recipients to honor job guarantees; the digital manufacturing institute's "ultimate goal" of defense products; and how the institute announcement resembles Chicago's winning of the U.S. Olympics bid. Length 5.5 minutes.
3/6/14: "State rep primaries: who's the real progressive?"
March 07, 2014 06:51 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBChicago municipal lobbyists' strategies in the state legislature; holding candidates accountable post-election; and incumbents accusing challengers of betraying ideals that they themselves betray. Length 5.5 minutes.
1/27/14: "Council rules favor mayor"
January 28, 2014 07:02 - 4 minutes - 1.72 MBCompromise with the mayor as an exercise in imagination; "independent" aldermen's familiar excuse for voting with the mayor; and how aldermen game the rules to bury insurgent motions. Length 4.9 minutes.
1/17/14: "Charter schools: where does the money go?"
January 17, 2014 22:20 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBUNO's multiple face-saving tactics; the level of scrutiny the public has of neighborhood vs. charter schools; and how government funds charter schools in Chicago. Length 5.3 minutes.
12/12/13: "Democracy elusive in Chicago public schools"
December 18, 2013 08:10 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhy aldermen representing black wards--and others--voted for an elected school board; how Lincoln Elementary parents engaged in "callocracy"; and how moving special programs out of Lincoln Elementary could solve overcrowding. Length 5.3 minutes.
11/21/13: "Aldermen's tiff on TIF"
November 27, 2013 03:17 - 5 minutes - 8.3 MBThe wounding of Ald. Pawar; the myth of mayoral retribution; and the best tactic when one's ordinance gets buried. Length 5.1 minutes.
10/31/13: "The latest reminder of how Mayor Daley did business"
November 21, 2013 06:16 - 4.01 MBWhen an entity on public land must pay property taxes; why the city of Chicago is suing its own park district; and how future depositions of Richard M. Daley might go. Length 14.5 minutes.
11/20/13: "The latest reminder of how Mayor Daley did business"
November 21, 2013 06:16 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhen an entity on public land must pay property taxes; why the city of Chicago is suing its own park district; and how future depositions of Richard M. Daley might go. Length 5.3 minutes.
11/6/13: "A look at the mayor's 2014 budget proposal"
November 06, 2013 20:57 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBAn excerpt from Dave and Ben's interview from Nov. 10, 2011, which illuminates the city's budget process--including both visible and invisible aspects. Length 5.4 minutes.
10/18/13: "Can anyone defeat Emanuel in 2015?"
October 18, 2013 21:20 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhen Chicago's "strong city council" model of government has actually performed as such; Richard M. Daley's populist attitude toward neighborhoods; and the one thing that can mean Emanuel's defeat in 2015. Length 5.1 minutes.
9/26/13: "Alderman wants to know who benefited from charter school"
October 02, 2013 04:20 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBCharter schools' responses to FOIA requests; the potential scandal behind charter-school admissions; and whether charter schools have wait lists--or vacancies. Length 5 minutes.
9/12/13: "Rahm with less chess, more Cermak TIFs"
September 23, 2013 23:53 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBWhy continue to beat the drum on the McCormick-arena development; raising a TIF district's "freeze" level after projects complete; and front-end vs. back-end TIF district reforms. Length 5.2 minutes.
9/5/13: "A tour of the McCormick arena development area"
September 11, 2013 16:10 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe essence of TIF gerrymandering: accentuate the "blight;" city council okays the taking of private property but with no funding; and what it would take to move the landmark Rees House. Length 5.5 minutes.
8/29/13: "Mayor Emanuel: a tough leader for a tough city, or just and a-hole?"
September 06, 2013 06:10 - 5.05 MBThe relative graciousness of Mayor Richard M. Daley; the successful promotion of brand Rahm; and Mayor Emanuel's payback to the Whittier protestors. Length 16.8 minutes.
8/29/13: "Mayor Emanuel: a tough leader for a tough city, or just an a-hole?"
September 06, 2013 06:10 - 5 minutes - 1.72 MBThe relative graciousness of Mayor Richard M. Daley; the successful promotion of brand Rahm; and Mayor Emanuel's payback to the Whittier protestors. Length 5.5 minutes.