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
7/10/08: "Seize the Moment"
July 15, 2008 03:50 - 7 minutes - 3.05 MBThe astounding depth of Olympics opposition; the Olympics as fuel for a real-estate boom; and the Olympic development that'll happen regardless of the Olympics. Length 7.1 minutes.
7/3/08: "The Dead Zone"
July 11, 2008 17:50 - 8 minutes - 3.91 MBChicagoans' immunity from trespassing in the Dead Zone; how Mayor Daley undercut Bensenville residents' clout in the state legislature; and the demise of some of DuPage County's most venerable affordable housing. Length 9 minutes.
6/19/08: "The Road to 2016"
June 24, 2008 21:05 - 9 minutes - 4.1 MBWhy Mayor Daley needed more than a slim majority vote on the Children's Museum; whether Ben needlessly dramatizes; and astounding aldermen denials. Length 9.4 minutes.
6/12/08: "Is Obama a Chicago Politician?"
June 17, 2008 13:40 - 7 minutes - 3.43 MBWhether Obama needs Mayor Daley to win Chicago; the mayor's greater strength--patronage army or voter apathy; and corruption as a tourist attraction. Length 8 minutes.
6/5/08: "The TIF That Keeps On Taking"
June 12, 2008 01:20 - 8 minutes - 3.91 MBBen's confession and pledge; the fundamental Olympics question for Chicagoans; and how corporate leaders committed themselves to a lie. Length 8.5 minutes.
5/29/08: "The Mystery of the Construction Obstructionist "
June 02, 2008 16:46 - 8 minutes - 3.62 MBPublic-building development demystified; another way to keep public schools under control; and how alderman sign away their power. Length 8.2 minutes.
5/15/08: "A Commission of Puppets"
May 21, 2008 02:01 - 10 minutes - 4.39 MBThe selective sight of lakefront protectionists; preparing for indictment of the mayor; and Bush's payback to the Daleys. Length 10 minutes.
4/24/08: "Worse Than We Thought"
April 28, 2008 16:49 - 9 minutes - 4.06 MBBetter soccer-field sites than Lincoln Park; why the end doesn't justify the means; and the latest on residents' litigation. Length 9.3 minutes.
4/17/08: "A City Off Track"
April 21, 2008 21:45 - 7 minutes - 3.15 MBBackground on a mayoral ally; Ben's great disappointment with bicycling advocates; and whether the press should count student murders. Length 7.1 minutes.
4/10/08: "Apparently Money Does Grow on Trees"
April 11, 2008 22:00 - 7 minutes - 3.15 MBThe single dumbest move the Park District has made; moving the Bears out of Soldier Field; and the recipe for rubber stamps. Length 7.2 minutes.
4/3/08: "It's All About the Olympics"
April 09, 2008 01:00 - 8 minutes - 3.81 MBHow citizens become robots; how a non-robot sees his role; and, can advisory councils survive a purge? Length 8.7 minutes.
3/13/08: "An Independent Streak"
March 16, 2008 02:00 - 9 minutes - 7.87 MBThe wealthy--our feeble hope; why you should embrace entitlement; and why the ward map looks like a jigsaw puzzle. Length 9 minutes.
3/6/08: "A New Twist on an Old Trick"
March 11, 2008 18:10 - 8 minutes - 7.25 MBDaley and Thompson's negotiations hidden in plain sight; if the public screams, the Board of Ed did good; and a look inside the bureaucratic mind. Length 8.3 minutes.
2/28/08: "We Might Take Your House"
March 04, 2008 01:40 - 8 minutes - 7.64 MBThe plan that doesn't plan; a TIF reform that Ben actually likes; and, did the alderman deserve a scolding? Length 8.8 minutes.
2/21/08: "Just Stupid Enough to Be True"
February 26, 2008 04:35 - 8 minutes - 7.44 MBWinners of the Chicago citizenship award; how voting beats recycling; and Chicago elections--the new basketball? Length 8.7 minutes.
2/14/08: "The Mayor in the Mirror"
February 18, 2008 22:55 - 9 minutes - 8.01 MBThe Block 37 debacle dissected; bonds better for building; and Alderman Ben and Alderman Dave's lesson in democracy. Length 9.7 minutes.
2/7/08: "The New School Shuffle"
February 10, 2008 22:45 - 9 minutes - 8.49 MBThe roll call of abused schools; why city government hides how much revenue it needs; and Ben's perverse delight in reporting. Length 9.7 minutes.
1/31/08: "The Pot and the Kettle"
February 05, 2008 01:40 - 4 minutes - 3.62 MBWhat the Board of Review does; and conflict of interest everywhere you look. Length 4.1 minutes.
1/31/08: "A True Outsider"
February 04, 2008 19:15 - 4 minutes - 3.53 MBWhat Ben wants in a state's attorney; who not to vote for; and the criteria by which to judge a real reformer. Length 4 minutes.
1/24/08: "Mell Family Politics"
January 31, 2008 01:01 - 9 minutes - 8.2 MBWhere to find the real dirt on candidates; whether back-room drama trumps voting records; and the big Chicago issue that candidates won't face. Length 9.3 minutes.
1/17/08: "A Good Day for the Rainmakers"
January 22, 2008 04:15 - 9 minutes - 8.11 MBWhy you don't need a TIF primer; how West-Side residents discovered a city slush fund; and why the city won't contribute more to the CTA. Length 9.3 minutes.
1/10/08: "Hear Ye, Hear Ye: King Daley issues his self-serving proclamations for '08"
January 14, 2008 17:07 - 7 minutes - 6.58 MBWhy news media fear the mayor; Ben's defense of the Sun-Times; and the silence of the Olympics. Length 7.5 minutes.
1/3/08: "A Zell of a Deal"
January 09, 2008 16:53 - 9 minutes - 7.92 MBWill the Cubs' owners get the same (huge) tax break as the the Sox' owners; the red herring of the Cubs' threat to move; and what Mayor Daley really wants. Length 9.3 minutes.
12/27/07: "Staff Cuts at the Chicago Reader"
December 28, 2007 19:21 - 6 minutes - 5.93 MBTho he's written no article about the Reader's layoff of his fellow staff writers, here Ben reveals how the layoffs have affected him, what the writers brought to the Reader, and what he sees in the paper's future. Length 6.8 minutes.
12/13/07: "Freshman Follies"
December 14, 2007 17:01 - 9 minutes - 8.11 MBWhy persons challenging Cook County incumbents often don't make it to the ballot; Ben's idea for open elections; and, which would you determines your government--football or elections? Length 9.3 minutes.
11/29/07: "The Madigan Effect"
November 30, 2007 16:09 - 8 minutes - 7.72 MBDemystifying the process for appealing property-tax assessments; Ben's plan for a fairer taxing scheme; and how champions of downtown talk on both sides of their mouths. Length 8.8 minutes.
11/22/07: "The True TIF Tally"
November 23, 2007 18:01 - 9 minutes - 8.68 MBBen and Inside Chicago Government create a roadmap for taxpayers that reveals exactly how much of one's taxes get siphoned off to tax increment financing districts. Length 9.9 minutes.
11/1/07: "TIFs for Dummies"
November 02, 2007 16:01 - 9 minutes - 8.58 MBHow tax increment financing districts get gerrymandered; the dark underbelly of the public process; and public officials' off-the-record feelings about TIF. Length 9.8 minutes.