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The Charmed Life of Rahm’s Chief of Staff
The BGA and Crain’s Chicago Business recently published the findings of an investigation into Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s top aide, Theresa Mintle, who stands to gain from a pension perk that she had a hand...
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The Shame of Profiling, and Politics
Couple things caught our eye today that we wanted to pass along. First was an intriguing story by FOX 32’s Dane Placko about alleged racial profiling in Evergreen Park, where a black man was pulled...
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ROUNDUP: Give and you shall receive + sleuthing from the inside
>> RIDING THE GRAVY TRAIN Maybe he should be dodging these types of campaign donations. Metra board member Jim Dodge — in his unsuccessful run for Illinois comptroller earlier this year —...
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IMRF Vs. TRS: Getting More For Less
Over the past decade, another major public employee pension fund reaped a higher investment return, paid less in financial fees and used fewer advisers than the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) of...
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Conflicted? Metra Heavy Claims ‘Rules’ Justify Questionable Campaign...
Metra board member Jim Dodge says he followed all the rules in his failed run for Illinois comptroller earlier this year. But maybe the rules need to be changed. We’ve already documented how he...
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BGA Investigates, County Official Resigns
The long-time chairman of the Cook County Board of Ethics resigned this week, just a day after the Better Government Association, in concert with WGN-TV and Chicago magazine, released a report raising...
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Arrest of Ex-Maywood Cop a Symptom of Larger Problems in Town
In another sign that Maywood’s police department is in need of a dramatic overhaul, a now-former officer has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he met on duty. The disclosure...
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ROUNDUP: Evans Steps Up, Levar Steps Down, Huggins Steps Quietly
>> JUDGE ASSESSES FIELD FOR BERRIOS SEAT As the dust settles from the Nov. 2 election, it seems that one of the biggest winners locally was Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans—and not only...
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Illinois’ Fiscal Crisis: We’re No. 2!
One of the nation’s most influential financial analysts sees big trouble ahead for Illinois. Meredith Whitney is sounding the alarm about the dire fiscal condition of the nation’s 15 largest states....
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Clearing the air under the CTA’s June subway fire probe
The safety and security of passengers should be the CTA’s top priority. So it was encouraging to see the transit agency produce a hard-hitting and scathing internal report delving into the...
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Candidate for Cook County Pension Post Pleaded Guilty In 1985 Vote Fraud Case
A former Cook County government employee who pleaded guilty to vote fraud in 1985 is now running for election to the Cook County Pension Board, an estimated $6.9 billion retirement fund serving nearly...
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ROUNDUP: Politics (and tickets) as usual
>> DRIVING COARSE AT CITY COLLEGES Maybe City Colleges of Chicago should start offering drivers education courses…for its own employees. Since 2008 the college system’s fleet of around 80...
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Lemont Pol’s iPhone Woes Puts the Byte on Taxpayers
A five-night getaway to Puerto Vallarta can run about $650 a person—covering round-trip airfare and a room at a classy hotel in the Mexican resort town. Steven Rosendahl’s tab ended up considerably...
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Big Changes Follow BGA Investigations
By Andy Shaw, BGA President & CEO Last month, the BGA and FOX Chicago exposed Chicago city officials spending your tax dollars on lavish meals, first-class seats and fancy hotels, and even...
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Dangerous Political Terrain in Maywood?
Check out the following “musing” by Maywood Village Clerk Gary Woll, a veteran political figure in the near western suburb. We knew Maywood was hairy in various ways, but politics is literally a...
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Bloomberg News: Feds Falling Down on FOIA
Bloomberg News, an international finance and political information service, found that major U.S. federal government agencies are too slow or are outright failing to comply with Freedom of Information...
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ROUNDUP: Peepers, Parkers and Loaders — Oh My!
>> PEEPER BACK TO WORK FOR STATE If you take a peek inside the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) offices in Schaumburg these days, you might see James Stumpner, 48. Paid nearly...
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Legislative Lovefest Far From Picture Perfect
There are public servants in the trenches who deserve our gratitude and respect. In a somewhat literal sense, think about the American troops who risk their lives on a daily basis. In a figurative...
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Rumble in the Courts
A veteran Chicago attorney recently filed a defamation lawsuit against Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown that claims she sought to damage the lawyer’s reputation in retaliation for his...
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BGA Updates Popular Payroll Database With 2011 Salaries
Want to know how much a public employee is paid? Then ask the Better Government Association (BGA). The BGA—a non-partisan, non-profit government watchdog—has updated its popular Payroll Database with...
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