What I'm Watching—Jan. 13, 2011

Maria mismanaging? A joint investigation by the BGA and CBS 2 revealed that Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas hides a $94,000 driver/bodyguard and a $57,000 cleaning women in her budget under job titles totally unrelated to their tasks. Time for transparency and honest budgeting.

Flood of farewell $$$. Dane Placko of Fox Chicago News reports the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District paid out $863,000 in severance to top-level employes who retired in December to beat a January change in severance eligibility. That change is being challenged in court by employees who are still at the MWRD.
Taxpayer turmoil. “Taxpayers are outraged,” says Phil Kadner–counting himself among the incensed–in his Southtown Star column on angry reaction to the Springfield tax hike.
Charter chit-chat. The Trib reports the Chicago Board of Education is considering requests for seven new charter schools in the city.

Watching Your Government: What to Expect at a Meeting of Chicago’s City Council

For first-time watchers, Chicago’s City Council can seem incomprehensible. Most of the business is done in a routine, rapid-fire succession of votes and gavel raps, punctuated by repetitions of the phrase, “hearing no objections, so ordered.” Following along – and knowing when to watch for contested votes, floor debates and other things that impact the…

by Geoffrey Cubbage

Policy Statements

Better Government Association Statement: Supreme Court FOIA Ruling Limits Transparency; Significantly Broadens Exemptions to FOIA

A unanimous Illinois Supreme Court ruling yesterday in a case called Chapman v. Chicago reverses a lower court’s ruling and blocks plaintiff Matt Chapman’s open records request for information from the City of Chicago’s Department of Finance. The court’s ruling undermines the public’s right to know about the workings of government and is a threat…

by BGA Policy

Updates

Better Government Association Announces Three New Board Members

The Better Government Association has announced that three new members are joining its board of directors. With backgrounds in media, finance, and communications, the new board members bring years of experience and leadership to help the BGA move into its second century of fighting for greater transparency, equity and accountability in government in Chicago and…

by BGA

Work With Us

Executive Assistant/Board Liason

The Better Government Association is a nonprofit media organization with a mission is to achieve transparency, equity and accountability in government. Our organization has been in existence for almost 100 years vigorously pursuing its mission by producing investigative journalism, advocating for good-government reform, litigating to defend public access to information, and mobilizing the public to…

by BGA

What I’m Watching—Jan. 13, 2011

Brandon Johnson is Chicago’s Next Mayor. Here’s Where He Stands on Government Transparency and Ethics

FOIA, Council Independence, IG Reports: Mayoral Candidates Address the Big Good-Government Questions

BGA State Policy Agenda 2023

Court Transparency Coalition

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