From Our President

Greising: The Pros and Cons of Tying Property Taxes to Inflation

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's plan to hike property taxes in the city of Chicago annually - based on increases in the cost of living, is designed to avoid the fits and starts of the current system. Against all odds, this idea might possibly make sense.

Greising: Here’s a Welcome Twist — Chicago City Council Stands Tough on Lobbying Rule

Lori Lightfoot’s move on the issue of cross-lobbying does not mean the mayor has entirely lost her reformer instincts. What it highlights is that she made a push for nuance at a time when aldermen and voters are still in an absolutist frame of mind.

Greising: How Pritzker May Win by Losing the ‘Fair Tax' Fight

The contest ahead of a Nov. 3 vote on Gov. J.B. Pritzker's proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution remains close. There are many interesting paths forward depending on the eventual outcome of this vote.

Greising: Pritzker’s Move Against Madigan and for Reform. More of That, Please.

Minority Leader Jim Durkin's push to have the House investigate Speaker Michael Madigan's alleged misdeeds prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to call on Madigan to testify to the committee. The big question: what happens next?

It’s All Doom and Gloom in Illinois — but We Do Have the Power to Fix Some of Our Problems

We've always known what can go wrong will go wrong. However, nobody ever told us it would all go wrong at the same time.

An Agenda for Getting Real Reform in Springfield

Real reform can be done, however, politicians in Illinois have made an art of keeping meaningful reform impossibly out of reach.

Mayor Lightfoot’s ’Pandemic Budget’ Avoids the Hard Choices

Apparently, the year 2021 appears to be a pick-your-poison budget for Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Impatience with Mayor Lightfoot — and from Her — Grows as Violence Rages

Mayor Lori Lightfoot staged a news conference recently in the ongoing effort to get control of the city's streets.

The BGA’s Role in Equity and Reform

Predecessors' Mistakes Provide Lessons for Lightfoot

Staring into a fiscal abyss can cause strange plans to enter the minds of even responsible public officials. We've seen how badly this can go in Chicago.