Inside Chicago Government

In an interview with Dave Glowacz on the Chicago Reader's Ben Joravsky Show, Ben and Dave listen to audio clips from notable moments of the Chicago City Council's February meeting: animal rights activists get a lesson in how and when to protest; the fast-moving approval train puts on the brakes; and aldermen debate whether they should "roll the dice" in settling a police misconduct lawsuit. Length 6 minutes.

In an interview with Dave Glowacz on the Chicago Reader's Ben Joravsky Show, Ben and Dave discuss the City Council's first 2020 meeting: Mayor Lori Lightfoot rebukes aldermanic concerns about LGBT business support; aldermen's selective concern about divvying up "the pie;" and, after 1.5 hours of honors, aldermen blow through key diktats in seconds. Length 6.6 minutes.

In an interview with Dave Glowacz on the Chicago Reader's Ben Joravsky Show, Ben and Dave discuss the City Council's divided approval of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's 2020 budget: Irving Park/Elston TIF district dust-up implies planning dept.'s executive order uncertainty; some aldermen voted against higher property taxes--but voted for big TIF deals that could raise those taxes; the "debate" over ambulance rides paid for by Medicaid; the principled resistance of Alds. Ray Lopez and Anthony Beale; Ald. James Cappelman maybe makes going along sound like legislative savvy; whether corporate clout will forever keep the city from progressive revenue sources; and mayoral retribution against naysaying aldermen: myth vs. reality. Length 9.1 minutes.

Budget analyst Jonathan Silverstein, of the Council Office of Financial Analysis, lays out a 2020 "city budget for dummies," including: how COFA has come unleashed--and how it's still "hamstrung;" how the City Council's finance, budget, and analysis staffs differ in function; which 2020 budget changes came from outside forces vs. the mayor's choices; how pension law and past debt indulgences led to a projected 2020 deficit; the lasting effect of past lawsuit settlement underestimates; how the mayor touted "zero based budgeting," but we have "no way of verifying that;" "inefficient" hiring slow-downs as a legacy method of cost savings; and how the Law Dept. should "lawyer up," while it chafes at the Shakman bit. Length 6.2 minutes.

This episode presents an audio collage of comments by Chicagoans who spoke at Mayor Lori Lightfoot's budget town halls in September and October of 2019. Lightfoot asked residents to "give public testimony on Chicago's 2020 budget"--and they offered plenty of ideas on public pensions, mental health services, affordable housing, loafing city workers, tax-increment financing, and why Chicagoans are being priced out of the city. Length 6.9 minutes.

In an audio interview with freshman Alderman Daniel La Spata of Chicago's 1st Ward, Dave Glowacz explores how new City Council members get the training and orientation needed to do their jobs. "We want our aldermen to be the strongest civil servants they can possibly be," La Spata said--which takes "a much more robust orientation" than the city provides. La Spata detailed what's missing, and how he'd fix it. Length 35 minutes.

Dave Glowacz talks with the Chicago Reader's Ben Joravsky about how live radio differs from podcasting; the health of the Reader; whether news reporters should express partisan opinions and positions; biases embedded in news reporting; and Dave and Ben's role reversal. Length 5.8 minutes.

In an interview with Dave Glowacz on the Chicago Reader's Ben Joravsky Show, Ben and Dave discuss the city's defense of the Cortland/Chicago River tax-increment financing (TIF) district and the Lincoln Yards development. Length 6.8 minutes.

In an interview with Dave Glowacz on the Chicago Reader's Ben Joravsky Show, Ben and Dave discuss aldermen's shock and outrage of Mayor Lightfoot's elevation of Ald. Waguespack; the new mayor vs. the "Beale-Burke axis" in a City Council shake-up; former planning dept. Commissioner David Reifman: real estate cheerleader or public servant; how developer Sterling Bay ended up with ownership of the Chicago River's banks; what prompted Friends of the Chicago River to support Lincoln Yards. Length 6.7 minutes.

In an interview with Dave Glowacz on the Chicago Reader's Ben Joravsky Show, Ben and Dave chew on this: Ald. Hopkins' belief that 'the right side should prevail;' the contrast of Amazon's NYC snub and a Cortland TIF denial; rules and duels that delayed the Cortland TIF vote; Ald. Hairston cites 'blight' sleight used to justify TIF; Ald. Reilly calls a developer's bluff on a TIF subsidy need; and Ald. Smith uncovers TIF financing costs. Length 6.4 minutes.