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Chicago
PI Original
by Josh Kalven
10:40am
Fri Nov 20, 2009

"A TIF Geek If There Ever Was One"

Tax Increment Financing

That's how the Reader's Ben Joravsky describes our own Angela Caputo in his latest article on Chicago's tax increment financing (TIF) network.  And you can bet she's wearing that badge with pride.
Joravasky's piece also details how state legislators used a Freedom of ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
11:14am
Wed Nov 18, 2009

Activists Push For Better TIF Investment: "We Need This Housing"

Housing

A few months back, a coalition of community activists from across Chicago met at City Hall to call out the Daley administration for investing so few tax increment financing (TIF) dollars in affordable housing. After all, over the past decade, a mere 4 percent of the ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
12:23pm
Thu Nov 12, 2009

Another Victory For Police Secrecy (But The Fight Goes On)

Law enforcement

Chicago's police officers are the city's first line of defense and
they deserve our thanks.  That being said, they are also paid with
taxpayer dollars and should be expected to withstand public scrutiny. 
Yet again and again, the Daley administration has worked to prevent
...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
2:54pm
Tue Nov 10, 2009
4 comments

Over 90 Percent Of Daley's Property Taxes Go Towards TIF

Taxes

Each fall, Cook County Clerk David Orr releases an annual tally of how much public money has been absorbed into Chicago's massive tax increment financing (TIF) system. Like clockwork, each new report reveals that hundreds of millions are whisked away from schools, parks, ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
1:44pm
Tue Nov 10, 2009

Round Two In The Fight Over Outsourcing Chicago Schools

State Legislature

With less than a week to go before the Chicago Board of Education votes on whether or not to authorize six new charter schools, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) held a round of public hearings last night. School reform advocates have long complained that CPS handpicks which ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
1:22pm
Tue Nov 3, 2009
1 comment

Chicago Police Board Lets Abusive Officers Slide

Chicago

Is accountability so sparse in the Chicago Police Department that
even a recommendation by the superintendent isn't enough to get an
officer fired by the Chicago Police Board? Based on the latest research (PDF) by the non-profit Chicago Justice Project (CJP), it ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
9:10am
Thu Oct 29, 2009
1 comment

Chicago Hotels Workers Authorize Starwood Strike

Wages

The Congress Hotel employees have been striking for over six years. In the coming days, a huge batch of their fellow Chicago hotel workers may join them. At 8 p.m. last night, employees at five area hotels run by the Starwood Chain -- the Westin Michigan Avenue...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
1:31pm
Wed Oct 28, 2009
2 comments

Waguespack On Daley: "The Old Way Of Doing Things No Longer Works"

Chicago

A week after Mayor Daley unveiled his bad news budget -- which relies on skimming $370 million from asset reserve funds to help plug a $520 million deficit -- aldermen began hearings on the city's finances this morning. Over the past five years, Chicago has collected ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
1:17pm
Fri Oct 23, 2009
8 comments

Daley's Next Privatization Dance?

Richard Daley

After his administration received unprecedented criticism for leasing off Chicago's parking meter system, one might think Mayor Daley would cool it on the privatization schemes.  Instead, he appears to be looking for more public assets to sell off to the highest bidder. The ...