Category Archives: Transparency
BGA to Chicago City Council: Delay Infrastructure Trust Plan
An open letter to aldermen says the Mayor’s blueprint needs greater scrutiny and more public accountability. It urges the City Council to vote no, or to delay and review, the controversial ordinance. April 17, 2012 Dear Aldermen: It is the … Continue reading
Filed under Andy Shaw, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Transparency
Should Elected Officials Have to Clock In for Work?
By Emily Miller This Think Tank post was also published Dec. 29, 2011 by HuffingtonPost.com/Chicago. Emily is the BGA’s Policy and Government Affairs Coordinator. Contact her at emiller@bettergov.org. Follow her on Twitter @EJMill. There is a saying commonly attributed to … Continue reading
Filed under DuPage County, Fiscal Reform, Transparency
Vexatious Outcome: New Illinois Law Hurts Freedom of Information Act
After months of fighting to protect the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which protects citizens’ access to information about their government, the Better Government Association is disappointed with Gov. Pat Quinn’s decision to sign a bill into law that limits … Continue reading
Filed under FOIA, Legislative Update, Transparency
Inspector General to ‘Open Chicago’ With New Transparency Initiative
By Andy Shaw, BGA President & CEO Today I’m watching another group that watches the behavior of public officials and their governments—the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (IGO)—which just announced a new transparency initiative dubbed “Open Chicago.” This … Continue reading
Filed under Andy Shaw, Transparency
FOIA’s Cloudy Future has us Vexed
“Sunshine Week,” a national campaign dedicated to protecting the public’s right to get information about their government, is now being celebrated. But in Illinois, the outlook for such access is more cloudy than bright. Last year, a new Illinois Freedom … Continue reading
Filed under FOIA, Transparency
Vox Populi: Regular Folks Respond To BGA Chicago Mayoral Questionnaire
No more parking meter deals without representation! Or at least a financial audit! That’s a rallying cry the next mayor of Chicago should heed before attempting to spin off any major public assets, such as Midway Airport or the city’s … Continue reading
Chicago’s Parking Meter Deal a Lesson in ‘Worst Practices’
Some major U.S. cities are watching the fallout from Chicago’s controversial parking meter leasing deal and don’t like what they’re seeing. At a time when more municipalities and agencies are trying to ease heavy debt loads by spinning off publicly … Continue reading
Filed under Fiscal Reform, Transparency
The Illinois Freedom of (Some) Information Act?
How quickly we forget. In the wake of scandal and corruption at the highest levels of government, Illinois lawmakers passed a law in 2009 bolstering the Freedom of Information Act—a move designed to give everyday people access to important government … Continue reading
Filed under Legislative Update, Transparency
Orland Hills Village President Taps Son as Trustee
The BGA’s ears perked up when we learned of Orland Hill’s “all in the family” approach to filling vacancies on its village board. Turns out the village president, Kyle Hastings, had someone in mind to fill an empty seat—his son, … Continue reading
Filed under Transparency
