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A Model for Transparency: DuPage
DuPage County has done an excellent job of posting their financial records and other information on their website. As reported by The Geneva Sun, DuPage completed posting everything online in two months without hiring any firm or spending an extra…
$11,232 is less than $100?
After searching through IllinoisOpenGov.org, a transparency initiative from the Illinois Policy Institute, the Illinois Department of Transportation has listed many items in “Equip, Not Elsewhere Classified, < $100-Vendors”, “Small Tools, Not Exceeding $100”, and “Office and Library Equip,…
Expensive Associations
After searching the Illinois Policy Institute’s new transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, I found the Department of Transportation spent a total of $405,065 on “Association Dues,” ranging from the American Welding Society ($80) to the National Association of…
Stop-Light Cameras: Transparency Needed
The Illinois Review published an article about citizens of Dundee taking on stop-light cameras, which have been incredible sources of revenue for both government and the firms contracted to operate the cameras. Advocates of transparency have concerns…
City Council: Legislative Transparency
As of November 2nd, changes were made to ChiCityClerk.com that allowed citizens to more easily search and find a greater amount of information about legislation (passed, in the works, and proposed). The City Council has been searching…
Public Officials “Censured” from Public Information
The Chicago Tribune reported it is not just difficult for citizens to get information from government bodies, but also challenging for public officials (especially if they have a minority position). Although laws make it clear that certain documentation…
Sunshine on the CTA
The Chicago Tribune reported the Chicago Transit Authority has posted all of its contract and vendor information dating back to 2003 on a CTA online database, which allows you to search through contracts and vendors providing…
Voters’s Response to Corruption
Some may feel hopeless about the corruption in Illinois and skeptical of “reforms” proposed to end it. However, Illinois voter polls reveal corruption does matter to voters, a sign that true reform may become a possibility. The Tribune reported:
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Red-light Camera Money Machine Busted in Schaumburg
Shoppers at Woodfield Mall need no longer fear the prospect of being ticketed by ominous red light cameras any longer thanks to the work of Liberty Leader Brian Costin and the Schaumburg Freedom Coalition.
The Village recently took down red…
