Author Archives: Tom Tresser

My (Brief) Vision For Chicago

Progressive_Vision-screenI was asked to give a few “now what” remarks at the end of this forum on running for office in 2015 as progressive standard bearer. Listen to these remarks (with introduction, 4 1/2 minutes).

It’s Good To Be A Lawyer In Chicago

How can Chicago be broke? The city has paid out $737.1 MILLION in legal settlement and judgement expenses in the nine years of 2003 to 2012. 65% of that is police-related litigation.

Chicago_settlements+judgements-2003-2013$96 MILLION has been spent by the City and Cook County defending Jon Burge and settling with his victims.

In addition, the City has spent $176 million over the past eight years in outside legal fees!

The City has spent a whopping $913,1 MILLION on legal messes.

I should’ve gone to law school!

 

12.3 million 2 Burge victims

Hey, Brad, Here’s An Idea – Let’s NOT Privatize Chicago

Chicago Ideas Week founder and chief honcho Brad Keywell (Groupon) ran a full page ad in today’s Chicago Tribune (my scanner isn’t big enough to get it all – this is like one third)…Rahm_head
Thing is, Brad and his wife, Kim each gave the mayor $5,300 for his re-election effort. This from his campaign’s October 2 A-1 report.

The ad gushes about Emanuel, “His vision is raising a city higher than its tallest buildings.” Really? What about the 49 school closings. The $68 million in cuts to the neighborhood schools left standing. The closing of public health clinics. The layoffs of public sector workers. The cuts in service to the CTA. The ever expanding privatization of city services – likehow we pay to get onto subways and buses and the pending shut down of city mammogram programs.

So here’s an idea for Chicago Ideas Week – throw the investment bankers out of City Hall and end the patronage, corruption and insider trading that stands for public policy here. We need MORE public, not less.

DePaul Forum On Proposed Stadium Illuminates 2nd Ward

City had HOW much in TIF accounts-webStudents as DePaul organized a public forum on the proposed DePaul Stadium and asked for an Illumination of the 17 TIFs inside the 2nd Ward – spotlighting the site and adjacent TIFs. This research is from The TIF Illumination  Project. If you want a copy of this presentation please email tom@civiclab.us.

The Global Cardboard Challenge Comes To CivicLab!

cardboard

The CivicLab is thrilled to host the Chicago version of the Global Card Board Challenge on October 5, from1pm to 4pm.

Watch this video and YOU will want to play with us!

This is a kid’s event and is perfect way for a family to foster imagination and engaged play AND expose kids to design, science, engineering and a whole lot more. There is no charge but you must read the directions and register via EventBrite.