How bad is the financial situation in Illinois? A knowledgeable source noted last week that the three national rating agencies have put Illinois on what is called “credit watch.” This means that within 90 days, if things don’t start looking better, our debt holders will start flooding the market with the bonds they now hold, and Illinois will no longer be able to borrow. more

Call me crazy! Last Sunday I should have joined family and friends at a Super Bowl party and gotten into the spirit of the game. Instead I spent the day reading the recent Supreme Court ruling that – when it comes to campaign finance reform – there is no distinction between people and corporations. more

As our national health care debate drags on with no clear end in sight, it is possible to take heart at meaningful reforms within Cook County government. more

Last week several PCG board members had the opportunity to discuss the state budget crisis with a colleague who – in addition to attending PCG Board meetings – also serves as the Illinois Secretary of Human Services. We asked her about the crisis. Her reply was haunting: “We feel like we are standing over a big hole.” more

"The people most affected by this (the war on drugs) are black and brown and poor. It’s the abandoned inner cores of our urban areas… We pretend to educate the kids. We pretend that we’re actually including them in the American ideal, but we’re not…."—David Simon more

You have the opportunity right now to make a phone call that could change the political culture of Illinois. more

When the term "hostage" is used, it is very often in connection with acts of terrorism or kidnapping. This is not something that most of us are ever likely to experience.

But for those living on the economic edge in Illinois this is exactly what is happening as the state endures a budget crisis that could extend through the general election in November 2010.

"Sometimes after the legislature has adjourned, I am so frustrated and angry that for at least two weeks I can’t even stand to walk down the street and look at the Capitol." more

How do we come to terms with a Governor’s veto just last week of what seemed like the best chance of political reform in the history of our state; a new state budget that is shredding our social safety net in Illinois; a national health care debate, that as characterized in this space two weeks ago, has turned "ugly, very ugly"? more

Two weeks ago, the Cook County Board of Commissioners, with little fanfare, passed an ordinance decriminalizing low levels (10 grams or less) of marijuana possession in the non-incorporated areas of the County. more