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Interviews with Ben Joravsky: The Rest of the Story

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Ben Joravsky writes the regular “The Works” column for the the Chicago Reader, and he authored the bestselling book Hoop Dreams. Each week Dave Glowacz rendezvous with Ben under a neighborhood el track to talk about Ben's latest column and reveal the rest of the story.

For 2007 interviews click here

7/2/09 “On the Hook” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: From where, exactly, Olympics revenues would come; why an independent civic organization shouldn't analyze Chicago's Olympics budget; and the deafening silence from civic Chicago. Length 6.2 minutes.

6/25/09 “The Grand Old Party’s Last Stand” • [Not yet available] • Read the article • Description: [To come]

6/18/09 “The Insiders” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Who enforces the city's procurement rules; parking meters on steroids; and privatization by cocktail party. Length 9.8 minutes.

6/4/09 “What TIFs Giveth, the Olympics Taketh Away” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Why it's not hard to fight the Olympics; what you should never forget about the Olympics; and Chicago's pre-existing Olympic aquatic center. Length 5.3 minutes.

5/28/09 “University Village: The Story's Not Finished” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: An aspect of tax-increment financing that might rouse the citizenry from its slumber; why Chicago's newspapers don't report on TIF districts; and why renters should care about property taxes. Length 7.8 minutes. • To read the Sun-Times expose' into development in University Village: Part 1; Part 2.

5/21/09 “One Billion Dollars” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Whether privatization in the abstract has any merit; deconstructing the ways to value parking meters; and giving meter-poor neighborhoods their share. Length 8.3 minutes.

5/7/09 “Taking Advantage of TIF Ignorance” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Whether panic peddling typically occurs in TIF districts; the fundamentals of eminent domain; and how the city will ruin the North Pullman TIF district. Length 8.3 minutes.

4/30/09 “Midterm Examination” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Why Jesse Jackson Jr. Photoshopped his wife; why Ben loves Alderman Bob Fioretti; and the roll call of somewhat-independent aldermen. Length 8.6 minutes.

4/16/09 “Ben Javorsky for Mayor!” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How the Reader of olden times handled letter writers; whether the Reader came late to the story; and when Chicagoans have epiphanies about their government. Length 7.2 minutes.

4/9/09 “Fail: How Daley and his crew hid their process from the public, ignored their own rules, railroaded the City Council, and screwed the taxpayers on the parking meter lease deal” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: What percentage of revenue the city should spend on parking operations; what info the city should disclose about bidders for city concessions; and how aldermen have lost an urban-planning tool. Length 8.2 minutes.

4/2/09 “An Open Letter to the IOC” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How the Tribune and Sun-Times ignore their own reporting; what upsets the sheep; and making an honest assessment of the city's finances. Length 9.4 minutes.

3/26/09 “Stimulus, Chicago-Style” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The three ways to end corporate relocation subsidies; Ben's favorite way; and start-up jobs instead of stolen jobs. Length 9.9 minutes. • For annual job-creation reports from corporations receiving state subsidies click here

3/19/09 “Show Us the Money” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: A tax increment financing refresher; cities caught up in the notion of "the deal;" and Chicago's mini-version of the federal bailout. Length 9.3 minutes. • For a map of the LaSalle/Central TIF district click here • For a photo (from Google Maps) of 250 S. Wacker Dr. click here

3/12/09 “Money for Nothing” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Winning the quinella of revenue loss; how one becomes a "chosen" developer; and when yelling at the Community Development Commission works. Length 8.6 minutes. • For a map of the Jefferson Park TIF district click here • For photos (from Google Maps) of the 5200 block of West Lawrence Ave. click here

3/5/09 “The Straw Man” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: If Todd Stroger led the push for the Olympics; whether Mayor Daley controls the county's share of federal stimulus dollars; and the price of peace: patronage. Length 7.8 minutes.

2/26/09 “The $10.5 Million Mascot” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The one good thing in the city's Olympics bid; whether real-estate development drives the desire for Olympics; and how the city might secretly subsidize the Olympic Village. Length 8.3 minutes.

2/19/09 “The Race to Replace Rahm” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Earmarks: copious or corrupting; pros and cons of minority districts; and the 5th congressional district as an evolutionary indicator. Length 9.6 minutes.

2/5/09 “MVP or Mope?” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Defining progressive vs. independent officials; whether aldermen should both legislate and provide constituent services; and the mayor loses his mind. Length 9.2 minutes.

1/29/09 “The Hack Who Pissed Off Harold” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The definition of patronage (abused and not); how the Hispanic Democratic Organization annihilated Hispanic independence; and Chicagoans: held under psychological bondage? Length 8.2 minutes.

1/22/09 “City for Sale” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How much police and firefighters at Midway will really cost; why the city has tried to get rid of debt; and, Mayor Daley: privatization leader? Length 7.6 minutes.

1/15/09 “Taking the Fifth” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How slatemaking works; Ben's ideal Congressperson; and why Chicago Congresspersons stay out of Chicago's governmental problems. Length 9.3 minutes.

1/8/09 “Would You Vote for Roland Burris?” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: What prosecutions the Illinois attorney general could do but doesn't; how Burris might have paid to play; and when ethics trump laws. Length 9.1 minutes. • To read Thomas Geoghegan's article arguing that the Constitution requires a special election for senator, click here.

12/18/08 “Out the Window” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Whether city managers monitor TIF agreements; where your TIF-sequestered tax dollars actually go; and why Chicago can't suddenly end TIF districts. Length 9.5 minutes.

12/11/08 “The Right Fight” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The evolution of Ben's TIF explanation; why more Chicagoans don't sue to challenge TIFs; and why Gov. Blagojevich's transgressions don't hold a candle to those of Chicago government. Length 7 minutes.

12/4/08 “More Olympic Games” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: What Barack Obama's appointment of Lawrence Summers says about his fiscal policy; how Chicago's economy resembles that of Russia; and, will Obama control his lieutenants or vice versa? Length 8.6 minutes.

11/27/08 “Hot Seat” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The difference between a voting plurality and majority; why a Green might succeed Rahm Emanuel; and how the U.S. Constitution lets someone from Cairo represent Chicago. Length 5.3 minutes.

11/20/08 “The Chickens Outfox the Foxes” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How the U of C takes its cue from City Hall; how the Hyde Park referendum fight used "the Chicago way;" and how reactions to the referendum resemble attitudes about Chicago getting the Olympics. Length 7.4 minutes.

11/13/08 “Yes, He Can” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The only time a politician has outgrown Mayor Daley; Ben's therapy for power-fixated Chicagoans; and why Pres. Obama won't can U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Length 4.6 minutes.

11/6/08 “When the Slush Dries Up” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The future of the Reader's print edition; TIF districts as borrowing enablers; and incentives for aldermanic subservience--drying up? Length 8.1 minutes.

10/30/08 “The Back-Door Plan” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How zoning protects the citizenry; rezoning vs. variances; and a look at the members of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Length 9.9 minutes.

10/23/08 “The Mark of Madigan?” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Ben's NYC envy; whether term-limited office-holders would've leased Midway; and when people started making careers out of public office. Length 7.6 minutes.

10/16/08 “Easy Money” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: What makes 99 a magic number; the power (or not) of organized labor in Chicago; and why city workers at Midway whose jobs get privatized might stay employed. Length 7.9 minutes. • For the text of the state law that lets Chicago lease Midway Airport click here.

10/9/08 “October Surprise” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How and why you might become a Constitutional Convention delegate; why you might wanna vote for the Con-Con; and Shakman's legacy. Length 10.1 minutes. • To find the Illinois General Assembly’s report on potential cost of the Con-Con (prepared by the Legislative Research Unit) click here.

10/2/08 “Get Off the Pot” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The firefighter rebellion; dissecting the TIF take; and a great idea for county clerk David Orr. Length 7.5 minutes.

9/25/08 “The Endangered Watchdog” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Why Chicago has local school councils; how control of public schools became re-centralized; and your choice: democracy or oligarchy. Length 8.8 minutes.

9/18/08 “Daley Doesn’t Need Him” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: A re-do on Rep. Skip Saviano; the subway station you'll never see; and pole-vaulting under Block 37. Length 6.6 minutes.

9/11/08 “It’s Not Illegal to Be Obnoxious” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: What, exactly, the Chicago Plan Commission approves; Dave's plan for plan commissioners' redemption; and Ben's secret way for residents to present their cases. Length 9.9 minutes.

9/4/08 “Here’s a Tip for the Defense: TIFs” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Why the governor won't mess with TIFs; why Chicago students can't compete; and how Chicago Public Schools will lose $1.7 billion. Length 8.9 minutes.

8/28/08 “It's the Mayor, Stupid” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: When off-the-books tax revenues exceed on-the-books revenues; the city's corporate budget as a distraction from its other budgets; and why Ald. Tom Allen bears watching. Length 9.1 minutes.

8/14/08 “An Artificial Battle” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The vulnerability of park permit holders; how Ben avoids virtual censorship; and why Ben sleeps well at night. Length 6.5 minutes. • To see photos click here

8/7/08 “Three Million Lawsuits Oughta Do It” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: For residents who might want to take the City of Chicago to court over improperly financed development, Ben and Dave walk thru a list of potentially suit-winning properties. Length 10.1 minutes. • To see photos click here

7/31/08 “Endless War” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How public schools deprive the public of public space; why the Park District would violate its vendor policy; and how to have healthy debate in your ward. Length 7.8 minutes.

7/24/08 “Magic Beans” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How the owners of Michael Reese Hospital snagged a sweet selling spot; the TIF two-fer; and the benevolent-rich-people myth (AKA the Millennium Park strategy). Length 8.1 minutes.

7/10/08 “Seize the Moment” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The astounding depth of Olympics opposition; the Olympics as fuel for a real-estate boom; and the Olympic development that'll happen regardless of the Olympics. Length 7.1 minutes.

7/3/08 “The Dead Zone” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Chicagoans' immunity from trespassing in the Dead Zone; how Mayor Daley undercut Bensenville residents' clout in the state legislature; and the demise of some of DuPage County's most venerable affordable housing. Length 9 minutes. To see photos click here.

6/19/08 “The Road to 2016” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Why Mayor Daley needed more than a slim majority vote on the Children's Museum; whether Ben needlessly dramatizes; and astounding aldermen denials. Length 9.4 minutes.

6/12/08 “Is Obama a Chicago Politician?” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Whether Obama needs Mayor Daley to win Chicago; the mayor's greater strength—patronage army or voter apathy; and corruption as a tourist attraction. Length 8 minutes.

6/5/08 “The TIF That Keeps On Taking” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Ben's confession and pledge; the fundamental Olympics question for Chicagoans; and how corporate leaders committed themselves to a lie. Length 8.5 minutes.

5/29/08 “The Mystery of the Construction Obstructionist” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Public-building development demystified; another way to keep public schools under control; and how alderman sign away their power. Length 8.2 minutes.

5/15/08 “A Commission of Puppets” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The selective sight of lakefront protectionists; preparing for indictment of the mayor; and Bush's payback to the Daleys. Length 10 minutes.

4/24/08 “Worse Than We Thought” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Better soccer-field sites than Lincoln Park; why the end doesn't justify the means; and the latest on residents' litigation. Length 9.3 minutes.

4/17/08 “A City Off Track” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Background on a mayoral ally; Ben's great disappointment with bicycling advocates; and whether the press should count student murders. Length 7.1 minutes.

4/10/08 “Apparently Money Does Grow on Trees” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The single dumbest move the Park District has made; moving the Bears out of Soldier Field; and the recipe for rubber stamps. Length 7.2 minutes.

4/3/08 “It’s All About the Olympics” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: How citizens become robots; how a non-robot sees his role; and, can advisory councils survive a purge? Length 8.7 minutes.

3/13/08 “An Independent Streak” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The wealthy—our feeble hope; why you should embrace entitlement; and why the ward map looks like a jigsaw puzzle. Length 9 minutes.

3/6/08 “A New Twist on an Old Trick” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Daley and Thompson's negotiations hidden in plain sight; if the public screams, the Board of Ed did good; and a look inside the bureaucratic mind. Length 8.3 minutes.

2/28/08 “We Might Take Your House” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The plan that doesn't plan; a TIF reform that Ben actually likes; and, did the alderman deserve a scolding? Length 8.8 minutes.

2/21/08 “Just Stupid Enough to Be True” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Winners of the Chicago citizenship award; how voting beats recycling; and Chicago elections—the new basketball? Length 8.7 minutes.

2/14/08 “The Mayor in the Mirror” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The Block 37 debacle dissected; bonds better for building; and Alderman Ben and Alderman Dave's lesson in democracy. Length 9.3 minutes.

2/7/08 “The New School Shuffle” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: The roll call of abused schools; why city government hides how much revenue it needs; and Ben's perverse delight in reporting. Length 9.7 minutes.

1/31/08 2008 Primary Election Special • State's Attorney: Read the article • Click here to listen (length 4 minutes) • Board of Review: Read the article • Click here to listen (length 4.1 minutes)

1/24/08 “Mell Family Politics” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Where to find the real dirt on candidates; whether back-room drama trumps voting records; and the big Chicago issue that candidates won't face. Length 9.3 minutes.

1/17/08 “A Good Day for the Rainmakers” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Why you don't need a TIF primer; how West-Side residents discovered a city slush fund; and why the city won't contribute more to the CTA. Length 9.3 minutes.

1/10/08 “Hear Ye, Hear Ye: King Daley issues his self-serving proclamations for '08” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Why news media fear the mayor; Ben's defense of the Sun-Times; and the silence of the Olympics. Length 7.5 minutes.

1/3/08 “A Zell of a Deal” • Click here to listen • Read the article • Description: Will the Cubs' owners get the same (huge) tax break as the the Sox' owners; the red herring of the Cubs' threat to move; and what Mayor Daley really wants. Length 9.3 minutes.