Chicago Politics: The Machine, The Daleys, and What It Means for 2019
“Chicago politics” evokes images with the shadiest of connotations. Smoke-filled rooms. Stolen elections. Flagrant corruption. Mayors as powerful as pharaohs. Much of this is true. A lot of it is myth and legend. To truly understand the City That Works, you need a working knowledge of the history of Chicago politics, especially the machines and […]
What’s the Difference Between Chicago Community Areas and Neighborhoods?
As a tour guide in Chicago, I spend much more time talking about Chicago as “city of neighborhoods” than a “city of community areas.” Yet the City of Chicago doesn’t officially acknowledge those neighborhoods. Instead, officially, we have Chicago community areas and aldermanic wards. These subdivisions are sociological and political, created in a think tank […]
Teachers on Strike in Chicago? History of Teachers Unions
The hot weather isn’t the only aggressive heat you’ll find in Chicago this summer. The city has been overwhelmed with the feverish debate between Mayor Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools versus the Chicago Teachers Union. The contention between CPS and CTU involves many issues, some of the most talked about are CPS’s intentions to lengthen […]
The Serious Power of the Fun Travel Industry
Last week I attended the “Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism.” I won’t get into the specifics of travel industry talk, but I thought I’d share some aspects that might be of interest to those of us who travel, or live in places where travelers come. And maybe some thoughts on changes to come in Chicago. […]