by admin | Jun 17, 2018 | Activism, Christianity, Civil rights, History, Immigration, Public policy, Racism, Religion
I am angry on Father’s Day. I am deeply disturbed by what I am seeing. I am a Christian who is insulted by the use of the Bible to justify the separation of children from parents who brought them to the U.S. border in search of safety and political asylum. First, it...
by admin | May 16, 2018 | Chicago, Crime, Government, Public policy, Public safety
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, elected in 2014 and up for re-election this year as the Republican nominee, has made manipulative politics the centerpiece of his first term, at the expense of passing a budget through a Democrat-dominated legislature. Illinois has...
by admin | May 7, 2018 | Disaster, Disaster policy, Floodplain management, Government, Natural Hazards, Parks, Public policy, Public safety
There is that old saying that, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. To that, one might add that, if you’re thinking about fixing it anyway, you may want to clarify exactly how you wish to improve things and why you think the improvement will be better. In a February 27...
by admin | May 2, 2018 | Activism, Civil rights, Education, New Orleans, Public health, Public policy, Racism
While I was in New Orleans April 19-24 for the American Planning Association’s 2018 National Planning Conference, my wife, Jean, was also there. A retired Chicago Public Schools teacher and retiree delegate for the Chicago Teachers Union, she has remained active on...
by admin | Mar 2, 2018 | Books, Business, Careers, Chicago, Economic development, Economics, Government, Public policy, Transportation, Urban Planning
We often hear from conservatives that the public sector is inherently inefficient, lacking the competitive pressures that drive innovation. A great deal of the evidence seems anecdotal, although it’s not hard to come by. The work of most public agencies is at least...
by admin | Feb 5, 2018 | Activism, Careers, Climate, Disaster, Drought, Government, Natural Hazards, Public policy, Resilience, Urban Planning, Weather, Wildfire
Where will we find badly needed leadership for climate adaptation? The United States, under President Trump, has withdrawn from the Paris climate accords. That does not, of course, eliminate the problem of climate change, but it does create a gaping leadership void...
