Featured Media

Selected Media

Podcasts + Radio

• “Why Does Chicago Have Bad Credit?”, CityCast Chicago, February 10, 2025.
• “Mayor Brandon Johnson’s borrowing plan raises questions about how the city will spend the money”, WBEZ, February 22, 2024.
• “What You Need to Know About Chicago’s ‘Pension Crisis’”, CityCast Chicago, August 24, 2023.

TV

• “Officials React to Pritzker’s State Budget Address,” WTTW Chicago Tonight, February 20, 2019.
• “Is Emanuel’s $10B Bond Borrowing Plan the Right Pension Fix?” WTTW Chicago Tonight, September 10, 2018.
• “Harvey Reaches Pension Deal, But Problems Persist Across the State,” WTTW Chicago Tonight, July 10, 2018.
• “New Report Digs Into Drastically Underfunded Police, Fire Pension,” WTTW Chicago Tonight, April 16, 2018.
• “City Looking At Raising Utility Tax To Pay For Worker Pensions,” CBS Channel 2, August 2, 2017.
• “For Some Chicago Residents, Mixed Emotions on Affordable Housing,”WTTW Chicago Tonight, September 10, 2015.
• “What’s Next for Pension Reform Across Illinois,” CLTV/Politics Tonight, July 27, 2015.
• “Mayor’s New Pension Plan Spreads the Pain,” WTTW Chicago Tonight, April 2, 2014.
• “Madigan’s Pension Reform Proposal,” WTTW Chicago Tonight, May 1, 2013.

News Articles (Quoted and Cited)

• “Lighfoot’s burden, Emanuel’s legacy – Amanda Kass sets the fiscal table awaiting the new mayor“, The Daily Line, May 10, 2019.

• “Pennsylvania, most of its municipalities on track to decide how to spend pandemic relief funding as deadline nears”, Spotlight PA, November 14, 2024.
• “White House gun violence program with philanthropies ends,” Associate Press, January 4, 2023.
• “Biden Calls Out Republicans on Guns and Crime in Pennsylvania Speech,” New York Times, August 30, 2022.
• “The Recession Is About to Slam Cities. Not Just the Blue-State Ones,” New York Times, August 17, 2020.
• “Why Illinois Is Closing in on 700 Days Without a Budget,” Chicago Magazine, May 26, 2017.

• “Illinois voters approve ‘Safe Roads Amendment,” Chicago Sun-Times, November 8, 2016.
• “The money behind the ‘Safe Roads Amendment’,” Chicago Sun-Times, November 6, 2016.
• “Policy groups cautious about ‘lockbox’ amendment,” Pantagraph, November 3, 2016.
• “What You Need to Know About the Transportation Lockbox Amendment,” Chicago Magazine, November 3, 2016.
• “U of C’s Harris School unit blasts Safe Roads Amendment,” Crain’s Chicago, November 1, 2016.
• “Midwest’s Ballots Heavy on Bonds and Transportation,” Bond Buyer, November 1, 2016.
• “News Analysis: Massive State and Local Pension Debt Often Means Higher Taxes,” Tax Analysts, September 20, 2016.
• “Rauner Plays Down a Tax Hike, but Can the Pension Mess Be Fixed Without One?” Chicago Magazine, January 29, 2016.

• “Illinois Comptroller says USD 4bn from income tax won’t save state,” Debtwire, September 1, 2015.
• “Rauner’s incredible shrinking agenda,” Chicago Reader, June 4, 2015.

• “Emanuel takes symbolic step to highlight higher pension payments,” Crain’s Chicago, December 21, 2014.
• “Illinois Pension Reform Struck Down,” Crain’s Chicago, November 21, 2014.
• “Rauner Inherits Illinois Downgraded by Bond Market: Muni Credit,” Bloomberg, November 13, 2014.
• “Kankakee owes more in pensions than it can afford,” the Daily Journal, November 12, 2014.
• “Testy Illinois governor race holds no cure for state finances,” Reuters, October 31, 2014.
• “Illinois Yields Approach Junk as 2014 Rally Falters,” Bloomberg, August 5, 2014.
• “CHA saved millions while residents waited, report says,” Chicago Tribune, July 30, 2014.
• “Pension reform dealt blow by Illinois Supreme Court,” Crain’s Chicago, July 3, 2014.
• “Emanuel’s pension fix costly, but pain is likely to double,” Crain’s Chicago, April 7, 2014.
• “Amendments for the people pale against those by the people,” Chicago Reporter, March 26, 2014

• “State Unions pledge to take pension deal to court,” CINewsNow, December 4, 2013.
• “Illinois pension battle could create deeper fiscal hole,” Associated Press, December 1, 2013.
• “In the Spotlight: Illinois in dire need of coal severance tax,” Journal Star, September 15, 2013.
• “Coal Expenses Surpass Profits in Illinois,” Alton Daily News, June 29, 2013.
• “Bipartisan pension reform bill creates new benefit plan category,” The Daily Northwestern, March 4, 2013.
• “Education, Social Services At Risk Due To Lawmakers’ Refusal To Truly Address Illinois Pension Crisis,” Progress Illinois, February 26, 2013.

• “IL: Pension experts divided over Nekritz-Biss plan,” Illinois Watchdog, December 15, 2012.
• “Budget Cuts Are Not the Answer,” Huffington Post, June 11, 2012.
• “Forum to focus on governor’s latest pension plans,” The News-Gazette, April, 24, 2012.