Olympics an opportunity for Chicago and Illinois to repair reputation | 6/30/2009 | Chicago Tribune

By Dan Mihalopoulos and David Heinzmann

June 30, 2009 - City Hall's top internal investigator on Monday urged greater openness in Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and criticized the reluctance to fully disclose Olympic financing plans as "the wrong approach for government."

Inspector General David Hoffman, a former federal prosecutor in charge of rooting out City Hall wrongdoing, also said the Olympics would be a good chance for Chicago and Illinois to transform its abysmal reputation as a hotbed of government corruption. Or, 2016 could cement that notoriety.

Read more of the story from the Chicago Tribune...

AUDIO: Inspector General addresses City Club | 6/29/2009 | Chicago Public Radio

Describing the reputation of corruption owned by Chicago and Illinois as "a gold medal that we don't want," the city's inspector general argued there should be more independent groups and panels to help rout out corruption.

Read more, and listen to Hoffman's full speech...

Download the MP3 audio file, courtesy of Chicago Public Radio... (79 MB - Right click and select "Save Target/Link as...")

Chicago Turns to Workers to Close Deficit | Wall Street Journal | June 24, 2009

By DOUGLAS BELKIN

For half a century, Chicago has proclaimed itself "the city that works." This year, Mayor Richard Daley might consider an addendum: "excluding furloughs and the day after holidays."

Chicago is grappling with a sinking tourism-and-convention sector, plummeting revenue from real-estate transfers and a deflated financial-services industry. After patching a $469 million budget shortfall for 2009 late last year, the city is now scrambling to fill a projected further deficit of $250 million to $300 million.

Read the article in the Wall Street Journal...

The great sell-off: Chicago auctions city assets | Christian Science Monitor | 6/24/2009

The city is auctioning private assets to the highest bidder. But private ownership of parking meters stirs a backlash.

By Mark Guarino | Correspondent

June 24, 2009 - No city in America beats Chicago when it comes to selling public assets - garages, bridges, even parking meters - and contracting with private companies to supply traditional public services.Over the past five years, the Windy City under Mayor Richard M. Daley has sold or leased out public institutions such as the Chicago Skyway ($1.83 billion), underground garages beneath Grant and Millennium Parks ($563 million), and, more recently, city parking meters ($1.15 billion).

Read the article in the Christian Science Monitor...

Chicago's City Hall gets an unlikely conscience | Associated Press | 6/22/2009

By MIKE ROBINSON | AP Legal Affairs Writer

CHICAGO - Mayor Richard M. Daley took a bold step to mend Chicago's image four years ago after it was battered by scandals over hiring fraud at City Hall and millions of dollars in contracts for well-connected trucking companies.

Searching for a fresh face, Daley picked federal prosecutor David Hoffman to revitalize the dormant post of city inspector general and root out corruption.

Read the AP story on the Chicago Tribune's website...

Inspector not afraid to pry in City Hall | Chicago Tribune | 6/7/2009

By Dan Mihalopoulos | Tribune reporter

At a City Hall that has seen two decades of one-man rule, an appointee of Mayor Richard Daley is emerging as the most prominent counterweight to the mayor's virtually absolute lock on power.

Inspector General David Hoffman's new report slamming Daley's lease of city parking meters was the clearest sign yet the former federal prosecutor isn't just interested in nailing bribe-taking bureaucrats -- he's expanding his role to include critiquing how Daley runs city government.

Hoffman won't say whether he wants to keep the job beyond the end of his first four-year term in September. But in an interview with the Tribune, Hoffman said he has dramatically altered the perception of an office long viewed as unwilling to go after anybody close to Daley.

Read the Chicago Tribune story...

Bankruptcy raises new questions about project | Southtown Star | 6/6/2009

By Chris Fusco, Sun-Times News Group

The fate of nearly $8 million in city of Chicago pension funds lent by Mayor Richard Daley's nephew and his partners for a North Side retail-condo project has grown murkier because the development was the subject of a bankruptcy filing this week.

Read more from the Southtown Star...

Report says Chicago bungled parking deal | Boston Globe | 6/4/2009

From Bloomberg | June 4, 2009

Chicago leased its parking meters to private investors for $974 million less than they're worth, says an inspector's general report, which called the transaction aimed at closing the city's budget deficit "hasty" and "secretive."

The city should have given elected officials more time to review the arrangement, gotten an independent assessment, and held public hearings before awarding the lease, said a statement by Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman.

Read the story in the Boston Globe...

AUDIO: Inspector General David Hoffman discusses IGO report with Don Wade & Roma on WLS Radio | 6/3/2009

City Inspector General David Hoffman joins Don Wade & Roma

On June 4th, the City of Chicago Inspector General, David Hoffman, joined Don Wade and Roma to explain why he is criticizing Mayor Daley's deal to lease parking meters. What is at the base of this problem? And how is Mayor Daley's nephew connected with this issue?
Click here to read an inspirational message from the Inspector General.
 

Read more and download the MP3/podcast...

AUDIO: Inspector General on Chicago Public Radio's "848" | 6/3/2009

Chicago’s privatization deal was supposed to make money, but it may effectively cost the city $974 million. Inspector general David Hoffman discusses the mistake saying Mayor Richard Daley was irresponsible in pushing the deal without meaningful public review and with a tiny two-day period for aldermen to evaluate the deal.

Listen to the segment from Chicago Public Radio