Never mind the prying reporters and civic groups who complain that bureaucrats stonewall their Freedom of Information Act requests for public documents.
Never mind the politically connected white men who reap the benefits of city contracts earmarked for minority- and women-owned businesses.
Time magazine says Chicago is not only ready for reform–it’s already a paragon of 21st Century good government.
In the April 18 issue, Time readers learn that, “The City of Broad Shoulders opts for transparency on www.cityofchicago.org, listing city vendors, contracts and lobbyists. Still doubt Chicago’s gone clean? Watch city trash get recycled live.”
The source for the Time article was the Washington-based Center for Digital Government, which last year lauded City Hall as “a model for good government, for accountability, for professionalism and for excellence.”
At that time, critics of Mayor Richard Daley’s surprise, midnight closing of Meigs Field said they were stunned that the Daley administration had won an award for open government.