For his recent story (“A City Deal Doesn’t End Overtime,” New York Times, August 6, 2010), Chicago News Cooperative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos did not ask the City of Chicago for basic facts that might refute his assertion that employees are earning an “overtime bonanza” despite an agreement negotiated with the city’s trade and other unions designed to reduce overtime. (more…)

Re: “In Race for U.S. School Grants Is a Fear of Winning,” (Chicago section, Jan. 16), the concern was raised that federal stimulus dollars awarded in the U.S. Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” competition would only last three years, which would cause a funding cliff for districts that sign on to aggressive reforms on behalf of our state’s school children.
(more…)

Ben Goldberger’s Sunday “Pulse” piece on reformers making endorsements erroneously states that neither Paul Vallas nor Forrest Claypool “ever beat” the “entrenched powers.”

Claypool first won his district seat as a Cook County commissioner by challenging and defeating the incumbent, well-entrenched machine politician Ted Lechowicz.

NOTE: This letter is a response to Dan Mihalopoulos’ November 20th story about the private owners of Chicago’s parking meters

Dear Mr. O’Shea:

Earlier this year, Chicago Parking Meters, LLC (CPM) paid the City of Chicago $1.156 billion for the right to operate and collect parking meters for the next 75 years – an amount produced after a robust and competitive bidding process, and it was on the high range of values expected by the city.

Reporter Dan Mihalopoulos of the Chicago News Cooperative obtained an early draft of a CPM’s 2010 pro forma budget and used it to seek theoretical valuations and claim CPM is making a large profit (“Company Piles Up Profits from City’s Parking Meter Deal,” New York Times, November 20, 2009). His assertion is off base and wholly inaccurate.
(more…)