Take a look at this post from the Reader's Ben Joravsky, helpfully subtitled "Mayor Daley proposes watered-down 2016 oversight to replace Manny Flores's oversight compromise".
Basically it chronicles a development at City Hall yesterday, whereby Alderman Manny Flores introduced a draft ordinance requiring strict oversight of the activities of the Chicago 2016 Committee, including details on spending, donations, and other operations of this key city agency.
Mayor Daley, having gotten wind of the tough provisions in the ordinance, introduced his own ordinance with no requirements for detail.
Flores then put together a handy chart if you want to see which version you prefer.
A key point, from my perspective, is on the level of detail to be disclosed. The Flores ordinance calls for "all expenditures" to be reported, the Daley ordinance references "a financial report". When presented with the choice of detail or aggregate, it's best to choose detail. If I can download an Excel spreadsheet of all bank activity for a given month, I'm guessing Chicago 2016 can, too. Half-measures avail us nothing.
But let's take the time to realize where we are:
- A thoughtful Chicago alderman published a draft ordinance requiring real oversight of the activities of an entity working on our behalf– looking to spend our money
- The Mayor got wind of it and took the time to publish his own oversight ordinance
- We're paying attention to actual legislation that will reach the Council floor. Political leaders– Mayor Daley included, to his credit– are taking the time to compose and publish their thoughts
One day at a time.