Jack Lavin

2 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Jack Lavin |Will Johnson

As the General Assembly enters the final two weeks of the spring legislative session, pressure is mounting on policymakers to address the fiscal crisis facing Chicago’s regional public transit system. With a projected $771 million budget shortfall next year, the transit systems are warning of massive service cuts that could torpedo our regional economy if lawmakers fail to act.

Dec 11, 2024 | chicagotribune.com | Jack Lavin

In 2019, the last year prior to our economy being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Chicago budget totaled $10.7 billion. This year, Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled a $17.3 billion budget proposal for 2025, an increase of $6.6 billion over 2019. In a mere six years, city government spending has grown 62%, and we are still left wondering what we have to show for it.

Apr 3, 2024 | chicagobusiness.com | Jack Lavin

In 2018 the airlines, predominantly United and American, worked with the city to develop a plan to revamp and revitalize O'Hare for an agreed-upon projected cost of $6.1 billion. That plan would create two satellite concourses and rebuild Terminal 2 to create a new, state-of-the-art O'Hare global terminal designed by world-renowned architect Jeanne Gang. The modernization project has not even begun, and the cost has already reportedly ballooned by more than $1.5 billion — on top of inflation.

Sep 7, 2023 | chicagobusiness.com | Jack Lavin

As the city of Chicago embarks on its important Environmental Justice Action Plan and culminates its environmental Cumulative Impact Assessment, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce commends the effort and acknowledges a deep, lasting partnership is needed between all levels of government, the business community and the environmental community. How we address the issue of environmental justice, though, matters.

Jul 18, 2023 | chicagobusiness.com | Mark Hanna |Jack Lavin |Mike Murphy |Keith Staats

Today in Washington, D.C., the fourth phase of a multi-decade strategy to entice business from Illinois and other Midwest states using legislative stealth continues apace. Utilizing the "boiling frog" approach — moving sufficiently small to not draw attention until it is too late — hostile business interests work through their federal representatives to quietly nullify small advantages of Midwest commercial interests.