David Greising

David Greising is president of the Better Government Association, publisher of the Illinois Answers Project and home to the BGA Policy website. A former Tribune business columnist, Greising broke into professional journalism covering Harold Washington’s run for mayor at the City News Bureau of Chicago. His Tribune column appears every other Friday.

The Choate Developmental Center in Anna, Illinois, on Aug. 26, 2022.

David Greising: Accusations of abuse at state facility show how government can fail the most vulnerable

October 13, 2022 at 7:32 p.m.

Anna, Illinois, population about 4,100, is an out-of-the-way place. In far southern Illinois, it's closer to Paducah, Kentucky, than to St. Louis. It takes about 3 1/2 hours to drive...

Publications under a variety of names that are all tied to conservative political operative Dan Proft have been mailed to thousands of homes throughout Chicago and the suburbs. The publications appear to be newspapers but the content they contain has become controversial for pushing right-wing talking points and material that some, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, decry as racist.

David Greising: Strengthening journalism is the best antidote for the scourge of fake news

September 30, 2022 at 5:49 p.m.

The best way to drive out fake news is with more and better real news. That's the conclusion that jumped to mind with the announcement this week that the Robert...

People listen Sept. 8, 2022, as Bears representatives present their concept for building a stadium and entertainment district on the site of Arlington International Racecourse during a public meeting at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.

David Greising: TIF district for the Bears? Resist any urge, Arlington Heights.

September 15, 2022 at 4:51 p.m.

Note to the good people of Arlington Heights: Take a breather and think this through. Don't get overly excited by the idea of a Chicago Bears stadium and a new...

Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the Jackson County Democrats annual dinner during the governor's and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton's "Working Families Bus Tour" in Murphysboro on Aug. 25, 2022.

David Greising: BGA report on Pritzker shows Illinois needs a law governing blind trusts.

September 1, 2022 at 6:02 p.m.

After Democrat J.B. Pritzker won in 2018, he and Illinois voters began to reckon with the complexities of a billionaire being governor. For someone with Pritzker's level of wealth, conflicts...

Attorney Michael Shakman, known for his role in the "Shakman Decree," which limits political hiring in Chicago, talks during an interview in 2005 in his Loop office at Miller Shakman and Hamilton LLP, where he is a partner.

David Greising: Illinois’ patronage history endures. Illinois still needs the Shakman decree.

August 18, 2022 at 3:52 p.m.

The Shakman decrees. They've been around longer than many of us have been alive. Since Richard J. Daley was mayor? Yes. Chicago lawyer Michael Shakman first sued to upend the...

Architect Helmut Jahn looks over drawings of his State of Illinois Center in 1980.

David Greising: Bailey says Chicago is in crisis. Pritzker declares city is on the rise. Who is right?

August 4, 2022 at 7:20 p.m.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey didn't mince any words. "Chicago is a city in crisis," he wrote in his opening to an op-ed in the Tribune this week. That statement...

Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, attends a Chicago City Council meeting at City Hall on July 20, 2022.

David Greising: Even with passage of an ethics ordinance, aldermanic privilege is alive and well

July 21, 2022 at 9:29 p.m.

A major ethics ordinance passed the Chicago City Council on Wednesday. This marked the second time since Mayor Lori Lightfoot was elected that a major ethics reform became law —...

David Greising: In reaction to Highland Park shooting and Roe’s defeat, will Pritzker match words with actions?

July 8, 2022 at 2:07 p.m.

In the space of a few summer days, two major national stories have come to dominate the headlines in Illinois. And how Gov. J.B. Pritzker responds will provide the measure...

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller chats with Lincoln presenter Randy Duncan at Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Aug. 19, 2021.

David Greising: Democratic spending on GOP primaries has come to Illinois

June 23, 2022 at 9:12 p.m.

In the 2022 primary on Tuesday, three contests will serve up intriguing insights on the state of democracy in the Prairie State. Two provide fresh twists on the ever-present topic...

Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks June 22, 2022, after a City Council meeting at Chicago City Hall.

David Greising: Lightfoot’s fiery rhetoric isn’t a strategy for dealing with Chicago’s surge in crime

June 9, 2022 at 5:25 p.m.

Lori Lightfoot made her name as a candidate for mayor by criticizing Chicago's police. Now running for reelection, she has pivoted toward sounding tough on crime. In a high-profile instance...

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