It was a quiet summer in Chicago -- residents didn't hear much about budget shortfalls or doomsday scenarios; service cutbacks and job slashing were (relatively) held at bay. But a month after the city was rebuffed in its attempt to claim the 2016 Olympic bid, the financial hand wringing has...

In December of last year, the city of Chicago pulled off a $1.2 billion sale of the city's parking meters. Information to the public was scarce until the deal was done -- the sale of this public property was rushed through the City Council in less than a week. A...