CJC in the News

Please contact Carrie Thomas with any other CJC related news event.

“Chicago Temporarily Halts Some Ticketing and Debt Collections Amid Coronavirus Pandemic.”

Elliot Ramos, WBEZ Chicago, and Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, March 18, 2020

“Tens of Thousands Lost Driver’s Licenses Over Unpaid Parking Tickets. Now, They’re Getting Them Back.”

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, and Elliot Ramos, WBEZ Chicago, January 17, 2020

“50,000 Cook County Residents Will Lose Food Stamps If They Don’t Find Work Soon, and The Clock is Ticking.”

Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, January 10, 2020

“A Half-Million Chicago Drivers Have Unpaid Sticker Tickets, but Only 11,400 Applied for the City’s Relief Program.”

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, and Elliot Ramos, WBEZ Chicago, December 24, 2019

“Illinois Legislature Votes to End Inequitable Driver’s License Suspensions”

leslie, The Chicago Crusader, November 4, 2019

“Illinois Legislators Vote to End License Suspensions for Motorists With Unpaid Parking Tickets”

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, October 29, 2019

“City Clerk Anna M. Valencia and Mayor Lightfoot Announce Historic City Sticker Debt Relief Program”

Staff Editor, Chicago Defender, October 2, 2019

“Chicago Is The Only Major U.S. City To Ban Ride-Share Drivers For Parking Ticket Debt“

Elliott Ramos, WBEZ Chicago, September 12, 2019

“Chicago Mayor Proposes Reforms That Would Make Life Easier for Thousands of Black and Low-Income Drivers”

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, and Elliott Ramos, WBEZ Chicago, July 23, 2019

“Task Force on Tickets and Debt Suggests Reforms but Needs Chicago’s Mayor and City Council to Finish the Work”

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, and Elliott Ramos, WBEZ Chicago June 11, 2019

“Lightfoot administration waffles on ending driver’s license suspensions”

Curtis Black, Chicago Reporter, June 19, 2019

“Task Force on Tickets and Debt Suggests Reforms but Needs Chicago’s Mayor and City Council to Finish the Work”

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, and Elliott Ramos, WBEZ Chicago, June 11, 2019

“Lawsuits, Stalled Legislation, And New Mayor. What’s Going On With Chicago’s Ticketing Reform?”

Elliott Ramos and Claudia Morell, WBEZ Chicago, June 7, 2019

“Bill to stop some driver’s license suspensions stalls”

Grant Morgan, Daily Herald, May 28th, 2019

Also distributed here:
“Chicago’s Towing Program Is Broken”

Elliot Ramos, WBEZ, April 1, 2019

“Lightfoot Proposes Scaling Back Boots And Red-Light Cameras”

Elliot Ramos, WBEZ, March 28, 2019

“In Illinois, 77% of able-bodied, childless food stamp recipients at risk as feds push to enforce work requirements”

Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, March 13, 2019

“ACED Fellow working towards change in Chicago”

Megan Birk, Illinois State University, February 1, 2019

“Chicago Seized And Sold Nearly 50,000 Cars Over Tickets Since 2011, Sticking Owners With Debt”

Elliott Ramos, WBEZ, January 7, 2019

“Chicago Task Force Will Take on Ticket and Debt Collection Reform“

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois & Elliott Ramos, WBEZ, December 6, 2018

“Chicago City Council Approves Modest First Reforms on Ticketing and Debt“

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois & Elliott Ramos, WBEZ, November 14, 2018

“Top Chicago Alderman Adds to Growing Momentum for Ticket and Debt Reform“

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois & Elliott Ramos, WBEZ, November 13, 2018

“Chicago’s predatory tickets and fines exploit low-income drivers for revenue”

Curtis Black, Chicago Reporter, August 2, 2018

“Activists Press Obama Foundation to Do Right by Obama’s Home Community“

Danielle Holly, Nonprofit Quarterly, August 2, 2018

“Illinois’ Career Pathways Definition is a Model for States“

Judy Mortrude, CLASP Blog, June 29, 2018

“Split over plan to expand food stamp work requirements: ‘A good thing’ or ‘a recipe for disaster’“

 Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz and Greg Trotter, Chicago Tribune, May 10, 2018

Mama Dee Speaks, Interview with CJC, Woodstock, and COFI

Mama Dee Speaks, WGHC 98.3FM, May 4, 2018

“Rep. Carol Ammons And The License to Work Act; Illinois Politics Update“

The 21st Show, April 09, 2018

“Some States No Longer Suspend Driver’s Licenses for Unpaid Fines. Will Illinois Join Them?“

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, March 15, 2018

“Undue Driver’s License Suspensions are Ruining Lives“

Ben Ruddell, ACLU Illinois Blog, March 15, 2018

“Report: Driver License Suspension May Perpetuate Illinois Poverty“

Odette Yousef, WBEZ, February 28, 2018

“Rauner may slash food stamps for thousands of Illinois residents“

Curtis Black, Chicago Reporter, August 10, 2017

“In Illinois, 43 Percent Of Hispanics Live In Poverty“

Yuliana Salinas, Huffington Post, January 11, 2017

“City gets ready for busy year for O’Hare sound insulation“

Mary Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune, January 8, 2017

“CTA rider alert: No fare increases in 2017“

Mary Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune, November 17, 2016

“Social service agencies, homeless feel pinch of Ventra single-ride pass surcharge”

Mary Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune, August 29, 2016.

“CTA: We Can’t Reduces Fees That Social Service Providers Pay on Ventra”

Steven Vance, Streetsblog Chicago, May 11, 2016.

“Ventra Card Putting Financial Burden On Social Service Providers”

Miles Bryan, WBEZ, May 10, 2016.

“Study: Ventra Fees Cost Social Service Providers 140,000 Bus Rides Per Year”

Steven Vance, Streetsblog Chicago, May 9, 2016.

“Ventra Puts Financial, Administrative Burdens On Chicago-Area Social Service Providers, Report Finds”

Ellyn Fortino, Progress Illinois, May 5, 2016.

“U. of C. announces $2M in grants for urban policy efforts”

Amina Elahi, Chicago Tribune, October 12, 2015

“Report Calls Attention To Racial Divide Among Low-Income Illinois Families”

Ellyn Fortino, Progress Illinois, March 19, 2015

“Jobs programs get boost with reorganization”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, March 10, 2015

“Jobs, the economy and education”

The Morning Shift, WBEZ, February 25, 2015

“Grading Rahm: How has the Mayor delivered on jobs and the economy?”

The Morning Shift, WBEZ, January 26, 2015

“Chicago Jobs Council helps develop job developers”

Manya Brachear Pashman, Chicago Tribune, October 24, 2014

“Stormy Start To Minority Jobs Program”

Patrick McCraney, Better Government Association, October 13, 2014

“Common touts fund-raising concert at Union Park”

Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, September 20, 2014

“First-ever U. of C. hiring report reveals more than $230 million in South Side salaries”

Lindsay Welbers, Hyde Park Herald, August 27, 2014

“Survey: Ventra ticket fee impacting social service agencies”

Tracy Swartz, Red Eye Chicago, August 26, 2014

“UChicago Local begins second phase”

Sarah Manhardt, The Chicago Maroon, August 26, 2014

“University of Chicago Says a Third of Its Workers are South Siders”

Sam Cholke, DNA Info – Chicago, August 22, 2014

“Survey: CTA Leaves Low-Income Chicagoans Behind With Ventra”

CBS Chicago, August 21, 2014

“Report: 40 percent Of Low-Income Working Families In Illinois Headed By Women”

Ellyn Fortino, Progress Illinois, May 5, 2014

“The Chicago Jobs Council: On The Cutting Edge Of Workforce/Economic Development”

David Biederman, Fedcap Blog, January 28, 2014

“Rep. Schakowsky calls on Sen. Kirk to budge on unemployment benefits”

James Arkin, Medill Reports, January 22, 2014

“Ventra’s costs put nonprofits in a bind”

Jon Hilkevitch, Chicago Tribune, January 20, 2014

“Illinois poised to make gains in skills gap”

Letter to the Editor by Dan Lyonsmith, The State Journal-Register, November 4, 2013

“Group seeks better match of workers, employers”

Tim Landis, The State Journal-Register, April 30, 2013

“Bill would expand tax incentive for hiring ex-offenders”

Kim Geiger, Chicago Tribune, April 28, 2013

“San Francisco officials hoping to improve public employment programs”

Joshua Sabatini, San Francisco Examiner, April 15, 2013

“Illinois officials question new CTA payment system at a public hearing”

Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, WBEZ, April 2, 2013

“Ventra fees to hurt job seekers”

Letter to the Editor by Liz Czarnecki, Chicago Tribune, April 2, 2013

“Find targeted cuts”

Letter to the Editor by CJC Board Member Andre Kellum, Chicago Tribune, February 28, 2013

“Illinois must address jobs skills gap”

Letter to the Editor by Dan Lyonsmith, Chicago Sun-Times, February 10, 2013

“Middle class vs. working class”

The Professors, WYCC TV 20, May 23, 2012

“Workforce Investment Solutions to lose some federal funding”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, May 2, 2012

“Pharmacists cut Medicaid deal as others protest Quinn budget cuts”

Greg Hinz, Crain’s Chicago Business, February 23, 2012

“Help adults boost their basic skills”

Letter to the editor by Jennifer Keeling, Chicago Sun-Times, January 26, 2012

“Listeners seek advice from jobs experts”

Eight Forty-Eight, WBEZ, December 2, 2011

“Decatur Jobs Council to pursue universal database”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, September 15, 2011

“At jobs hearing, grim statistics, frustration, cries for help”

Micah Maidenberg, Chicago Muckrakers/The Chicago Reporter, July 26, 2011

“Unemployment in the African-American Community and What Can be Done ”

interview by Lavell Peete, Keepin’ It Real, Talk 101 FM – The Talk of Decatur, July 9, 2011

“Mathias’ Job Creation Bill Empowers Employers.”

Joe Woodward, Trib Local Buffalo Grove, March 17, 2011

“Illinois’ Sick, Poor, And Children Get Hit In House GOP Budget.”

Robert Dietz, Progress Illinois, March 2, 2011

“IWF publishes report on the future of Aurora.”

Jennifer Rice, Fox Valley Labor News, November 4, 2010

“Governor’s race: Quinn and Brady on the issues.”

Dave McKinney, Chicago Sun-Times, October 16, 2010

“Is anything working?”

Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, The Chicago Reporter, June 30, 2010 (PDF 32KB)

“RAEDC honored by Jobs Council.”

Rockford Register Star, June 26, 2010 (PDF, 37KB)

“No jobs.”

Letter to the editor by Carrie Thomas, John Bouman, and Andrew Stettner, Chicago Tribune, June 17, 2010 (PDF 43KB)

“Aurora leaders meet with IWF to discuss economic development.”

Jennifer Rice, Fox Valley Labor News, June 15, 2010

“Aurora hosting economic development forum.”

The Beacon-News, June 8, 2010 (PDF, 65KB)

“Group hopes to grow Olympics bid funds to boost jobs.”

Kathy Bergen, Chicago Tribune, February 17, 2010 (PDF, 157KB)

“Decatur Jobs Council focuses on transferable skills.”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, January 6, 2010 (PDF, 36.6 KB)

“A call to redesign the philosophy for training to the job.”

Layton Ehmke, Medill Reports, December 3, 2009 (PDF, 96.8 KB)

“Community brainstorms job ideas in light of dour employment forecast.”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, November 20, 2009

“Join brainstorming session to benefit local economy.”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, November 9, 2009

“Leaders to discuss community priorities.”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, November 4, 2009 (PDF, 36.0 KB)

“Landing A Green Job.”

Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, The Chicago Reporter, October 30, 2009 (PDF, 48.0 KB)

“Report says Chicago can attract green collar jobs by training new workers.”

Tom Kessler, ABC 7 KABC Los Angeles, October 28, 2009

“Jobs may outpace workers in some fields by 2016.”

Jacquelyn Ryan, Medill Reports, October 21, 2009 (PDF, 28.0 KB)

“Leaders: Stronger education in Rockford leads to better jobs.”

Sean F. Driscoll, BusinessRockford.com, September 23, 2009 (PDF, 39.7 KB)

“EIGERlab hosts workforce meeting.”

Bob Schaper, 13WREX, September 23, 2009

“2016 Fund for Chicago Neighborhoods Announces Second Phase of Grants, $1.5 Million Awarded to Organizations That Benefit Local Communities.”

Chicago Press Release, September 22, 2009 (PDF, 72.2 KB)

“Your ideas needed on fixing economy.”

Ralph Martire, Rockford Register Star, September 19, 2009 (PDF, 39.9 KB)

“Views on local job needs wanted.”

Sean F. Driscoll, BusinessRockford.com, September 14, 2009 (PDF, 29.7 KB)

“Growing ‘Green’ Jobs Is a Long-Term Task, Advocates Say.”

Peter Behr, ClimateWire – featured in The New York Times, August 14, 2009 (PDF, 56 KB)

“Toast to the Future”

Wendy Wollenberg, NBC Chicago, April 8, 2009 (PDF, 39.3 KB)

“Green jobs: Federal mandates could fuel local employment growth.”

Jennifer Slosar, Chicago Tribune, April 3, 2009 (PDF, 42 KB)

“Chicago firms eye federal Recovery Act funds for green-collar jobs.”

Daniella Grossman, Medill Reports, March 10, 2009

“College Versus Career.”

Sarah Karp, Extra News, March 4, 2009

“At Opportunity Chicago, CHA residents take first steps toward a career.”

Megan Cottrell, Chi-town Daily News, February 27, 2009 (PDF, 536 KB)

“Bronzeville “friend-raiser” talks green economy.”

Walter Morris, Medill Reports, February 11, 2009

“Career Education.”

interview by Lorraine Forte, City Voices, Catalyst Chicago, February 2009

“$22.5 billion in new economic activity from a Chicago 2016 Olympic Games,”

Sport Business International, December 12, 2008 (PDF, 18.9 KB)

“Building skills now is our best hope for the future.”

Cheryle R. Jackson, Chicago Defender, December 10, 2008

“Middle skills provide heavyweight careers.”

Chicagoland Publishing Co., Chicago Tribune, November 6, 2008 (PDF, 1.7 MB)

“Job training,”

Letter to the editor, by Carrie Thomas, Chicago Tribune, October 25, 2008 (PDF, 350 KB)

“Filling the ‘forgotten middle’.”

Barbara Rose, Chicago Tribune, September 22, 2008 (PDF, 39.8 KB)

“The Future of ‘Middle-Skill’ Jobs in Illinois,”

interview by Alison Cuddy, Eight Forty-Eight, Chicago Public Radio, September 22, 2008

“Nearly One Million ‘Middle-Skill’ Job Openings Projected for Illinois by 2014; New Report Refutes Claims of ‘Hourglass’ Skilled Labor Market.”

PR Newswire, Market Watch, September 22, 2008 (PDF, 28.0 KB)

“Job-training programs intrigue companies,”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review, June 27, 2008 (PDF, 19.5 KB)

“Minimum wage hike takes effect,”

Leah Hope, ABC7 News, July 2, 2007 (PDF, 17 KB)

“Work force panel: Valley workers need training,”

David Garbe, The Beacon News, April 14, 2007 (PDF, 18 KB)

“Work-force panel to discuss skills gap,”

Beacon News Staff, The Beacon News, April 12, 2007 (PDF, 24 KB)

“Black Caucus seeks job development,”

Francine Knowles, Chicago Sun Times, March 20, 2007 (PDF, 24 KB)

“3,000 CHA Tenants Get Jobs,”

Antonio Olivo, Chicago Tribune, December 13, 2006 (PDF, 22 KB)

“Workers certify training program,”

Barbara Rose, Chicago Tribune, February 17, 2006 (PDF, 73 KB)

“Agencies mull barriers facing low-skilled workers,”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review online edition, February 3, 2006 (PDF, 70 KB)

“Service agencies gather to discuss ways to beat employment barriers for lower-skilled workers,”

Theresa Churchill, Herald & Review online edition, October 28, 2005 (PDF, 81 KB)

“We can act now to soften blow of retirement crunch,”

Paul Herbert, Chicago Sun Times , October 22, 2005 (PDF, 78 KB)

“Necessary sacrifices,”

Letter to the editor, by Rose Karasti and Robert Wordlaw, Chicago Tribune, October 8, 2005 (PDF, 129 KB)

“A new timeliness to job training,”

Barbara Rose, Chicago Tribune , September 28, 2005 (PDF, 129 KB)

“Chicago Jobs Council warns of skills gap,”

Julie Jargon, Crain’s Chicago Business, September 28, 2005 (PDF, 129 KB)

“Census figures show more jobs, more poverty,”

Andrew Herrmann, Chicago Sun Times, August 31, 2005 (PDF, 83 KB)

“Drop in the Bucket,”

Sarah Karp, Chicago Reporter, December 2004 (PDF, 129 KB)

“1 in 4 families is low income, study finds,”

Barbara Rose, Chicago Tribune, October 12, 2004 (PDF, 297 KB)

“Welfare Reform,”

opinion-editorial by CJC Senior Policy Associate Rose Karasti, The Common Good Network, April 28, 2004

“Job training fails to reach many in need,”

T. Shawn Taylor, Chicago Tribune, April 13, 2004 (PDF, 22 KB)

“Fighting for a living wage,”

letter to editor by CJC Senior Policy Associate Rose Karasti, Chicago Sun Times, April 6, 2004 (PDF, 16 KB)