BEVERLY — The Southwest Chicago Diversity Collaborative will host a discussion on the city's finances with the authors of “Chicago is Not Broke” from 7-8:30 p.m. April 7 at the Beverly Unitarian Church.
The discussion at 10244 S. Longwood Drive will focus on how race and other factors affect city funding, according to a release from the group dedicated to promoting neighborhood diversity through fellowship, education and advocacy.
“The wealthiest man in Illinois, a Chicago resident, has a net worth of $8 billion, and our current governor just dropped $50 million into his campaign fund. We spent $55 million in TIF [tax-increment financing] money on a new stadium. The money is there,” said Anna Carvlin, a collaborative member and an organizer of the event.
The public forum will also discuss ways to save and generate major sustainable, progressive revenues for Chicago while also addressing some of the history of economic disparity in the city.
Those who contributed to the book and will be in attendance include:
• Tom Tresser, author of the chapter on tax increment financing
• Hilary Denk, author of the chapter on Illinois' progressive income tax
• Amara Enyia, author of the chapter on a public bank for Chicago
• Jonathan Peck, author of the chapter on the city's next steps
The authors will also be signing and selling books ($12). The event is free and donations will be accepted to support the church. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own refreshments.
"Chicago Is Not Broke" was published in July after a successful crowdfunding campaign raised more than $10,000 from 203 donors. Since then, 50 public meetings or forums have been scheduled. The book is a project of the CivicLab, a volunteer-led effort dedicated to democracy and social justice.
“One of the things we try to do in many of our events is to not only be honest about how things are now, when it comes to race and diversity, but how they got that way,” said Scott Smith, collaborative board member.
“Obviously, politics and economics have driven how this city has treated racial issues, and we think the book and the forum get at the foundation of all that,” Smith said.
