Information wants to be free
The Chicago Tribune has a database of Chicago area real estate closing prices and transactions. This information is a part of the public record. The Chicago Journal also publishes this information for the South Loop, Near West, and West Loop in its print edition.
[via Gapers Block]
Tony Peraica, who is running for Cook County President, has published a database of Cook County employee salaries. He, like others in the past, is running on an anti-patronage platform. He makes it clear that all the information available through the database is public record and that taxpayers have a right to see it. Peraica is running against the incumbent, John Stroger. You may have heard of Stroger. The latest incarnation of the Cook County hospital is named after him. Was he actually instrumental in getting the new hospital built or did they just name the hospital after him because he happened to be the Cook County President at the time? If you’re curious, the database shows that Stroger is pulling down a decent salary.
[via Chicagoist]
