Featured Resource: OpenPensions.org

While we don't normally write about public finance, we support any efforts to increase government transparency. Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer's Open Pensions website does just this. Commissioner Gainer is chairwoman of the County's pension oversight committee. The site addresses an import...
April 18, 2012

Links of Interest: April 9 -13, 2012

Judicial Performance and Elections A post at the Georgetown Public Policy Review examines the DISCLOSE Act, legislation aimed at improving transparency in campaign-related spending. As the 2012 election season continues, expect questions about the role of money in elections and the propriety of a...
April 13, 2012

Small Dollar Lending Guidelines from the CFPB

This post originally appeared the Illinois Asset Building Group Blog.  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)  released "Examination Procedures: Short-term, Small Dollar Lending," (pdf) which are guidelines for examining small dollar loan products. The guidelines are written for financial...
April 11, 2012

Featured Resource: Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice

A project of the esteemed Vera Institute for Justice, the Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice creates and consolidates resources for conducting economic analysis criminal justice initiatives. Technology advances are making data collection easier and cheaper, enabling evidence-based pol...
April 10, 2012

Links of Interest: April 1 – 6

Judicial Performance Elected judges across the country are increasingly uncomfortable with the demands--and implications--of fundraising. The Washington Post covers the perils of campaign finance and the judiciary in the era of the Super PAC. While deep-pocketed super PACs and ultra-wealthy donor...
April 6, 2012