10 tips to be a better local government watchdog

Only 28 percent of Illinois residents trust their state government, the lowest rate in the country by far. Since the days of Al Capone, the words “Illinois” and “Chicago” have been synonymous with government corruption. In order to change the narrative and restore trust in our state and local government we must fight public corruption head...

Only 28 percent of Illinois residents trust their state government, the lowest rate in the country by far. Since the days of Al Capone, the words “Illinois” and “Chicago” have been synonymous with government corruption.

In order to change the narrative and restore trust in our state and local government we must fight public corruption head on.

While federal authorities do a great job of prosecuting public corruption cases in Illinois – 1,828 convictions between 1976 and 2010 – there are far too many units of local government for them to adequately police them all.

That’s where citizen watchdogs come in.

You don’t need a journalism or criminal justice degree to be a good government watchdog. The most important trait of a good government watchdog is the ability to ask good questions.

Here are 10 tips to help you be a better local government watchdog.

1. Attend public meetings and meet public officials. Take time to meet local government officials and try to find allies for your effort. Personal relationships are very important in politics.
2. Push your local government officials to adopt comprehensive online transparency standards via Illinois Policy Institute’s Local Transparency Project and 10-Point Transparency Checklist. Transparency helps prevent and expose government corruption.
3. Start examining documents such as the budget, annual financial report and treasurer’s report to see where tax dollars are going.
4. Use your right to file Freedom of Information Act requests to get access to public documents not posted online. Submit a request for review to Illinois’ public access counselor if you suspect potential Open Meetings Act or Freedom of Information Act violations.
5. Cross-reference vendor lists with campaign contribution data from the Illinois State Board of Elections website.
6. Be a citizen journalist. Contribute to a website or blog or start your own.
7. Protect your reputation. Be sure you source your facts about a public person, and make doubly sure your facts are correct and sourced before you publish a fact about a private person. Keep your writing civil.
8. Contact the FBI to submit public corruption tips at tips.fbi.gov or call their Springfield office at (877) U-TIP-OFF.
9. Submit public corruption tips to your county sheriff, state’s attorney’s office, inspectors general and local media outlets.
10. Enlist the help of outside organizations like the Illinois Policy Institute, Better Government Association and Liberty Justice Center when you hit roadblocks or need more resources.