#barbara pinto

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A new season of our public affairs show In the Loop begins on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.! We're very excited to welcome back hosts Chris Bury and Barbara Pinto for more episodes delving into news, politics, social issues and much more. #wyccintheloop

[wyccinterns]

A Blind Bet or a Winning Move for Chicago Schools?

At the height of the Chicago Public School closings crisis, Mayor Rahm Emanuel offers a solution. Here's a hint: It is red with white dots and lives on a craps table.

But with Illinois' legacy of political corruption, many wonder who will get the big win, and where our tax money is going?

These are the questions In the Loop hosts Barbara Pinto and Chris Bury ask on Episode 113 which aired last night. You can catch an encore presentation this Sunday (May 12) at 6:30 p.m.

Jerry Roper, President and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, made an appearance on In the Loop, arguing that building a casino within the city limits could rake in as little as $300 million and as much as $900 million in taxes annually.

Mayor Emanuel likes this idea, as it has been projected by legislative analysis that the opening of five Illinois casinos could receive a one-time revenue of $1.2 billion. The mayor released this promotional video (see below) last week stating that 100 percent of gambling money from the new Chicago casino will go to Chicago schools.

A recent study by the American Gambling Association determined that revenue generated by gambling brought in $37.3 billion last year for nontribal casinos, which is a 4.8 percent increase over 2011.

The research added that this is the second-highest total aside from revenues in 2007, when casinos produced $37.5 billion right before the Great Recession hit (you can read more about it here in this AP story.

Where this money will actually go remains to be seen. Groups like Common Cause Illinois fear that the proposal for casinos in Chicago may turn into a feud between Mayor Emanuel and Gov. Quinn. Some might even agree with a recent report by the state of California in partnership with California State University that states casinos hurt more than benefit the communities they are in.

The report called "Economic Impacts of Gambling" says the following:

Area residents who used to patronize local restaurants are more likely to stop and eat at the casino.

Tourists are more likely to visit casinos and no longer visit other local businesses.

Casinos typically buy products for their business that are from out-of state.

For every dollar that the casino spends in taxes, three dollars are spent by taxpayers on infrastructure, problem gamblers, and local law enforcement.

In the Loop guest Andy Shaw of the Better Government Association, however, says that casinos could be a good move for our city, it just has to be a conscious and deliberate effort. Read Shaw's Chicago Sun-Times article here.

To learn more from both sides of the debate, tune in this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. CT to join the conversation.

Until next time, this is Theresa signing off.

[wyccinterns]

Chicago's sex trafficking rings, a global anti-trafficking movement, Chicago the Miserable City (??), Rahm Emanuel, and another mystery solved for WBEZ’s Curious City. These topics were featured last night on the third episode of In the Loop - and you can catch the encore presentation this Sunday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m.

The conversation started off with an appearance by Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, who is known for her work fighting sex trafficking and housing discrimination in the city. Alvarez stressed to In the Loop hosts Barbara Pinto and Chris Bury that more and more gangs are working together as business partners and sharing girls, which can make it one of the more difficult crimes to track and to prosecute - even more so than drug trafficking. She mentioned that Chicago is a transportation hub, and that that attracts the illegal selling and transporting of people, goods, and services.

For more information on what Alvarez is doing to combat this problem, visit her official website. You can also visit wycc.org for ways to help human trafficking victims.

Despite this somber note, Chicago is known for many positive things. However, Forbes Magazine ranked us as an asphalt paradise that is falling apart (#4 on the 2013 list of Miserable Cities). Ouch.

So is it true? We brought together WVON 1690AM radio host Cliff Kelley, Chicago Reader Senior Writer Mick Dumke, and Pastor Corey B. Brooks Sr. to discuss what makes the Second City a tourist destination, known for attractions, beaches, and food (to name a few) - even though negative headlines often make the news.

You can read more about this week's guests on our blog. And be sure to check out the after show on on the In the Loop page on wycc.org.

Until next week, this is Theresa signing off.