WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

The Chicago Public Schools watchdog is investigating why people have been paid to speak out in support of school closings.

While the sound of leaves crunching underneath may soon fill the air, one of September’s big activities has been number crunching. Chicago’s Inspector General issued a report suggesting ways the City could boost revenues and trim the fat, and Mayor Emanuel’s budget is expected in a couple of weeks.

In an effort dig Chicago out of its massive budget deficit, the city’s Inspector General, Joseph Ferguson, released a series of suggestions. Some ideas aimed to cut costs, others would raise revenues; they could be called everything from thought provoking  to politically impossible.

"Chicago style" or the "Chicago way" of doings things can be a funny thing--cultural quirks--like the unwritten rule that hot dogs be dressed with celery salt, not ketchup. But the city also earned a reputation for shady politics and back-room deals.

In Illinois, tracking the trail of corruption through politics is practically a sport. At the city level alone, Chicagoans have seen numerous scandals, involving patronage hiring, fraud and bribery.

Updated at 4:10 PM on 1/4/11The Chicago Board of Education was spending lavishly on such items as liquor and flowers, even as the school district was bracing for a budget crisis.Chicago Public Schools’ Inspector General James Sullivan lists hundreds of thousands of