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Chicago's 49th Ward is the first U.S. government to let the people make their own budget, following a practice begun in Porto Alegre, Brazil over twenty years ago.

It's got to start somewhere, do you think it'll spread?

I wish it would spread. I don't know how realistic it is to think it will, though.

There were a lot of Pavlovian phrases in her interview that will set people off. Phrases like, no one checked immigrant status, 17 year old chairing a committee, language barriers, successful in South America, etc.

Yes, apparently there is a lot of illegal immigrants involved in this programme, however, that shouldn't negate it's importance and efficiency.

So the 49th ward gets direct democracy and they spend it on:

Murals and artistic Bike Racks.



I liked the idea until I saw that in the vid.

If they had said that spending on, say, schools improved by 30% or something, I would have been like, "This is an awesome idea!" However, I do not think it is such a good idea, anymore. Also, I usually think murals are usually hideous and are an eyesores.

Originally posted by dadudemon
So the 49th ward gets direct democracy and they spend it on:

Murals and artistic Bike Racks.



I liked the idea until I saw that in the vid.

If they had said that spending on, say, schools improved by 30% or something, I would have been like, "This is an awesome idea!" However, I do not think it is such a good idea, anymore. Also, I usually think murals are usually hideous and are an eyesores.

I knew someone was going to say that. But they weren't given the authority to vote on those things. In areas where people were, the vid says that school and health funding increased dramatically.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
I knew someone was going to say that. But they weren't given the authority to vote on those things. In areas where people were, the vid says that school and health funding increased dramatically.

That was SA, not the 49th district.



They were given, what, $1.3 million and they spent it on murals? Even if they weren't given the authority to spend it on schools...isn't there a billion better things to spend it on other than artistic bike racks?

Originally posted by dadudemon
Also, I usually think murals are usually hideous and are an eyesores. Thank you! Tell that to the Council where I live.

Originally posted by Lord Lucien
Thank you! Tell that to the Council where I live.

Wouldn't you have rather spent that money on repairing an intersection or road? Or, say, restoring a park?

I know I would.

Originally posted by dadudemon
Wouldn't you have rather spent that money on repairing an intersection or road? Or, say, restoring a park?

I know I would. Or fixing up the mall. That place is, like, so run down.

Some more murals would be nice where I live.

Originally posted by skekUng
I wish it would spread. I don't know how realistic it is to think it will, though.

There were a lot of Pavlovian phrases in her interview that will set people off.