Chris Goodman
@cbgoodman.co
Associate Professor @ NIU. Public finance & local govts. Special districts, mostly. 🚴
📍 Chicagoland
🌐 www.cgoodman.com
📍 Chicagoland
🌐 www.cgoodman.com
Pinned
Chris Goodman
@cbgoodman.co
· Nov 12
Hi folks, Chris here.
I figure I should do one of these intro things. I'm a prof at NIU, studying special districts and/or state preemption (people typically know me for one or the other).
I post a lot about local govts, Illinois, and cycling.
Welcome!
I figure I should do one of these intro things. I'm a prof at NIU, studying special districts and/or state preemption (people typically know me for one or the other).
I post a lot about local govts, Illinois, and cycling.
Welcome!
TX also has about the same number of municipalities as IL.
Yet, somehow, IL = bad and TX = good, despite being very similar in the public finance realms.
Yet, somehow, IL = bad and TX = good, despite being very similar in the public finance realms.
Fun fact: TX property tax per capita is about the same as IL ($2200 vs $2600). That's a lot of revenue to potentially lose and no income tax backstop.
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
TX also has about the same number of municipalities as IL.
Yet, somehow, IL = bad and TX = good, despite being very similar in the public finance realms.
Yet, somehow, IL = bad and TX = good, despite being very similar in the public finance realms.
Reposted by Chris Goodman
Thanks, John. Marc and I thought this was an important paper to write. It was an issue that has long bothered both of us. Hopefully it helps applied peeps think a bit more carefully about their model.
When fixed effects aren't fixed...
Important work by @dlmillimet.bsky.social and Marc Bellemare that should influence econometric practice.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Important work by @dlmillimet.bsky.social and Marc Bellemare that should influence econometric practice.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
On the (Mis) Use of the Fixed Effects Estimator
Data that span multiple units and time periods allow controlling for time-invariant heterogeneity correlated with the covariates. While researchers can do this in different ways, the fixed effects es...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Thanks, John. Marc and I thought this was an important paper to write. It was an issue that has long bothered both of us. Hopefully it helps applied peeps think a bit more carefully about their model.
Nods agreeingly.
My hottest take is that O'Hare is good, actually
(the most domestic flights and #5 for international, good food, hub for two legacy carriers, well-connected to city center by transit)
www.chicagobusiness.com/airlines-air...
(the most domestic flights and #5 for international, good food, hub for two legacy carriers, well-connected to city center by transit)
www.chicagobusiness.com/airlines-air...
O'Hare clears a big hurdle as traffic tops pre-COVID levels — and heads to a record
O’Hare has finally surpassed its pre-COVID passenger numbers, marking a major milestone in the airport’s recovery and putting it on pace for a record year.
www.chicagobusiness.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Nods agreeingly.
Oh.
Code beautifiers expose credentials from banks, govt, tech orgs
Thousands of credentials, authentication keys, and configuration data impacting organizations in sensitive sectors have been sitting in publicly accessible JSON snippets submitted to the JSONFormatter...
www.bleepingcomputer.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Oh.
Reposted by Chris Goodman
there's a ~complete rough draft of Urban Analysis up on my website (as in, code executes all the way through)
knaaptime.com/urban_analysis
still lots of editing to do, but if you're into cities, Python, or spatial analysis, give it a look and let me know what's wrong :)
knaaptime.com/urban_analysis
still lots of editing to do, but if you're into cities, Python, or spatial analysis, give it a look and let me know what's wrong :)
June 9, 2025 at 6:10 PM
there's a ~complete rough draft of Urban Analysis up on my website (as in, code executes all the way through)
knaaptime.com/urban_analysis
still lots of editing to do, but if you're into cities, Python, or spatial analysis, give it a look and let me know what's wrong :)
knaaptime.com/urban_analysis
still lots of editing to do, but if you're into cities, Python, or spatial analysis, give it a look and let me know what's wrong :)
Guys. It's already an 1/8th gone. Send help.
Procured a new jar of chili crisp. I don't give it a week.
November 25, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Guys. It's already an 1/8th gone. Send help.
I'm pretty sure I do not agree with all of this, but more questioning of "what's the point of public meetings?" is good.
I'm afraid nothing will really change until (some) residents are convinced there's nothing to "win."
I'm afraid nothing will really change until (some) residents are convinced there's nothing to "win."
What are planning hearings actually for?
Opinion: There’s an idea that if we could just get the “right” people into the room, public input would improve decision quality and legitimacy. Casey Anderson, Montgomery County’s former planning boa...
ggwash.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I'm pretty sure I do not agree with all of this, but more questioning of "what's the point of public meetings?" is good.
I'm afraid nothing will really change until (some) residents are convinced there's nothing to "win."
I'm afraid nothing will really change until (some) residents are convinced there's nothing to "win."
Procured a new jar of chili crisp. I don't give it a week.
November 24, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Procured a new jar of chili crisp. I don't give it a week.
A thing I'm thinking about: How does public administration (as an academic field) make better pitches to universities, students, the public, etc, that it's important and should be more valued?
This is necessarily overly broad. Each constituency is different, but you have to make the pitch.
This is necessarily overly broad. Each constituency is different, but you have to make the pitch.
November 24, 2025 at 7:47 PM
A thing I'm thinking about: How does public administration (as an academic field) make better pitches to universities, students, the public, etc, that it's important and should be more valued?
This is necessarily overly broad. Each constituency is different, but you have to make the pitch.
This is necessarily overly broad. Each constituency is different, but you have to make the pitch.
I'm constantly impressed by how many Rogue Amoeba apps I use daily. Some I don't even consciously think about anymore (thanks, Loopback).
November 24, 2025 at 4:37 PM
I'm constantly impressed by how many Rogue Amoeba apps I use daily. Some I don't even consciously think about anymore (thanks, Loopback).
👇
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
November 24, 2025 at 4:35 PM
👇
Having occasional big-toe issues (not turf toe, but something else), I can attest to the pain and potential mobility issues these injuries can cause. It is really shocking how difficult it is to walk or otherwise move around when you cannot move your big toe without significant pain.
How Turf Toe Became the Most Misunderstood Injury in Sports
One little body part can cause big problems for NFL stars such as Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy. Here’s why it’s more painful than its cute name might suggest.
www.si.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Having occasional big-toe issues (not turf toe, but something else), I can attest to the pain and potential mobility issues these injuries can cause. It is really shocking how difficult it is to walk or otherwise move around when you cannot move your big toe without significant pain.
I like pens. Not fancy fountain pens, but utilitarian ballpoint pens. My typical pen is something like a Parker Jotter, but I'm trying out some (slightly more fancy) Caran d'Ache jotter-style pens. Both are thin (8-9mm diameter); the Parker is smooth-barreled, and the Caran is hexagonal. We'll see.
November 24, 2025 at 2:09 AM
I like pens. Not fancy fountain pens, but utilitarian ballpoint pens. My typical pen is something like a Parker Jotter, but I'm trying out some (slightly more fancy) Caran d'Ache jotter-style pens. Both are thin (8-9mm diameter); the Parker is smooth-barreled, and the Caran is hexagonal. We'll see.
Department size and neighbors' actions are important—exactly what I would expect —but a big part of science is demonstrating what we "know."
The politics of police technology adoption: Agency size and uptake among California police departments
Who governs policing, one of the primary points of everyday contact between individuals and government? When defining policy, are elected officials responding primarily to public opinion and their ...
www.tandfonline.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Department size and neighbors' actions are important—exactly what I would expect —but a big part of science is demonstrating what we "know."
I publish in a very niche field. There aren't too many people doing work on special districts specifically and local govt fragmentation broadly. So, I am proud of my 500 citations in the last 5 years.
That's in no small part due to hustling on here (and other socials) about why it's important.
That's in no small part due to hustling on here (and other socials) about why it's important.
November 21, 2025 at 4:16 PM
I publish in a very niche field. There aren't too many people doing work on special districts specifically and local govt fragmentation broadly. So, I am proud of my 500 citations in the last 5 years.
That's in no small part due to hustling on here (and other socials) about why it's important.
That's in no small part due to hustling on here (and other socials) about why it's important.
It would be very helpful (to me, specifically) if Microsoft bought one of these cloud DB-like companies (Airtable, etc). The lack of a relational tool is a huge miss for MS.
November 21, 2025 at 3:46 PM
It would be very helpful (to me, specifically) if Microsoft bought one of these cloud DB-like companies (Airtable, etc). The lack of a relational tool is a huge miss for MS.
Good thing I just re-encoded my entire media library in h265. I hope this isn't heading to other things.
November 20, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Good thing I just re-encoded my entire media library in h265. I hope this isn't heading to other things.
Reposted by Chris Goodman
winter is here
my wife just said "the larry summers of our discontent" and i had to sit down for a minute
November 20, 2025 at 12:55 AM
winter is here
Tear gas used in military conflicts: Banned by several international treaties as an illegal chemical weapon.
Tear gas used against protestors: Eh, fine.
🤷♂️
Tear gas used against protestors: Eh, fine.
🤷♂️
November 20, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Tear gas used in military conflicts: Banned by several international treaties as an illegal chemical weapon.
Tear gas used against protestors: Eh, fine.
🤷♂️
Tear gas used against protestors: Eh, fine.
🤷♂️
I am a Stargate apologist from the original movie to SG-1, etc. They're all the best thing about sci-fi. Often silly, but dealing with real topics. So, I'm all in on this.
Also, Amazon (and Apple, sorta) being the home for modern tv sci-fi is interesting.
Also, Amazon (and Apple, sorta) being the home for modern tv sci-fi is interesting.
‘Stargate’ TV Series From Martin Gero Based On Sci-Fi Franchise Ordered By Amazon
Amazon MGM Studios has given a series order to Stargate, based on the iconic sci-fi franchise, from Stargate veteran Martin Gero.
deadline.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I am a Stargate apologist from the original movie to SG-1, etc. They're all the best thing about sci-fi. Often silly, but dealing with real topics. So, I'm all in on this.
Also, Amazon (and Apple, sorta) being the home for modern tv sci-fi is interesting.
Also, Amazon (and Apple, sorta) being the home for modern tv sci-fi is interesting.
Reposted by Chris Goodman
University Professionals of Illinois issues blistering statement about Pritzker
University Professionals of Illinois issues blistering statement about Pritzker
* We talked about this press release on Monday…
Today, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) announced that public universities in Illinois achieved the highest enrollment level in 10 years, with nearly 190,000 students enrolled during the fall semester of the 2025-26 academic year. Total enrollment at Illinois public universities increased for [...]
dlvr.it
November 19, 2025 at 5:11 PM
University Professionals of Illinois issues blistering statement about Pritzker
I am a property tax expert. This about covers it.
I'm by no means a property tax expert, but I compiled 8 reasons why your Chicago property tax bill (that you received last week) might have gone up
www.stevencanplan.com/2025/11/reas...
www.stevencanplan.com/2025/11/reas...
Reasons why your (a Chicagoan) 2024 property tax bill went up
The second and final installment property tax bill for 2024 was mailed to Cook County property owners on Friday, November 14. Social media was abuzz as many people opened their mail (or checked the…
www.stevencanplan.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I am a property tax expert. This about covers it.
In true MS fashion, there are now two versions of Bookings. One personal, baked into O365. And one professional, that's a separate license (that you likely have if you work in a large org). The former does not sync via Exchange, while the latter does.
It seems Microsoft has updated its personal bookings feature in Outlook so that booked events no longer sync via the normal Exchange infrastructure. They only appear in Outlook. So, I have meetings that I have no idea about because I don't use Outlook. Sweet.
November 19, 2025 at 5:12 PM
In true MS fashion, there are now two versions of Bookings. One personal, baked into O365. And one professional, that's a separate license (that you likely have if you work in a large org). The former does not sync via Exchange, while the latter does.