CPS Launches Budget Ideas Website

Mayor Rahm Emanuel must have liked his interactive budget ideas website so much that he had Chicago Public Schools try it too.

CPS announced Tuesday it launched a site that uses the same "ideas forum" format for Chicago residents to toss out thoughts and comment on others' suggestions regarding the 2012 budget.

How would you close the $712 million deficit? CPS Chief Jean-Claude Brizard wants to know.

“Since I became CEO, I’ve promised to be open and transparent and gather feedback and suggestions from citizens across the city,” Brizard said in a statement. “This interactive website is a great tool that we hope will continue our conversations.”

Emanuel launched the chicagobudget.org forum last week and has since garnered about 1,300 ideas and 2,177 comments. Ideas ranged anywhere from legalizing and taxing marijuana to adding vendors to CTA stations, and reducing the number of police directing traffic to moving to paperless government.

Brizard said CPS also will host a series of public hearings to hear residents' ideas.

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