Chris Goodman
@cbgoodman.co
Associate Professor & MPA Director @ NIU. Public finance & local govts. Special districts, mostly. 🚴
📍 Chicagoland
🌐 hello.cgoodman.com
📍 Chicagoland
🌐 hello.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!
This is quite good (not something I usually expect from the “new” Governing).
Property assessments should be clear about the sources of AV increases, especially for distressed properties.
Property assessments should be clear about the sources of AV increases, especially for distressed properties.
What Really Rankles Property Taxpayers
Outdated assessment systems are opaque and structurally biased, leading to “data rot.” Local governments should invest in tools that make it easier for taxpayers to understand how their property is va...
www.governing.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:50 PM
This is quite good (not something I usually expect from the “new” Governing).
Property assessments should be clear about the sources of AV increases, especially for distressed properties.
Property assessments should be clear about the sources of AV increases, especially for distressed properties.
Reposted by Chris Goodman
Congress should act to categorically exempt statistical agency staff from this schedule.
Statistical agencies by definition do not set policy.
Their only power and purpose is collecting data & publishing credible, informative stats. Without political independence, they can't do this.
Statistical agencies by definition do not set policy.
Their only power and purpose is collecting data & publishing credible, informative stats. Without political independence, they can't do this.
February 9, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Congress should act to categorically exempt statistical agency staff from this schedule.
Statistical agencies by definition do not set policy.
Their only power and purpose is collecting data & publishing credible, informative stats. Without political independence, they can't do this.
Statistical agencies by definition do not set policy.
Their only power and purpose is collecting data & publishing credible, informative stats. Without political independence, they can't do this.
We (academics) should figure out ways to enable and lift up contract work that 1) supplements faculty salaries in useful ways, 2) connects scholars to useful policy networks, and 3) has secondary research implications.
The way to start that is to increase its value in the T&P process.
The way to start that is to increase its value in the T&P process.
February 9, 2026 at 5:32 PM
We (academics) should figure out ways to enable and lift up contract work that 1) supplements faculty salaries in useful ways, 2) connects scholars to useful policy networks, and 3) has secondary research implications.
The way to start that is to increase its value in the T&P process.
The way to start that is to increase its value in the T&P process.
A botched Tyler Tech implementation in Cook Co. has (more) consequences.
Late Cook County property tax distributions spell trouble for libraries
Public library directors report they have had to go into “financial triage” because property tax receipts that typically land in their bank accounts in the summer were late.
www.chicagotribune.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:32 PM
A botched Tyler Tech implementation in Cook Co. has (more) consequences.
Reposted by Chris Goodman
Some context from that Lays ad.
People are very stupid and don’t realize that potato chips are literally made out of potatoes.
That’s why they were parading around a potato in that ad like it’s the fucking Rosetta Stone.
People are very stupid and don’t realize that potato chips are literally made out of potatoes.
That’s why they were parading around a potato in that ad like it’s the fucking Rosetta Stone.
Lay’s revamps to make clear that chips are made from potatoes | Capital Press
Lay's will revamp its brand after 42% of consumers didn't know their potato chips come from potatoes.
capitalpress.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Some context from that Lays ad.
People are very stupid and don’t realize that potato chips are literally made out of potatoes.
That’s why they were parading around a potato in that ad like it’s the fucking Rosetta Stone.
People are very stupid and don’t realize that potato chips are literally made out of potatoes.
That’s why they were parading around a potato in that ad like it’s the fucking Rosetta Stone.
I watched Glory and Saving Private Ryan on my four hour trainer ride today. Feed that patriotism right into my veins.
February 8, 2026 at 8:24 PM
I watched Glory and Saving Private Ryan on my four hour trainer ride today. Feed that patriotism right into my veins.
Some people (me, though not in this piece) have been saying.
The IRS already knows what you need to pay in taxes – so why doesn’t it just tell you instead of putting you through a costly and tax-consuming reporting process?
Answer: Because Congress is catering to tax prep companies.
buff.ly/8koKPYG
#taxes
Answer: Because Congress is catering to tax prep companies.
buff.ly/8koKPYG
#taxes
The IRS already has all your income tax data – so why do Americans still have to file their taxes?
A tax expert explains why the US continues to use such a complex and costly income tax system.
buff.ly
February 8, 2026 at 6:18 AM
Some people (me, though not in this piece) have been saying.
NIU was cooking with their typography and logo in the 1970s.
February 6, 2026 at 8:22 PM
NIU was cooking with their typography and logo in the 1970s.
I did not expect that “what’s the best OCR method?” is a rabbit hole you can fall far down.
February 6, 2026 at 4:46 PM
I did not expect that “what’s the best OCR method?” is a rabbit hole you can fall far down.
Most things are made better (or less painful) with ice cream sandwiches.
February 6, 2026 at 3:46 AM
Most things are made better (or less painful) with ice cream sandwiches.
“Yet another vehicle struck Long Grove’s iconic covered bridge at Robert Parker Coffin Road Wednesday evening. Village officials said this is the 73rd strike since the bridge reopened in August 2020.”
Long Grove’s (IL) iconic covered bridge takes another smack
www.dailyherald.com/20260205/news/…
Long Grove’s (IL) iconic covered bridge takes another smack
www.dailyherald.com/20260205/news/…
February 5, 2026 at 11:54 PM
“Yet another vehicle struck Long Grove’s iconic covered bridge at Robert Parker Coffin Road Wednesday evening. Village officials said this is the 73rd strike since the bridge reopened in August 2020.”
Long Grove’s (IL) iconic covered bridge takes another smack
www.dailyherald.com/20260205/news/…
Long Grove’s (IL) iconic covered bridge takes another smack
www.dailyherald.com/20260205/news/…
It’s super neat that Raycast will do datatime math and it’s format agnostic.
February 5, 2026 at 10:46 PM
It’s super neat that Raycast will do datatime math and it’s format agnostic.
Where my data packrat tendencies come in handy: The IL Comptroller’s Local Government (Data) Warehouse only currently goes back to FY2000. I, however, have it back to 1994 because I downloaded it sometime in 2010 for…reasons.
February 5, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Where my data packrat tendencies come in handy: The IL Comptroller’s Local Government (Data) Warehouse only currently goes back to FY2000. I, however, have it back to 1994 because I downloaded it sometime in 2010 for…reasons.
If I could snap my fingers and create a new Boox (or other e-ink company) e-ink device, it would be in the form factor of a Remarkable Pro Move but running some version of Android. Like a Palma but slightly bigger (larger than a phone but smaller than a 8” tablet).
February 5, 2026 at 7:29 PM
If I could snap my fingers and create a new Boox (or other e-ink company) e-ink device, it would be in the form factor of a Remarkable Pro Move but running some version of Android. Like a Palma but slightly bigger (larger than a phone but smaller than a 8” tablet).
Well, this is neat.
ICYMI: Streetcar and Interurban Deployment in the United States: 1894-1926
Streetcar and Interurban Deployment in the United States: 1894-1926
Recently published: We compile operating track lengths for US streetcar and interurban systems from the McGraw American Street Railway Investments Directories for 1894–1926, aggregated by state and by metro area, with a national total. The United States network reaches an observed maximum of 80{,}660 km (50,120 miles) in 1918, with a logistic asymptote of 84,208 […]
dlvr.it
February 5, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Well, this is neat.
This is great. The bits about Software Carpentry and their teaching philosophy in Stephen’s blog post really sticks with me. Some of those workshops were the start of my data science journey way back in the day.
Ten simple rules for teaching data science arxiv.org/abs/2602.02874
1: Teach data science by doing data analysis
2: Use participatory live coding
3: Give tons of practice and timely feedback
4: Use tractable or toy data examples
5: Use real and rich, but accessible data sets
1: Teach data science by doing data analysis
2: Use participatory live coding
3: Give tons of practice and timely feedback
4: Use tractable or toy data examples
5: Use real and rich, but accessible data sets
February 5, 2026 at 2:51 PM
This is great. The bits about Software Carpentry and their teaching philosophy in Stephen’s blog post really sticks with me. Some of those workshops were the start of my data science journey way back in the day.
It is an incorporated municipality with all the powers that entails.
NEW: Elon Musk's company town in Texas, Starbase, is getting its own police department.
Expected to have eight officers and could be up and running in a few months.
Comes after a deal w/ Cameron County Sheriff's Office broke down.
techcrunch.com/2026/02/04/e...
Expected to have eight officers and could be up and running in a few months.
Comes after a deal w/ Cameron County Sheriff's Office broke down.
techcrunch.com/2026/02/04/e...
Elon Musk's SpaceX company town is getting a police department | TechCrunch
The new department will have up to eight police officers and could be up and running in a few months.
techcrunch.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:40 AM
It is an incorporated municipality with all the powers that entails.
Banana blueberry bread. Much tighter crumb than I expected, but quite tasty for 7 ingredients. tasty.co/recipe/healt...
February 4, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Banana blueberry bread. Much tighter crumb than I expected, but quite tasty for 7 ingredients. tasty.co/recipe/healt...
“The question for this group can be stated very succinctly: What does one teach an administrator with ten years experience who enrolls in a Master of Public Administration (MPA) program” - Gibson & Hildreth (1977).
I see not much has changed in 50 years.
www.jstor.org/stable/4386588…
I see not much has changed in 50 years.
www.jstor.org/stable/4386588…
February 4, 2026 at 7:51 PM
“The question for this group can be stated very succinctly: What does one teach an administrator with ten years experience who enrolls in a Master of Public Administration (MPA) program” - Gibson & Hildreth (1977).
I see not much has changed in 50 years.
www.jstor.org/stable/4386588…
I see not much has changed in 50 years.
www.jstor.org/stable/4386588…
Reposted by Chris Goodman
My article (with @bradhumphreys.bsky.social ) "Yes, There is an Economic Consensus That Professional Sports Facilities are Inadvisable Public Investments" is now published in Economic Development Quarterly. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
February 4, 2026 at 7:03 PM
My article (with @bradhumphreys.bsky.social ) "Yes, There is an Economic Consensus That Professional Sports Facilities are Inadvisable Public Investments" is now published in Economic Development Quarterly. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Replacing hundreds of lines of code with barely more than a dozen (for the same functionality) feels nice.
February 4, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Replacing hundreds of lines of code with barely more than a dozen (for the same functionality) feels nice.
Please excuse my excitement about a package update. These are features that I wanted but made ok workarounds to get in the past.
`dplyr` and `fixest` derived commands are easily 75% or more of the calls I make in a normal analysis chain.
`dplyr` and `fixest` derived commands are easily 75% or more of the calls I make in a normal analysis chain.
February 4, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Please excuse my excitement about a package update. These are features that I wanted but made ok workarounds to get in the past.
`dplyr` and `fixest` derived commands are easily 75% or more of the calls I make in a normal analysis chain.
`dplyr` and `fixest` derived commands are easily 75% or more of the calls I make in a normal analysis chain.
These look like some very useful updates!
dplyr 1.2.0
dplyr 1.2.0 fills in some important gaps in dplyr's API: we've added a new complement to `filter()` focused on dropping rows, and we've expanded the `case_when()` family with three new recoding and replacing functions!
www.tidyverse.org
February 4, 2026 at 4:15 PM
These look like some very useful updates!
Kaiju. Some levity for your day.
(This show and the entire Monsterverse are big and dumb, but also amazing escapism.)
(This show and the entire Monsterverse are big and dumb, but also amazing escapism.)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — Season 2 Official Trailer | Apple TV
Kong. Godzilla. Titan X. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters returns February 27 on Apple TV https://apple.co/_MonarchBased on the Monsterverse from Legendary, this ...
www.youtube.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Kaiju. Some levity for your day.
(This show and the entire Monsterverse are big and dumb, but also amazing escapism.)
(This show and the entire Monsterverse are big and dumb, but also amazing escapism.)
I saw someone posting this morning (and I cannot remember who) about the French policing raiding X’s Paris office with caption “BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE” and I cannot stop giggling when I think about it.
February 3, 2026 at 8:54 PM
I saw someone posting this morning (and I cannot remember who) about the French policing raiding X’s Paris office with caption “BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE” and I cannot stop giggling when I think about it.