>> HE SPENT 12 YEARS AS THE CORRUPTION BUSTING WATCHDOG OF CITY GOVERNMENT PROVING TO BE A THORN IN THE SIDE OF BOTH EMANUEL AND LIGHTFOOT ADMINISTRATIONS.

NOW FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL JOE FERGUSON HAS A NEW ROLE AS HEAD OF THE ESTEEMED FISCAL WATCHDOG GROUP.

THE CIVIC FEDERATION VIEWERS MIGHT RECALL FORMER CIVIC FEDERATION, PRESIDENT US ALL ON THIS PROGRAM MANY TIMES IMPLORING ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE PRACTICE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

WHERE THOSE CALLS HE DID, IF WE DON'T KNOW.

BUT HOW WILL JOE FERGUSON CARRY FORWARD THAT LEGACY?

JOAN FERGUSON JOINS US TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND MORE AS A SARAH, WHAT MORE THE VICE PRESIDENT RESEARCH DIRECTOR ALSO SERVED AS ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE CIVIC FEDERATION.

CONGRATULATIONS, VERY SURPRISING.

UNEXPECTED NEWS TODAY.

THIS BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THAT JOE FERGUSON THAT BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

SO THIS ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE NON-PARTISAN WATCHDOG, ADVOCATING FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, YOUR VISION FOR THE CIVIC A NON-PARTISAN WATCHDOG FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND UNDER WAY, THAT'S VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH THE WORK THAT I'M I THINK I'M A I'M KNOWN AS INSPECTOR GENERAL.

>> AND YOU MENTIONED THE THORNS AND THE THORNS ARE JUST SORT OF THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH IN ORDER TO SMELL THE ROSES.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

IT'S THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE SMELLING THE ROSES AND FISCAL PROBITY, EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY IN GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.

GOOD PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REALLY IS THE ROAD OUT OF THE PLACE THAT WE'RE IN.

THAT'S KIND OF BEEN THE CIVIC FEDERATION IS HALLMARK.

SARAH WETMORE.

SO WHY IS JOE FERGUSON THE RIGHT PERSON TO >> CONTINUE TO LEAD THIS FIGHT?

I THINK YOU HEARD IT RIGHT THERE.

IT'S A PASSION FOR THE WORK THAT THE CIVIC FEDERATION DOES FOR IMPROVING GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT ALSO BRINGING THE CREDIBILITY AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO THE TO THIS POSITION BEING IN A POSITION TO MOVE THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD INTO A NEW ERA.

JOE FERGUSON, YOUR PREDECESSOR, LAWRENCE, HAS ALL VIEWERS MAY REMEMBER HAS BEEN ON THIS PROGRAM.

MANY TIMES SAID HE WAS ADAMANT THAT THE CITY AND OTHER UNITS OF GOVERNMENT, THE STATE.

>> COUNTY, WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO GET THERE, BELEAGUERED PENSION IN IN BALANCE AND MASSIVELY UNDERFUNDED.

AS YOU KNOW.

HOW DO YOU INTEND TO HAMMER THOSE POINTS HOME?

BECAUSE PENSION SYSTEMS ARE STILL PRETTY BELEAGUERED.

SO I THINK THE MESSAGE NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE STRUCK.

SO IT'S NOT CONSCIOUSNESS IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC.

CERTAINLY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS VERY, VERY CONSCIOUS OF THIS.

>> IT'S GOING TO HAVE TAX IMPLICATIONS AT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, WHICH ACTUALLY CROWD OUT A LOT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE SPENDING THAT IS GOING TO BE NEEDED TO TRADITIONALLY UNDERINVESTED OF POPULATIONS AND TO REALLY SERVE THE CAUSE EQUITY.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO STRIKE THE EXACT SAME NOTES AS LAWRENCE, BUT ALSO WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN HERE IS STITCHING TOGETHER, SOMETIMES COMPETING AND SOMETIMES ANTAGONISTIC.

A PARTISAN PARTIES TO COME TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE REALLY ARE ESPECIALLY AT THE CITY LEVEL FACING A CLIFF.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME RATHER THAN TALK ACROSS THE DIVIDE TO SORT OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THE SOLUTIONS ARE THAT ACTUALLY EVERYBODY CAN BUY INTO.

SO IT'S THAT SORT OF QUIET CONVERSATION BACK CORRIDOR, BOARDROOM CONVERSATION BUT ALSO INCLUSIVE CONVERSATION THAT INCLUDES COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT INCLUDES THE UNION LEADERS TO ACTUALLY GET EVERYBODY TO ACKNOWLEDGE.

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER.

WE'LL SHARE THAT MORE.

THERE'S I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY BEEN DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES ON FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

MORE PRO UNION FOLKS AND SAY JUST >> POUR MONEY INTO THIS, EXTEND THE ARCA OF PAYMENTS TO PAY BACK MORE BUSINESS ORIENTED.

FOLKS HAVE SAID WE NEED TO CURTAIL AT LEAST FUTURE BENEFITS.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE PENSION PROTECTION CLAUSE IN THE CONSTITUTION.

WHAT IS THE WAY OUT GIVEN ALL THOSE THINGS?

SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A PLACE THE CIVIC FEDERATION IS CONTINUING TO LOOK INTO NEW AREAS WHERE WE CAN BE MAKING I THINK A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT AREAS RIGHT FOR TALKING INCLUDE.

>> HAVING 100% FUNDING GOAL, 90% ISN'T GOING TO CUT MOVING TOWARD THAT IN THAT DIRECTION.

TAKING A LOOK AT FURTHER CONSOLIDATION OF PENSION FUNDS.

WE HAVE MORE PENSION FUNDS IN ALMOST ANY OTHER STATE IN THE UNION.

SO THESE ARE AREAS WHERE WE CAN FIND PLACES WHERE THERE ARE GOING TO BE SAVINGS BUT ALSO BE MOVING TOWARD 100% FUNDING GOAL MOVING MORE TOWARD FULL FUNDING AS WE AS WE PROGRESS OVER THE YEARS.

JOE FERGUSON IS OIG PERFORM NUMBER OF AUDITS TO FIND EFFICIENCIES IN CITY GOVERNMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, MOVING TO A GREAT BASE TO >> SYSTEM INSTEAD OF HAVING IT BASED ON THE CRAZE LEAD.

RON WARNS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE THAT COULD SAVE MONEY.

DO PLAN TO CONTINUE.

THOSE KINDS OF RECOMMENDATIONS AS YOU'RE ROLE AS HEAD OF THE CIVIC FEDERATION, IT WON'T BE IN EXACTLY THE SAME SORT GROUND THAT WAS THE CASE WITH THE WITH THE IG.

BUT >> WITH THE SAME SORT OF MISSION THINGS LIKE REDUNDANCY IN GOVERNMENT.

SARAH, JUST MENTION THAT THERE'S TOO MANY PENSIONS AND THAT MEANS TOO MUCH MANAGEMENT, TOO MANY SEPARATE BOARDS A REAL WIDE VARIABILITY OF PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT OF THOSE PENSIONS.

BRING THOSE TOGETHER AND YOU HAVE THE FISSION SEIZE RIGHT THERE AND YOU ACTUALLY CAN ELEVATE THE STANDARDS.

IT'S THOSE SORTS OF IT'S BEEN A JET, ALMOST A GENERATION SINCE THERE'S BEEN A MEANINGFUL EXAMINATION OF CITY AND COUNTY REDUNDANCY IN OPERATIONS.

AND THERE CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT THE CIVIC FEDERATION HAS BEEN ARTICULATING IN RECENT YEARS.

AND GOES BACK FOR A LONG TIME AS TO THE MULTIPLICITY OF LEVELS AND LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE SIMPLY DON'T NEED IT.

THE STATE LEVEL.

THE OTHER THING ABOUT YOUR ROLE THAT I THINK US ALL DID A LOT WAS ACTUALLY MEETING WITH PUBLIC OFFICIALS, THE MAYOR AND THE GOVERNOR AND LOBBYING THEM.

I MEAN, HE.

>> IN ESSENCE, WAS A LOBBYIST ON BEHALF OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

THERE WAS NO PRIVATE CLIENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT?

YOU CAN WITH THE MAYOR, THE GOVERNOR THE JOB JOB CAN BE ACHIEVED.

THE MISSION CAN BE ACHIEVED UNLESS THERE IS THAT DIALOGUE.

AND I THINK.

>> IN THE LEADERSHIP CAPACITY DRAWING ON THE GREAT WORK THAT WAS DONE BY SARAH AND HER TEAM CARRIED THAT THE CORRIDORS OF POWER TO ACTUALLY PUT ON THE BOTH THE FACTS AND THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.

BUT YOU NEED TO BRING THE DIVERSE CONSTITUENCIES TOGETHER.

YOU NEED TO GET FOLKS TALKING ACROSS THE ISLAND.

THAT ONLY HAPPENS THROUGH RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

SO WHAT MORE IN LAWRENCE SMITH STILL?

IT'S STILL KIND OF HEAVY ON OUR HEARTS THAT HE PASSED FEW MONTHS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AGO NOW.

I MEAN, HE'S A FUNERAL PARK WAS ATTENDED BY THE GOVERNOR AND BY EVERY AT BURKE >> HIS LEGACY MORE ON HIS LEGACY IN YOUR EYES.

>> SO I THINK HIS LEGACY IS BEING THE THE GOLD STANDARD OF NON PARTISAN ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, BUT ALSO ADVOCATING FOR HOW BEST FIND EFFICIENCY IN GOVERNMENT BELIEVING IN THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT TO DO IN THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S DOING IT IN THE RIGHT >> JEFFERSON, BEFORE WE LEAVE YOU, WE WE WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE A A U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL FORMER PROSECUTOR.

OBVIOUSLY THE RALLY DID A LOT OF WORK ON BURKE IS IG TO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT THAT THE FENCE BASICALLY RESTED THEIR CASE AFTER CALLING DANNY SOLIS TODAY.

THE AT THE END OF THE DAY.

AND OBVIOUSLY CAN'T TALK ABOUT PARTICULARS BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION AND WORK UP OF THAT MATTER.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY.

>> MY GUT IS IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE RECORDINGS AND THE TAPES.

IT'S A VERY, VERY GUT LEVEL REACTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

AND WE'LL HAVE TO YOU THINK THOSE TAPES AND RECORDINGS PRETTY.

THEY TELL PRETTY CLEAR STORY.

WELL, THEY TELL IT THING IS IS THAT WE HAVE THIS EXPECTATION OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY EXCHANGING MONEY ON CAMERA.

THAT'S NOT THIS CASE.

IT'S A LITTLE MORE SUBTLE.

AND I KNOW THE DEFENSE BAR AND SOME OF THE MEDIA SAY, HEY, IT'S NOT THE STRONGEST GOVERNMENT CASE AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS A GUT LEVEL THING.

HOW THE JURY ACTUALLY RESPONSE TO THE COUPLED WITH THE CORROBORATING INFORMATION AND