As inflation continues to hurt Americans across the country, many are turning to second jobs, or gig work, to financially make ends meet. However, matters have been made worse in Cook County and throughout Chicago as business owners and residents with gig-type jobs have had their licenses suspended due to a city code that gives Chicago the right to revoke your business license if you do not pay or are unable to pay issued tickets. 

This regressive ticketing policy is preventing Chicagoans from working and communities of color are being impacted disproportionately, according to a local pastor.

"This is a regressive city policy that targets black and brown communities, keeping them in a cycle of generational debt," Rev. Tyrone McGowan told Southland Marquee. "It primarily affects low-income Black households. Eight out of the 10 ZIP codes with the most ticket debt are Black ZIP codes. So many people who are already struggling financially, sink even further into debt as a result of this policy. Many go into bankruptcy, which is not an ideal solution, over something as simple as an unpaid ticket."

According to Sec. 54-391 of the Cook County Code of Ordinances, "The license of any person who has failed to pay any fine, assessment of costs or other sum of money owed to the County pursuant to an order of the Department of Revenue, an order of the Department of Administrative Hearings or a court order, by the due date indicated in the order, or within 30 calendar days of becoming a debt due and owing may be suspended by the Department of Revenue, in accordance with its rules and after affording a hearing. The license shall be suspended until such time that the fine, assessment of costs or other sum of money has been fully paid."

As a result of this policy, there have been reports of ride-hailing service drivers and entrepreneurs losing their jobs and even their business licenses due to unpaid tickets to the city.

All at a time when Americans everywhere are making household spending adjustments to accommodate increasing prices due to inflation. A recent release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.4% in October, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased by 7.7% prior to seasonal adjustment. Food, shelter and gasoline were the largest contributors to the increases

The city of Chicago is the only major U.S. city with a program that deactivates gig-workers, primarily ride-hailing service drivers, for their unpaid ticket debts, according to NPR.

"Historically, the City of Chicago has built its economy and attempted to balance its budget off of criminalizing Black and Brown bodies. This ticket policy is just another way the City is oppressing communities of color," McGowan said.

"The fact that Chicago is the only major U.S. city with this policy is truly unacceptable. We are failing so many families and communities with this regressive policy. It is preventing everyday, honest, hard-working Chicagoans from making a decent living," McGowan said. "As a result of the fines, many citizens cannot obtain business licenses with the city. They cannot be barbers or beauticians. They are not allowed to participate in the ever-expanding ride-share economy and they cannot run for elected office to help try to change regressive policies such as this. The city wants the fines paid, but will not allow citizens to make an honest living to pay the fines. It makes absolutely no sense."

The city of Chicago issues more than 3 million tickets yearly for a wide range of violations for parking, vehicle compliance, and automated traffic camera violations, according to ProPublica Illinois. Average tickets range from $25 citations for broken headlights, to $250 tickets for parking in a disabled zone. Many Chicago drivers, burdened with the debt, turn to Chapter 13 bankruptcy as a temporary reprieve. ProPublica reported that tickets for parking, traffic and vehicle compliance prompt so many bankruptcies and the Chicago courts lead the nation in Chapter 13 filings, particularly in the Northern District of Illinois, which includes Chicago and its suburbs.

According to a Chicago Sun Times report, ticketing in the city of Chicago was up 25.7% during the first six months of 2022 — from 853,906 tickets through June 30, 2021, to 1,073,919 tickets during the same period this year.

"This is troubling to hear," McGowan said. "More families, more communities will be negatively impacted by the ticketing policy. They will be locked out of the economy for very minor offenses. This is not right. We are a better city than this. My fear is that with so many people locked out of the economy, they will revert to life in the underground economy of crime that continues to put Chicago in the national headlines for the wrong reasons. In addition, more families will continue to move out of the city leading to even more gentrification. Combined with the current economy post pandemic, this policy has dangerous ripples effects that our city leaders refuse to adequately address." 

Previous reporting has highlighted the impact of the city’s aggressive ticketing regime. Americans across the city generate tens of millions of dollars. Block Club Chicago reported that the cameras have come at a steep cost for motorists, particularly those in the city’s Black and Latino neighborhoods. A ProPublica analysis found that of millions of citations issued between 2015 and 2019, households in majority Black and Hispanic ZIP codes received tickets at approximately twice the rate of those in white areas.

"The red light and speeding camera issue is a major issue of concern for many communities on the South and West sides of Chicago," McGowan said. "Mark Wallace is a Chicago-based activist and media personality leading the charge to abolish these cameras across the City. Why are so many cameras concentrated in communities of color? People in the Gold Coast don’t drive 5 miles over the speed limit? People in River West don’t run red lights? Again, this is an example of how the City continues to build its economy off of Black and Brown communities."

McGowan pointed out a need to come together to address this ordinance and its disparity. 

"Chicago is a great city and we are better than this policy. I see this as a moment where we can come together to find a better way to properly invest in people and communities that have historically been neglected," McGowan said. "As we emerge from the ravages of the pandemic, we should have more empathy and want to see all people and communities treated fairly and equally. This debt dealing policy disadvantages people of color in Chicago and locks them out of the economy. We are a better City when everyone has a fair chance at building a good life for themselves and their families. This is an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with our local elected officials on how we can change this policy and move forward together."

Special note from the Southland Marquee: This story is part of a collection highlighting how Cook County and City of Chicago policy affect freelancers, small business owners, and ride-share drivers.