Most people can name their mayor. Far fewer can name their Cook County Commissioner.

In this episode, Rachel Steele talks with Isaiah White about the hidden infrastructure of local government and why it matters more than you think.

Overseeing a $10 billion budget, the Cook County Board shapes public healthcare, the justice system, and critical infrastructure for over 5 million residents. Yet many of these seats go uncontested, creating what Isaiah describes as a broken “accountability feedback loop.”

Drawing on his experience as a policy worker, and teacher, Isaiah breaks down:

• Why systems like CountyCare are generous but hard to access
• How inefficiency drives up costs and worsens outcomes
• Why property taxes keep rising while services feel stagnant
• What it takes to challenge en ...