- Fiscal fix? If you’re addicted to Springfield news, you can get an industrial strength cocktail with more dope than you’ll ever need by combining the Capitol Fax blog, the Illinois Statehouse news site and the BGA’s “Think Tank” blog. (I’ll suggest a 12-step recovery program when the lame duck session is over next week.)
- Toni’s team. The Cook County Board unanimously approves President Preckwinkle’s top appointments—chief of staff, deputy chief and communications director. The Daily Herald says their combined salaries are $14,000 less than what predecessors were paid.
- Pension padding? The Herald also reports that Glen Ellyn parks boss Cory Atwell will be getting a 22% pension “sweetener” now that he’s decided to take advantage of an early retirement program that he engineered.
- Stuck in park. The Sun-Times says in an editorial that, despite an outcry from Chicago mayoral candidates and regular people, we’re probably stuck with the unpopular parking privatization deal because attempts to overturn it are unlikely to succeed, and even if they do succeed the city might have to repay the billion dollars in upfront cash the Daley administration got for the deal.
What I’m Watching—Jan. 5, 2011
