Toni’s taunt. The Sun-Times reports that new Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle warns Sheriff Tom Dart, State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown to cut their own budgets or she’ll do the cutting for them.
- Border battle. The Trib editorial page features Wisconsin’s new governor, Scott Walker, trying to poach Illinois companies by claiming in an op-ed that his state has a more hospitable tax and regulatory climate and is now “open for business.” Governor Quinn answers with stats supporting his claim that “Illinois is the economic engine of the Midwest.” (Both governors also offer their biased takes on a certain upcoming football game.)
- Mayor Chainsaw? That’s what Chicago’s next mayor has to be, according to a Trib editorial, if he or she hopes to impose the “fiscal discipline” the city desperately needs.
- Referendum removed. The Southtown Star reports that Oak Lawn residents won’t be voting in April on a proposal to end the village manager form of government because proponents are withdrawing their referendum plan. That ends a court fight that included allegations of petition fraud.
- Deerfield in the headlights. The north suburb is thinking about jacking up parking tickets from $5 to $25 so they’re more in line with surrounding communities, according to Trib Local.
- BGA on…ESPN? The prolific Gregg Easterbrook, whose weekly “Tuesday Morning Quarterback” is one of the most enlightened sports-centric columns on the Web, took a moment this week to mention our recent investigation with CBS 2 into Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas (see below).
