When he's not lashing out at the same state reps he's also asking for money, Mayor Daley is apparently thinking of other city assets he can sell off a la the parking meters so as to bring in a little cash to fill that ginormous budget gap. And now there's a laundry list of things under consideration including the city's recycling program and some lakefront festivals like the annual Taste of Chicago. According to a report in the Trib's Clout City blog, other services Daley is also considering selling off include vehicle maintenance and repair and animal care and control. Over the summer, rumblings of reviving the plan to privatize Midway Airport have also gotten notice. The city plans on reporting to the FAA by November about any further thoughts on that project. more ›

As Governor Quinn struggles to find ways to balance the state budget without help from the General Assembly, an unlikely duo of litigants have filed separate suits to stop cuts in state spending and further tax hikes. AFSCME, the largest public employee union in the state filed suit in Johnson County earlier this week to prevent the 2,600 layoffs that Quinn has threatened to impose if an agreement can't be reached the cut the state's payroll obligations. And Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz has filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court, challenging the constitutionality of the state’s new video poker law as well as liquor, candy and a menu of other tax increases set to take effect September 1. more ›

In spite of a possible $300 million budget shortfall, Mayor Daley took a break from practicing Act Two, Scene Two of Julius Caesar to assure Chicagoans that he really, really, really doesn't want to lay off 1,600 city workers. After all, his love of our great city's fine civil servants is well documented. more ›

Four South Side mental health clinics will reopen their doors to patients on Monday after Mayor Daley granted a temporary amnesty from closing last week Tuesday. more ›

Some CTA news has come across the wire in the last few days. First, the truly surreal. It seems our fair transit system was honored with "Most Improved Metro" at the 2009 Metro Awards, and international awards ceremony held in London. The category aims to award the "metro who has gone the extra mile in improving their metro network in the past year." So, um, the Grand Red Line station doesn't count? The website goes on to say: more ›