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* Chicago is losing its middle class: report

The disparity between workers at the top and bottom of the wage scale was the 10th worst of all 100 metro areas. The top 10% of employees earned 6.3 times more than the bottom 10% of Chicago’s workforce.

* Caterpillar plans $1B plant capacity expansion

* After 5 Years, Hotel Strike Has No End in Sight

* Olympic Village might replace Michael Reese

* Note to self: Read fine print on permission slips

* Rezko Letter

* Rezko: Judge releases hold on 27 properties;keeps some Rezko money

* Off a cliff

In short, manipulating the news-ad ratio is a much trickier business than Michaels probably thinks it is. Has he asked the Tribune’s advertisers if they want to be in a paper with less news?

* Journal Star lowers the boom on commenters

* Will County coroner defends his job to GOP board members

* Lincoln library to host exhibit on Springfield race riot

* Corn jumps to record for 6th day on Midwest floods

Corn for July delivery rose 5.75 cents to settle at $7.09 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, after earlier rising to a new all-time high of $7.25 a bushel. It was corn’s sixth straight trading record in as many days. Prices broke past the $7 barrier for the first time Wednesday.

* Mayors urge Congress to help fix US infrastructure

“We’re as guilty as anybody,” admitted Bloomberg. “We ask for money for things that are totally local, and why the federal government does it, I don’t know. They shouldn’t be doing it, although we will continue to ask as long as they are giving it out. Our senators have the obligation to bring home the bacon like everybody else does. … Seems to me the Senate should get together and say together, ’We’re not going to do it anymore.”’

* Judge bars meeting to oust VP

* Illinois Network of Charter Schools Calls on Governor to Support Access to Innovative, Quality Public Education Options

* Work continues at last on long-delayed day care center

* Proposal helps gays who marry

* Friday Beer Blogging: Father’s Day Edition

posted by Kevin Fanning
Friday, Jun 13, 08 @ 8:08 am

Comments

From the Chicago Reader piece:
==With Rupert Murdoch, who’s 77, now predicting he’ll outlive the print press==
Actually, Murdoch said the exact opposite…that print will stay around and will outlive him. Not saying he’s right or wrong, just keeping those bloggers honest!

Comment by Vote Quimby! Friday, Jun 13, 08 @ 8:43 am
“In short, manipulating the news-ad ratio is a much trickier business than Michaels probably thinks it is. Has he asked the Tribune’s advertisers if they want to be in a paper with less news?”

Someone should introduce Mr. Michaels to the concept of the negative feedback loop.

As a side note: I am seeking investors for a new newspaper with precisely Michaels’ perfect ratio of ads to content. There will be zero pages of ads and zero pages of content, but that magical 1:1 ad/content ratio should guarantee the publication profitability. Right?

You chumps — ahem — potential investors know where to find me.

– SCAM
so-called “Austin Mayor”
http://austinmayor.blogspot.com

Comment by so-called "Austin Mayor" Friday, Jun 13, 08 @ 10:52 am
Don’t understand why, in the current climate, Obama is not talking about infrastructure with regards to his economic policy. Better schools, better parks, better roads and bridges, better mass transit, better air traffic control system. Besides the countless jobs it would create, it would mean fewer traffic issues in on the rails, in the sky, and on the road. That’s more productivity, less energy, and a better educated populace. What a concept. How to pay for it? All the funds earmarked for the war.

Comment by The Doc Friday, Jun 13, 08 @ 11:11 am