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Thousands of families displaced. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent. Years behind schedule. What went wrong with Chicago’s grand experiment.

* County to breach levee to let out water

* Randolph County flood update

* Task Force Warns of Scams In the Wake of Recent Floods

* Itchy situation

“At this time, particularly with the amount of flood water that we have out in the region, we are seeing a significant increase in the number of floodwater mosquitoes within the area,” said George Balis, an entomologist with Roselle-based Clarke Mosquito Control. The company is contracted to operate Elgin’s and other suburban towns’ mosquito control programs.

* Flood victims survey damage, begin soggy cleanup

* Fox River, Chain O’ Lakes residents cope with piles of used sandbags

* Thick muck covers Hannibal armory floor

* Cleaning up Mississippi’s mess figures to be lengthy process

* The waiting game - Hundreds of inmates have been awaiting trial for years

* Killing the sales tax hike

Day after day, Cook County Board members who voted to raise the sales tax awaken to more headaches that will keep their dereliction of duty right where it belongs: in the forefront of furious voters’ minds.

Last week Fitch Ratings, an influential national firm, changed its outlook for some $3 billion in Cook County debt from “stable” to “negative.” That could portend a downgrading of the county’s bond rating, which would raise taxpayers’ cost to service that debt. Here’s a key Fitch sentence: “With the highest sales tax rate in the nation, the county faces political and economic pressure to provide tax relief for county residents.”

* Stroger administration hunkers down against press

* A great country Raising the flag . . .

Sneed hears Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, who proposed and rammed through a Cook County sales tax hike — and his buddy, commissioner Bill Beavers — just deferred acceptance of a $75,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation, which was earmarked for affordable housing promotion!

* Synchronicity?

The Hispanic Democratic Organization filed papers this week shutting down its official campaign committee (which may not mean it doesn’t exist anymore in another form).

A few hours earlier, 12th Ward alderman George Cardenas, one of the last people elected with the help of the infamous group, filed paperwork showing a precipitous drop in fund-raising—from tens of thousands of dollars last year down to zilch so far in 2008.

* 10+ Blogging Politicians Who Still Don’t Say What They Mean

* Hundreds pay respect to slain Chicago police officer

* Fox River, Chain O’ Lakes residents cope with piles of used sandbags

* Miller: thecapitolfaxblog.com

* SJ-R: Death penalty cannot be reformed

* New program to help low-income families with high energy bills

* Barbed wire is on the way out in Illinois’ new juvenile justice system

* Trustees to consider repealing gun ban

* Updated 7/1: Village likely to lift gun ban after Supreme Court ruling

* Contest for Rockford mayor on back burner — for now

posted by Kevin Fanning
Monday, Jul 7, 08 @ 8:57 am