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* U.S. newspaper circulation down 10.6 percent

* Jobs: fewer cutting, more adding

Thirty-one percent of firms responding to the October survey said they planned to cut jobs, down from 44 percent in January and 36 percent in July. And the percentage of firms adding jobs doubled from an all-time low of 6 percent in July to 12 percent this month. But that was down from 14 percent in January.

* Pump prices could deflate holiday spending

* Indigent burials: Cook County sees 30 percent increase in such burials last year

* Whose taxes went up most in Chicago?

Property tax bills coming out this week jump as ‘7%’ cap is gradually lifted

* Double-digit property tax increases in city, Cook County suburbs

Most Cook County residents are in for another round of sticker shock when new property tax bills arrive in the mail in a few days, with the median increase in many suburbs topping 10 percent and, in a handful, 20 percent.

Median increases in many city neighborhoods will also hit double digits, with some lower income areas hardest hit. The median rise in the West Garfield Park neighborhood will top 46 percent, according to figures provided to the Tribune by Cook County Assessor James Houlihan.

In all, four out of five homeowners in the city and northern suburbs will get higher bills than last year, In the south suburbs, 64 percent of homeowners will see bigger bills, yet the median tax bills in several south Cook communities will actually decline year over year.

* City may pay you for turning in tax cheats

Mayor Daley’s tough-times, 2010 budget includes a first-ever “Tax Whistleblower Program” expected to include cash bounties for informants who deliver the goods on unpaid business taxes.

* Crackdown as one-third of Streets, San out daily

Chicago’s Streets and Sanitation commissioner is cracking the whip to reduce absenteeism that sidelines nearly one-third of all laborers every day.

With laborers working a shortened week to cut costs, Tom Byrne has told union leaders he no longer can afford to tolerate chronic absenteeism and still provide the housekeeping services Chicago taxpayers demand.

From now on, laborers will be required to call a central telephone number at least one hour before their scheduled reporting time to declare their intention to be absent that day. Those who don’t will be considered “absent without leave” and could face disciplinary action.

* Toss absentee abusers out with the garbage

* CTA may name train stop Apple

Agency in talks with computer firm for naming deal

* Dixmoor Company may get Metra bid

* Bankers facing Chicago firestorm

* Cook County Health Board Under Fire

The skirmish over control of the Cook County health system is heating up. County board president Todd Stroger yesterday rallied union members in front of Stroger Hospital. They’re taking aim at the independent board installed last year to take politics out of the hospitals and clinics. Stroger accuses board members of running the public health system like a for-profit business.

* Stroger Takes on Independent Health Board

* Swine flu prompts changes in hospital visitation rules

Children among groups prohibited from seeing patients

* Get the shot

* Rev. Sharpton appears with Chicago parents

* Chicago’s rainy October could tie a record

posted by Mike Murray
Tuesday, Oct 27, 09 @ 9:38 am

Comments

The Board of Directors of Apple ouught to fire whoever came up with the idea to link their company in any way with a screwed-up agency like the CTA, on the grounds that the Apple executive in question is clearly nuts!

Comment by fedup dem Tuesday, Oct 27, 09 @ 10:52 am
How about that Streets and Sans? One-third absent every day — must be doing precinct work.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 27, 09 @ 1:39 pm
Those tax bills are going to hit in November and then again in early spring, likely making it difficult for our Pat to pitch his favorite revenue raiser–an income tax increase on the middle class–in Cook County.

Comment by cassandra Tuesday, Oct 27, 09 @ 4:03 pm
Mayor Daley is putting forward a whistle blower program to catch cheats. That’s rich, Rich. Looks like there’s a fortune to be made around city hall. Let’s start looking at clouted contracts and political patronage hack hirings just for starters.

Comment by jaded voter Wednesday, Oct 28, 09 @ 1:42 am