Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

Burdening The Poor
The debate in Springfield about an income tax hike should focus on reforming an outdated and highly regressive state tax code, writes Galesburg Register-Mail guest columnist Judy Guenseth.

Why Todd Stroger Is Hosed
The Reader's Mick Dumke thinks Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's refusal to show up for a candidate forum yesterday at DePaul University proves he can't win reelection.

The Lifeblood Of Undergrad Ed
Emily Shaw, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, explains why she and every other graduate assistants at the school are going on strike.  

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