On WTTW's Chicago Tonight yesterday, Elizabeth Brackett opened up another front in the scrutiny of LAZ Parking at the city's parking meter lease in general.  She reports that aldermen, as well as minority and women business owners, are questioning whether LAZ -- the private company that now manages the city's parking meters -- is complying with city procurement requirements (which requre that 25 percent of contracting dollars go to minority-owned firms and 5 percent go to women-owned firms).  Brackett quotes Ald. Leslie Hairston saying, "I have not see any certified payrolls, which we asked for. ... And I'm a little suspicious as to whether they have actually complied."

Brackett asked the city for documents confirming minority participation.  They gave her a breakdown asserting that 29 percent of LAZ's business has gone to minority-owners and 7 percent to women-owners.  But as Brackett goes on to explain, the document is far from adequate.  Watch the whole thing.

Also, the Reader's Mick Dumke reports from Mayor Daley's press conference yesterday:

[R]eporters wanted to go back to Hoffman’s report and its charge that the city may have given the meters up for far less than they were worth. Daley stood up straight and announced that he had complete confidence in his financial team. “I will put Paul Volpe and Gene Saffold against anyone,” he said. And he again pointed out that the city had hired outside experts to help put the deal together: William Blair and Company.

Why that firm? What were their qualifications?  

Daley got indignant: “Those are good people!”

They may be.  But that's not a good answer.  And you can be sure there are going to be lots more questions about the players who put this deal together and racked up lucrative fees in the process.