Quinn Reports $3.1 Million Fundraising Haul
Yesterday marked the deadline for state political candidates to disclose how much money they raised during the second half of 2009. Gov. Pat Quinn emerged as the state's fundraising heavyweight, pulling in $3.1 million, the Illinois Board of Elections reports. Still, Quinn's Democratic challenger Comptroller Dan Hynes ended the period with a $1 million fundraising advantage.

lllinois Lands Green Jobs Grant
Ilinois' own Sen. Dick Durbin announced yesterday that the Prairie State is in line to receive a $6 million federal stimulus grant that will be used to train and place about 1,300 workers in energy-efficient jobs and help another 1,700 workers earn degrees.

Poverty Rises In Chicago Suburbs
The Chicago-area suburbs experienced a 47 percent spike in the poverty rate between 2000 to 2008, the Brookings Institution reports.

CTA Finalizes Cuts, Sparks Protest
As Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) officials finalized a plan to cut service yesterday -- triming $90 million from a $300 million budget shortfall --  the agency's employees union stood fast and refused to rescind the 3.5 percent raise they received this year. Meanwhile, CTA reports that ridership declined by 1 percent last year.

Aldermen Leave Money On The Table
Instead of spending down their $1.32 million allowance for ward improvements, thirteen aldermen left at least $500,000 of their so-called "menu money" on the table last year. Another four closed the books on 2009 with more than $1 million unspent.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user dklimke.