Alderman Willie Cochran, 20^th Ward, is under federal investigation for his use of campaign funds, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Sun-Times previously reported Cochran paid himself more than $115,000 from his campaign funds over a three-year period.

Chicago City Council is one of the most corrupt political bodies in the nation. Over the past 40 years, 33 of some 200 aldermen have been convicted on corruption charges.

This culture of misconduct shows no signs of slowing down. And the lack of seriousness in tackling ethics reform – or even enforcing rules on the books – within city government is disturbing.

Chicagoans are seeking shelter from a barrage of city tax hikes.

The Windy City is home to the highest sales tax in the nation. It is in the midst of a record-breaking property tax hike and a water-sewer tax increase. Residents already shoulder the highest tax and fee burden in Illinois.

But one alderman is proposing a simple yet potentially powerful solution: Make it harder to pass tax hikes. And make it more difficult to spend wildly in the first place.

The former CEO of Chicago’s longtime red-light cameras vendor — ousted as part of a $2 million bribery scandal at City Hall — was sentenced Wednesday in Ohio to 14 months in federal prison for her role in a smaller bribes-for-contracts scheme there.

Karen Finley, 57, who was CEO of Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc., still faces sentencing next month in Chicago for her part in the massive, long-running corruption scheme that brought traffic cameras here.

Colbert Packaging, a Lake Forest-based maker of cartons and boxes, including for Frango mints, is moving 65 jobs from Lake County to Kenosha, Wis., citing “the state’s favorable business climate” as one of the reasons.

Colbert’s headquarters, which has about 145 workers, will remain in Lake Forest.

Four vehicle emissions testing facilities, including the last two in the city of Chicago, are being shut down by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on Nov. 1 to reduce costs and streamline operations.

Closures of the testing stations at 1850 W. Webster Ave. and 6959 W. Forest Preserve Drive leave Chicago motorists without a city testing facility. The nearest locations will be in Skokie, Addison and Bedford Park. The other two locations being closed are in Tinley Park and Elk Grove.

“For the state to decide there will be no inspection in the city of Chicago, in the largest city in the state, third largest city in the country, and expect the same level of quality, it makes no common sense,” said Howard Learner, president of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, a Chicago-based environmental advocacy group.

Chicago’s 911 emergency center is still struggling to get a handle on runaway overtime because 49 percent of call takers are on “some type of” absence tied to the Family and Medical Leave Act, aldermen were told Wednesday.

Testifying at City Council budget hearings, Alicia Tate-Nadeau, executive director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said the hiring of 48 additional call takers has reduced overtime by 28,000 hours over the same period last year. That should reduce overtime spending to $9.9 million, down $1 million from a year ago, she said.

Old friend of the show, Pete McMurray, swung by the studio to talk about no longer having a job. Brian Campbell joined us for ‘Breakfast with a  Blackhawk.’ Kevin Powell checks in from LA and feels okay about the Cubs. Austin Berg from Illinois Policy Action also joined us on the phone to discuss the new must-see film, Madigan: Power. Privilege. Politics.