Good morning,

The rhetoric in the budget war engulfing the city of Chicago is getting so hot that, if we could convert it to an energy source, we'd melt all the snow on the ground in an instant.

Before we get to the city's difficulties, I'll point you to the editorial board's take on a campaign that just seemingly just won't end. Orland Park endured a mayoral race that was uncommonly nasty, especially for suburban politics, and the loser in that race doesn't seem yet to have gotten the memo that ... well ... he lost.

Speaking of those who practice grievance politics, President Donald Trump is inserting himself into a merger battle royale over the future of Warner Bros. Discovery. The edit board thinks he should butt out.

OK, now to the city's budget. Cate Plys has some excellent suggestions about the city's garbage tax, which is at the center of the current debate. I highly recommend that aldermen in the fray read her suggestions, take a breath and then consider.

Illinois really is grading on a curve when it comes to the performance of its public schools. Former GOP state Rep. Jim Nowlan raps the state's knuckles on the low expectations it has for the education of its kids.

And, finally, we have an op-ed by the head of a right-leaning D.C. think tank making a full-throated case for why more billionaires are a good thing, not a bad thing.

See what you think about all these opinions and be sure to read the views of folks like you, who write letters to the editor. Have a great day, and we'll be back tomorrow.

— Steve Daniels, editorial board member

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