Walmart seems to have found another way to spend the money it won't promise to pay future Chicago employees. Illinois State Board of Elections disclosures show that the Arkansas-based retailer shoveled $50,000 last month into the campaign fund of GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady. The news shouldn't come as a surprise. Last October, Brady launched his "jobs tour" at the site of the proposed Walmart store on Chicago's South Side and has praised the company repeatedly on the campaign trail. The ideological allies also like to promote "job growth" while obscuring their commitment to low wages.

On Wednesday, the full Chicago City Council will vote on a third proposed Walmart store. While Ald. Joe Moore (49th Ward) is pressuring the city’s legal department to come up with a brief determining whether the city can take the big box retailer to court if it doesn’t follow through on its handshake agreement, most aldermen seem content to let Walmart ignore its promise entirely. Barring some unforseen development, expect a quick approval later this week.