So far, we’ve observed the debate about how Chicago’s street sweeping is conducted from afar, following the debate through other local media. But switching to a grid system as Mayor Daley has proposed — rather than the ward-by-ward approach currently in place — strikes us an innocuous, completely rational reform and one that deserves passage if it saves the city money. These are brutal budget times, after all.

We’ve heard Ald. Fioretti argue for the same (he’s backing the mayor on this one) many times. Consider Fioretti’s 2nd Ward, stretching from Bronzeville on the South to West Garfield Park. It’s simply inefficient to pretend this map, a political one, should guide how services like streetsweeping are deployed.

We back Daley and Fioretti on this one.