Jan. 05--Gov. Bruce Rauner started off the new year swinging, offering vague criticism of Mayor Rahm Emanuel over his handling of police-involved shootings and vowing to sign legislation that would allow voters to recall Chicago mayors in the unlikely event the measure reaches his desk.
Rauner also renewed his stance that Chicago Public Schools should not expect financial relief from the state to prevent teacher layoffs unless Emanuel helps push through the Republican governor's agenda to weaken labor union rights and prop up the business community.
The governor's comments came at a news conference in Oak Brook to unveil a plan drafted by Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti to try to consolidate the state's vast network of government units, which the administration has blamed in part for Illinois' high property tax rates.
Asked for his assessment of Emanuel's performance in office, given the school system's money woes and the continued fallout after police-involved shootings, Rauner said his longtime friend and former business associate "inherited a mess" but has done little in the way to overhaul how the city operates.
The governor declined to get into specifics regarding the Chicago Police Department, citing an ongoing federal civil rights investigation, but did offer a broad criticism of Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, who is seeking re-election in the March Democratic primary.
"I am very disappointed in the mayor and the state's attorney of Cook County, very disappointed," Rauner said. "I am not going to say more than that right now."
Rauner said he would sign legislation that's been introduced to allow voters to recall the city's mayor, but noted his attorneys determined the bill would not apply to Emanuel's current term but only mayors elected in the future. Regardless, the measure is unlikely to gain much momentum in the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.
Despite his tough words on Emanuel, Rauner again called on the mayor to help shepherd his agenda through the legislature. It's not the first time Rauner has tied the issues together as Emanuel and school officials look to place the blame on Springfield for teacher layoffs if the state doesn't offer assistance.
"If Chicago is either opposing reform for the state, which so far they are, or staying silent and letting the speaker block reform ... no, I am sorry, we are not doing things to help the city of Chicago," Rauner said Monday.
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton is pushing legislation that would freeze property taxes for two years and give Chicago Public Schools about $200 million in pension relief. The plan also seeks to overhaul the state's complex education funding formula and allow CPS to levy a tax to pay for teacher pensions.
