April 01--Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield.
Topspin
It's Friday, and the Chicago Teachers Union's "day of action" strike will likely dominate the news. The union has planned a series of events throughout the day, many in conjunction with other labor groups as they seek to increase the impact of the strike.
Teachers are set to picket outside schools around the city in the morning. And a large-scale rally and march in the Loop will kick off at 4 p.m. at the Thompson Center, so do yourself a favor and leave the car at home if you're heading downtown.
Meanwhile, parents are trying to figure out what to do with their kids for the day, with the Chicago Park District offering classes and the school district promoting "safe haven sites."
The union's governing body approved the strike earlier this month by a 486-124 vote, a number CTU leaders have pointed to as evidence there is broad support for the action. The strike is aimed at bringing attention to school funding issues and the union's ongoing contract talks with CPS.
But Mayor Rahm Emanuel this week alluded to the votes against the strike while urging teachers to stay in classrooms and focus their anger on the way Springfield funds education.
"I do not think this is right, and the other thing is, nor do some teachers think this is right," Emanuel said Wednesday. "And if you've looked at the vote, they don't think this is right. So I appreciate and stand with teachers in opposition to what our state's doing. I ask you not to take it out on our children and their education."
Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool echoed those talking points at a Thursday news conference, and repeated his position that the strike is illegal, though he said CPS won't discipline teachers who take part. The union contends it can legally walk out on the grounds the school district has engaged in an unfair labor practice by deciding to stop paying raises based on experience and educational attainment.
CTU and the district have been negotiating a contract for more than a year. Teachers are fighting to preserve a traditional salary schedule that provides cost-of-living increases, a "step" raise for adding a year of experience and a "lane" raise for a getting a master's degree and additional graduate credits.
Teachers also want to keep a perk that allows school districts to pay much, if not all, of union members' pension plan contributions. CPS wants to phase out that perk to save money. CTU considers that to be a steep pay cut.
What's on tap
*Mayor Rahm Emanuel has no public schedule.
*Same for Gov. Bruce Rauner.
What we're writing
*Chicago off to deadliest start since 1999
*Judge issues arrest warrant for Mel Reynolds
*Police union hires cop charged in McDonald slaying
What we're reading
*High schoolers, parents wary of Illinois colleges because of budget crisis
*Red Line cell phone jammer could avoid conviction
*Chicago more bike-friendly, less so on South, West sides
From the notebook
*Fortune lists 'craven' Emanuel: The good news for Mayor Rahm Emanuel is Fortune Magazine doesn't think he's as craven a leader as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The bad news is Emanuel still landed on the magazine's list of "The World's 19 Most Disappointing Leaders" for his handling of the fallout from the Laquan McDonald shooting.
The magazine said the mayor "redefined himself through abject capitulation," quoting at length a Chicago Tribune article about Emanuel's 180s in the wake of the release of the McDonald shooting video last fall: "Emanuel initially characterized white Officer Jason Van Dyke's decision to shoot black teen McDonald as the actions of one bad cop before later saying his Police Department needed 'complete and total reform.' He stood by former police Superintendent Garry McCarthy before firing him. He objected to a Justice Department civil rights investigation before welcoming one. And he fought the release of the shooting video before admitting he was wrong to do so after a judge forced his hand."
Emanuel's reversals earned him the "Second Most Breathtakingly Craven Political Move of the Year" prize on the list, behind Christie's endorsement of Donald Trump after dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Christie had scathingly criticized Trump before changing course and backing him.
Fortune called the competition for cravenness between Christie and Emanuel "our most hotly contested category."
Also joining Emanuel on the most disappointing leaders list are the likes of pharma-bro Martin Shkreli and disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter. (John Byrne)
*Pizza, Pizza: The wild presidential contests took a brief back seat, or should we say a salad plate, to the Twitter battle that took place Thursday between CNN political anchor Jake Tapper and Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton over, of all things, pizza.
Roskam had tweeted the news that a museum devoted to pizza was opening up in Chicago. That prompted Tapper to reply: "Doesn't make much sense given the bread pie Chicago thinks is pizza."
Roskam responded by tweeting: "...and they say the media isn't biased."
Tapper's cheesy response: ".@PeterRoskam i think that cheese and tomato casserole y'all serve up is delicious."
The congressman's saucy reply: ".@jaketapper I guess those pieces of paper they serve with Kraft cheese up in New York aren't so bad either."
Tapper quickly made clear that he wasn't a New Yorker, and instead hailed from Philadelphia, so attacking New York pizza was "meaningless."
Roskam then crustily went after Tapper: "New York pizza folds more easily than a Philadelphia sports team."
The back-and-forth continued until Roskam proposed a taste test on CNN between Chicago deep dish and a Philly "Cheesewhiz" sandwich. Tapper agreed, but only with an "impartial jury."
That prompted Roskam's colleague, Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren of Plano, to join in with an offer: "I'll judge."
Tapper's half-baked reply to Roskam and Hultgren: "here we go, bunch of Chicago pols stuffing the ballot box again... This time with thick crusted bread casseroles." (Rick Pearson)
*Students support Senate university spending bill: Students and faculty gathered Thursday at the University of Illinois at Springfield in support of a $3.8 million Senate spending bill that would fund the state's struggling universities and scholarships that low-income students were promised.
For student program adviser Justin Rose, that meant banging his hands against the glass windows of a residential hall to get students' attention, waving them inside, where they filled out postcards that will later be mailed to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's office.
"I'm the recruiter," he joked, explaining to the group of students he wrangled that the Senate measure is a chance for the university to receive funding after ten months without a budget.
"This impasse is ridiculous. Some of them have already accrued debt, and if they can't finish out and get the degree that allows them to repay that debt, you've crippled them."
The bill, which has already passed the Senate and now heads to the House for consideration, aims to fund not just higher education, but a variety of social services and programs. Rauner has called the bill a "cruel hoax," saying there's no way to pay for what's proposed without reforms, and has vowed to veto piecemeal spending efforts.
If passed, the measure would also provide about $400 million for Monetary Award Program, or MAP grants, scholarships promised to low-income students before the school year begins. Most students worried they'd have to repay the grants the school floated to them in anticipation of an end to the standoff. (Celeste Bott)
Follow the money
*Track campaign contribution reports in real time with this Tribune Twitter account: https://twitter.com/ILCampaignCash
Beyond Chicago
*Presidential race, Republican side: Wisconsin backlash against Trump?
*Presidential race, Democratic side: Sanders targeting Clinton superdelegates
