* Another Tribune editorial that conceals important information…
Mayor Richard Daley spoke for many Illinoisans Monday when he evoked a “Springfield bubble” in which lawmakers are oblivious to the economy around them and unwilling to bleed inefficiencies out of their operations. [Daley’s] government’s latest economizing involves asking vendors to renegotiate their contracts with a goal of cutting the city’s costs. Last week he announced an audit of health benefit rolls to purge ineligible employees or dependents — people who aren’t entitled to city-paid medical care but who receive it courtesy of taxpayers
The editorial was based on this story…
“We’re doing everything here, and the state and federal governments are not doing that,” Daley said, adding he wasn’t pointing fingers at specific politicians. “It does get you upset. You figure why are they immune from the economy — that people are suffering.
“They don’t understand that this is a national recession. They are living in — they call it the Washington or Springfield bubble.”
And this one…
“There isn’t one state employee or federal employee taking any time off. You wonder, why not? Don’t they realize that this is a national recession? Don’t they realize that people are suffering? There’s where the disgruntled attitude is — that they don’t get it. … They’re living in the Washington or Springfield bubble.”
Not one mention in any story or the Tribune’s editorial that Daley totally and unequivocably opposes a plan by Gov. Pat Quinn to slash state funding to local governments. Not one mention in the Tribune editorial that the paper is on record supporting an even deeper cut to local government funding. And not one mention in any story that the state does, indeed, have a furlough program for non-union employees.
The Tribune, as we’ve discussed before, is also on record supporting a move to slash pension benefits for current state and local government employees. I’ve already told you that the edit board bases its position on a report by Sidley Austin, a lawfirm which represents the Trib’s parent company in bankruptcy proceedings. The Tribune led off a pension cut editorial yesterday with a quote from Eden Martin of the Civic Committee. Not mentioned in the editorial is that Martin is “of counsel” to - you guessed it - Sidley Austin.
* Meanwhile, a story plastered all over today is absolutely no surprise. Rahm Emanuel has thought about running for mayor for a very long time. Before he got it into his head that he could be US House Speaker, mayor was at the top of his list. Now that the Speaker’s job is out of the question, mayor is back on the wish list…
In an interview with PBS host Charlie Rose to be run late Monday night, Emanuel said he does not plan to run against Mayor Richard M. Daley, but he has his sights on the office if the mayor decides to retire one day,
“I hope Mayor Daley seeks reelection. I will work and support him if he seeks reelection,” Emanuel said. “But if Mayor Daley doesn’t, one day I would like to run for mayor of the City of Chicago. That’s always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives.”
The transcript is here.
Video…
*** UPDATE 1 *** From The Hill…
In an interview with The Hill last week before Emanuel’s appearance on PBS, Gutierrez said Emanuel “better stay in the White House.”
“He’s not to get my endorsement anytime soon. He should stay in the White House, but then he can go make millions in investment banking,” Gutierrez said, referencing the Wall Street job Emanuel held between his post in the Clinton White House and his run for Congress in 2002.
Gutierrez, a Latino leader who has represented Chicago in the House since 1992, has criticized Emanuel’s performance as chief of staff and has expressed anger at what he sees as a lackluster push by the Obama administration for comprehensive immigration reform.
The 56-year-old lawmaker has also considered running for mayor himself, but in the interview he insisted he is not going to be leaving Congress any time soon.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Chicago Sun-Times political reporter hotshot Abdon Pallasch’s Twitter feed…
Gov. Quinn on ‘Mayor’ Rahm: “I thought ‘The World’ was enough. Ambitious fellow.”
LIVE session coverage...
- anon - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 8:41 am:
I’m for Rahm.
- Cindy Lou - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 8:44 am:
There is also a volunteer furlough program in progress for some of the state union employees, Mr. Mayor.
- Goglamintiona - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 8:46 am:
I thought all large contracts are under review, and state employees are definitely taking furlough days. Daley seems wrong on both issues.
- Bill - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 8:48 am:
It sounds like Daley has joined the tea party movement. Another so called democrat showing his true colors.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 8:50 am:
I and pretty much everybody else believe that Mayor Daley will run for another term, so why is Rahm bringing this up now. Seems like this kind of behavior could only annoy people. Hopefully, when the Mayor steps down, the citizens of Chicago will demand a chance to evaluate other potential candidates. But maybe not. In so many ways, the Machine still runs Chicago.
The White House does have a way of chewing up its chiefs of staff and spitting them out fast. Could Rahm be having a career crisis already?
- Bongo Furry - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 8:56 am:
Hardly anybody at the city believes Daley will run again. He turned over hiring to the Inspectors Office. He did that to keep his buddies appointments safe after he leaves. If he was running again, there is no way on earth he would have given up his right to hire his people.
- ABCBoy - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 8:56 am:
===
I and pretty much everybody else believe that Mayor Daley will run for another term, so why is Rahm bringing this up now. Seems like this kind of behavior could only annoy people.
===
It’s likely a trial-balloon to see how it’s received. Not that Rahm needs any “permission” from the average joe voter of course. But floating the idea, getting media reactions, and putting the Machine on notice of his interest could be useful.
Then, if behind the scenes certain major elements of the Machine don’t rally around him, he can set his sights on either shoving Quigley aside and re-claiming his Congressional seat, shoving Alexi aside and running for US Senate, or making a gazillion dollars as a lobbyist or investment banker w/ the golden rolodex.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 9:04 am:
===Hardly anybody at the city believes Daley will run again===
Which city? lol
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 9:09 am:
I can never get this straight: does Daley think of himself as the visionary and uber-manager he’s claiming to be today, or is he the guy who knows nothing and can’t control anything around him, like in Hired Truck and when relatives get sweet city business and deals?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 9:14 am:
Daley is mayor of Chicago, not governor or president. His job and his oath of office was to do his best for Chicago, not Illinois or the United States of America. Those governments already have leaders.
Consequentially, during a severe economic downturn, a mayor should do everything to prevent harming the city. This means fighting a governor or a president whose politics depends on shafting Chicago to save their skins.
So, yeah - this means that during tough times, Chicago has a mayor who thinks of his responsibilities first, and if this counters the political moves of governments around it, even within his own political party, then Daley is still going with his home town.
Daley has led on this. He has publically taken a great deal of crap from Chicagoans whose toes he has felt needed to be step on, in order to meet budget. He has taken steps that neither Quinn nor Obama have taken, but should take. Daley has the political ability after years on the job with little political opposition, to take these steps, while neither Quinn nor Obama can.
Quinn has had over a year to act, without acting. Quinn has shown no willingness to take a stand and remain standing. Politicians like Quinn and Obama try to give citizens the false impression that during the worse economic times in decades, everything is A-OK. It isn’t, and they have been exposed as liars playing politics.
Mayors are usually closer to voters and citizens than governors, congresspeople, or presidents. Look at the polls. After years of failure, gridlock and bankruptcy, voters are no longer believing that government solves problems. As a result, it should be no surprise that Daley refuses to play along. While one can point out how Daley easily muffs details during his interviews and during press conferences, this is a family trait common to Chicagoans who have for years felt that they could trust Daleys to think of Chicago first as mayors of Chicago.
As to the Tribune’s lack of transparency here - that isn’t professional.
As to Rahm Emanuel’s dream of becoming a Chicago mayor, somehow I can’t shake the image of Stalin. Emanuel has repeatedly demonstrated a personal need to play revenge politics. Worse, he is successful at it. History shows that at what men succeed at doing, they continue to do whenever challenged. Emanuel isn’t suited for the job.
- State Mope - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 9:19 am:
Maybe Daley is living in a Chicago bubble. Non-union State employees are taking 12 furlough days.
- Paul - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 9:37 am:
I don’t think anyone can predict with any confidence what Daley is going to do — he might not even know himself whether he wants to run again.
But Rahm is thisclose to Bill Daley, so he’s getting some well-placed vibes that Rich is at least thinking about pulling the plug.
As far as Rahm’s prospects for getting elected mayor are concerned, I don’t think he’ll be a very effective candidate. Too abrasive, too egotistical, and too much of a behind-the-scence process guy. Not sure the voters are going to want a political deal-maker as mayor, (Speaker of the House — sure, but not mayor.) Then again, he’ll raise more money than anyone else, and that might be tough to beat.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 9:54 am:
Great lets take the Daley comments and put them in the preamble to a ill to withold the city/local money.
Not only are non-union State employeestaking mandatory furlough, but AFSCME folks are using voluntary furlough to help out the State as well.
Didnt chicago just waste a lot of money on settlment of patronage claims? here is a tip for cutting waste, stop giving money to the Chicago Bubble of corruption and patronage.
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 10:04 am:
I am not certain what Daley will do, but two factors will probably play a major role in his decision: Maggie’s health, and the number of watchdogs crawling up his rear and getting in the way of who he wants to hire/contracts, and his my way or the highway style of management…
I am not defending Daley, but I think his comments pertain to the rank and file lawmakers. not constitutional officers…IMHO, no one in state government has more sway than Ritchie in the day to day goings on of their fiefdoms…not even Mike Madigan…
I thought that Cohen would run for Governor after his good showing in February…another monkey wrench in Dem aspirations and business as usual…
Claypool and Cohen have just made this election way more interesting…
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 10:41 am:
So, there you have it.
Gutierrez is signalling that the time has come for Chicago’s Hispanic citizens to make a run on their own. If Emanuel is assuming their support - he isn’t going to get it easily.
- "Old Timer Dem" - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 10:44 am:
The only thing that Rahm is sure of is that he wants more power!
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 10:45 am:
VM: We agree, fasten your seatbelts folks, it’s going to be one hell of a ride…
- Amalia - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 10:52 am:
this is absolutely nothing new from Luis. He has been mouthing off about running for mayor since just after Daley won in 1989. Luis is all about Luis.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 10:57 am:
What you are saying about Luis, they used to say about Jesse Jackson - before Harold Washington.
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 11:03 am:
Amalia: LOL! El Raton habla…
- Conservative Veteran - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 11:10 am:
Chicago should elect a Republican, for mayor. If that happens, we’ll have lower tax rates, lower spending, and less corruption.
- Brennan - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 11:12 am:
=I and pretty much everybody else believe that Mayor Daley will run for another term, so why is Rahm bringing this up now.=
The bigger news is Rahm admits the dream to be Speaker of the House remains a dream.
Rahm has plenty of leverage to engineer a partnership for himself right now. He still has time to flip a few more coins to ease the pain of Gutierrez.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 11:12 am:
Oh my, even the thought of a potential primary contest for mayor between Rahm and Luis G. is almost mind numbing: Two loud mouthed, entrenched, and policy driven politicians whose very names would conger up for many voters thoughts of future abrasive and shrill press conferences coupled with a highly charged partisan atmosphere in the “city that works”. Maybe mayor Daley, who I believe truly loves this city and its people, will conger up those same scary images and that will make him decide to run again.
- Brennan - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 11:15 am:
=Didnt chicago just waste a lot of money on settlment of patronage claims?=
Waste? Did you mean to say fertilizer?
- bored now - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 11:59 am:
Responsa: i’d assume that when daley finally decides to hang it up (or for some other reason, he’s not on the ballot), the flood gates will break. i think you’ll see a lot of ambitious politicians in chicago look hard at the race — especially since very few of them will have to give up their own offices to run for mayor…
- Lincoln Parker - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 12:38 pm:
I don’t agree with the mayor, but he has done a good job at centralizing his power. I am afraid of the day when he is not mayor, because there will be a power grab that has not been seen around here for a very long time, and it isn’t going to be pretty.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 1:40 pm:
–I am afraid of the day when he is not mayor, because there will be a power grab that has not been seen around here for a very long time, and it isn’t going to be pretty.–
Lincoln Parker, don’t be afraid. When Daley is no longer mayor, the sun will come up and the lake will still be there. And the boogie man won’t get you.
It amazes me that people think Daley is the indispensable mayor. What makes anyone think that?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 1:44 pm:
===What makes anyone think that?===
Detroit. In other words, fear of a black “takeover” and “meltdown.” It’s nonsense. Daley has been a good mayor in the overall picture, but nobody is indispensable.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 1:55 pm:
Rich, you’re right, but that’s what’s hard to understand. There was Harold, elected twice, and Sawyer. And we’re all still here.
Back in the day, the rumble in some circles was that once a city elected a black mayor it would always elect a black mayor, and that was a sign of some inevitable decline.
Since then, New York, LA, Chicago, Philly, the biggest cities all over the country have proven that notion wrong.
Detroit is unique for many reasons. When you go from a high water mark of making half the cars in the world, the decline is bound to be long and steep.
- Stallion - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 2:34 pm:
I am curious if he would’ve asked the Duffs and the Tadins to slash 10% ? Remember that some of those venders being asked to renegotiate are Diverse Business Enterprises(minorities and woman), I hope they remember this come election time. See if we didnt have all those scandels, and mismanagement of funds, the city could negotiate a contract in good faith and pay the venders a decent wage, instead he plays to the cheers of the crowd about how he is a reformer all of a sudden (he must be drinking the Claypool kool-aid).
- Been There - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 2:36 pm:
===Detroit. In other words, fear of a black “takeover” and “meltdown.” ===
Those days are pretty much over. Most of the white people who felt that way have pretty much fled to the suburbs. There are still some that have city jobs that have to stay but a lot of them are anti-Daley anyway (cops, firemen, union workers).
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 2:37 pm:
===a lot of them are anti-Daley anyway===
Yeah, and I’m sure they all voted for Bobby Rush and Dorothy Brown.
- Stallion - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 2:41 pm:
Rich, if someone without such a radical position on race were to run against Daley, I believe we would have something to talk about here for many months to come…
- Concerned Observer - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 3:29 pm:
Just thought I’d pop in to RT the following, from Mayor Daley’s twitter account, about 3:18PM:
MayorDaley Check back later this afternoon for news regarding Rahm Emanuel.
- Been There - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 4:17 pm:
===Yeah, and I’m sure they all voted for Bobby Rush and Dorothy Brown===
A lot of them took a pass. And not voting for Bobby or Dorothy doesn’t say that someone is afraid to vote for a black person. Just shows they have a brain. Those two would be the worst mayors this city could imagine. And a lot of blacks must have agreed looking at how they voted.
- Jim - Tuesday, Apr 20, 10 @ 9:26 pm:
Maybe the reason that all governments don’t utilize furloughs is that the entire city program saves approximately $15M. It is a publicity stunt. Let him truly govern, cut some programs, lay off some employees, instead she gets to run around saying, “Look at me, I take 29 days a year off.” I hate Rahm, but right about now I’d take my chances.
- Squideshi - Wednesday, Apr 21, 10 @ 1:33 am:
==Which city? lol==
Symmerton, Illinois, I believe. (For those of you not in the know, that’s the smallest municipality in Will County.)
- Squideshi - Wednesday, Apr 21, 10 @ 1:36 am:
==Gutierrez is signalling that the time has come for Chicago’s Hispanic citizens to make a run on their own.==
Maybe a Green Party Mayor? Of course, Quinn could never support that because he’s a Democrat and that’s the camp that he’ll be in. (Summarizing.)
- Squideshi - Wednesday, Apr 21, 10 @ 1:37 am:
One last thing… I don’t think furloughs are the way to balance the budget. They shouldn’t be necessary. It’s not really a good option and shouldn’t ever be on the table, IMHO.