* There’s been a lot of talk amongst the chattering classes about Rahm Emanuel’s future, even though he hasn’t even been sworn in yet. Some have suggested that he might even run for governor, which I find highly unlikely. A Chicago mayor running statewide? More than tough. Emanuel might possibly have tipped his hand in a recent magazine interview…
In an upcoming GQ interview, Emanuel omits Quinn’s job from his list of the top five chief exec jobs in the country.
† Rahm’s pick: “The president, the governor of California, the governor of New York, the mayor of New York and the mayor of Chicago. I hope I am not insulting anybody else, and if I am insulting a governor somewhere, I apologize.”
He’s probably right about that list.
* For months now, the chatterers have speculated about how Emanuel would deal with Ald. Ed Burke. Burke was just too powerful to roll, they mostly said. Maybe not…
In letting word out that Chicago Ald. Edward Burke (14th) gets to keep the chairmanship of a somewhat diminished Finance Committee in the new City Council, there’s a suggestion of civility in both Burke and Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel that papers over what actually happened. […]
But the pow-wow at 40th ward Ald. Patrick O’Connor’s house aside, this is a lot less about two titans choosing to put their swords down than about the aftermath of a battle that’s already been won – and lost.
And have no doubt about it, Burke lost. And it was epic. That he gets to stay on as chair of the Finance Committee is not a sign of enduring power. What Emanuel is doing is letting him keep the crown while looting his kingdom.
We already know that there will be a new committee, the Workforce Development and Audit Committee, headed by O’Connor, the new mayor’s floor leader. The new committee will take over the most important thing the Finance Committee did under Burke: It will shepherd every single piece of proposed legislation to the City Council.
So it will now be Emanuel’s man, O’Connor, not Burke, who will have the power to move or kill legislation without even taking a council vote. (Yes, it has been an awesome power.)
* Meanwhile, Emanuel chose Matt Hynes as his Intergovernmental Affairs director. Some speculated when Emanuel brought Hynes into the campaign that it was simply a political move to ingratiate himself with the Hynes family. But Hynes was far more than that. And now he’s the top city lobbyist. He also has what appears to be his first win…
In the House, a sweeping education reform package moved a step closer to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, who has promised to sign it. The proposal would make it easier to dump bad teachers, prevent strikes and lengthen school days — a wish of Chicago mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel. The measure, which has passed the Senate, moves to the House floor.
The House did not amend the bill to make it more hostile to the teachers unions, as Speaker Madigan has been threatening to do for weeks. Getting the governor a “clean” bill is a win for Emanuel’s team. More on that topic…
The bill makes major changes to teacher tenure and how teachers are hired, fired and reassigned.
The hang-ups involve provisions affecting Chicago Public Schools, not downstate districts. The bill makes it harder for Chicago teachers to strike by requiring 75 percent of members to agree to a strike before it can be called. The CTU wants to make sure that only members of the union count when it comes to tallying such votes, not CPS personnel who fall under the CTU collective bargaining agreement and are assessed dues by the union but are not union members.
The CTU, which is a subsidiary of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, also wants to ensure that the bill’s provisions do not interfere with a case the union has before the Educational Labor Relations Board having to do with layoffs in the district.
“Since passage (in the Senate), a few cracks have developed,” said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, one of the bill’s sponsors. “There are a couple of issues upon which now there is a dispute as to whether the language actually reflects the agreements that were made. How to make those changes is still the subject of continuing debate.”
The changes will be made in a trailer bill. Team Emanuel also managed to hold up a school closure bill until they could negotiate changes…
A bill that stalled in the House, which would force Chicago Public Schools to plan ahead for school closures and capital expenditures, remains a work in progress, according to the bill’s sponsor. […]
Soto described the bill as an accountability measure created with the cooperation of Chicago Public Schools that would simply force them to establish and then follow their own policies on school closures. With Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel being sworn in Monday, his education team wanted to take an extra look at the language, Soto said.
“Senate Bill 620 is being negotiated with (Emanuel’s) education team,” she said. “With the new administration, new education team, we’re going to be courteous and let them review the bill.”
* Related…
* Mayor Daley’s optional $1.1 million retirement fund - The mayor could take his campaign cash with him. But will he?
* Entrance interview: Rahm Emanuel - The incoming mayor shares his plans to improve summer music festivals, fight food deserts and more.
* Examining the future of arts in Mayor-elect Emanuel’s administration
* Emanuel, Claypool should focus on improving the CTA’s service, experts and riders say
* A new affordable housing plan for Chicago - City Council passes deal for TIF cash to be used to buy, rehab foreclosed homes
- bored now - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:23 am:
perhaps the mayor could cash out his campaign account and use it to pay for the security protection he desires…
- Bill - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:26 am:
I’d love to see Rahm become governor and battle it out Little Mike Madigan. It would be like midget wrestling.
- Shore - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:28 am:
you also missed the clip of daley wanting a permanent tribute exhibit to him and his father in the city library. I don’t like bored now, his politics or his agenda, but I agree, this has gotten slightly ridiculous and he hasn’t even left office yet. When the legally blind former governor of new york left office-david patterson, the following day he had no car, no staff, no nothing, he was just a regular citizen, as he should be and he didn’t demand any of those things either. same thing with governor pataki. Bear in mind, he is legally blind and needed someone to help him with his affairs (apparently he had been in public office his entire adult life and so had taxpayer funded help). Daley’s sense of entitlement walking out the door is a slap in the face at the city especially considering the times and the cuts that are being made right now on people and services a lot more important than his wife’s transportation.
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:35 am:
I’ve certainly been a chatterer on both counts. Emanuel’s big, citywide win without a runoff cured me of any thoughts that Burke could maintain a power base in opposition.
If Emanuel ever wants to run for president, and I suspect he does, a run for governor would be a logical path. But a lot of cards have to fall the right way to take that chance.
Governor of California a great job? That state’s so tied up with contradictory binding referendums you can barely make a move.
- Shore - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:37 am:
the chances of mayor emanuel succeeding president obama are slim and none. the last time a president succeeded a president from the same party and state who had served 2 terms was in the early 19th century.
- This Little Piggy - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:45 am:
Top 5 chief executive positions in the country;
Apple, Microsoft, GE, Exxon, AT & T
Or are we not counting them?
- Esquire - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:54 am:
O’Connor was Emanuel’s preferred candidate to serve as a “placeholder” in the 5th Congressional District until Rahm returned to the US Congress to fulfill his former ambition to become Speaker of the House. Of course, O’Connor lost the special election to Quigley. O’Connor has never managed to win an election race when he tried to leave the City Council. He’s tried three times to reach a more important office.
Nothing like a failed Olympic bid to reshuffle the deck, is there?
- Abandon Ship - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:58 am:
The Chicago Public Library is already building the “Richard M. Daley” branch library on the West Side. Let Hizzoner put his display there.
- amalia - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 11:59 am:
meet the new boss, same as the old boss. both for the spot of mayor, and finance/Workforce Development and Audit. hey aldermen, you are being audited!!!!!!! a great new name for the same process, different committee leader.
- Yellow dog democrat - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 12:10 pm:
The big challenge for Mayor Emanuel is the budget, both the city and CPS. How he manages to deliver on his campaign promises to improve our schools without raising taxes and when theres already an $800 million deficit and more cuts on the way….if he can manage that, dont rule out the White House. “we took chicagos public schools from worst to first” is a pretty potent campaign slogan.
- ZC - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 1:29 pm:
Let’s not forget all this White House speculation probably helps Rahm’s bargaining hand. To the extent different parties see him as a possible future Prez, their incentive to suck up to him goes up, too.
I have always found it difficult to imagine President Emanuel and I consider this more political flavor-of-the-week than a serious possibility. Then again, I was wrong about Barack Obama vs Hillary in 2008.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 2:57 pm:
Good for Matt Hynes, he’ll do a great job for Rahm in that role.
- Shore - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 3:30 pm:
again, the last time a 2 term president was succeeded by someone from the same state and same party was 1816. There is no way the country will go for a 3rd bite at the chicago democrat apple.
- Wensicia - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 3:42 pm:
“…and if I am insulting a governor somewhere, I apologize.”
I’m sure Rick Perry of Texas is feeling insulted and will probably threaten to secede from the Union, again.
- Enough Already - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 3:44 pm:
Ditto, Bored Now.
Someone has GOT TO put the kabosh on the City-funded limo, driver and bodyguards for Daley. Happily, no one tried to harm him during his tenure. Why would anyone bother to hurt him now?
Besides, his bodyguards always looked THOROUGHLY bored wherever they were. Even THEY knew no one wanted to hurt him.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 4:52 pm:
@Shore -
Sounds to me you’re arguing Rahm 2020…which would sound about right. Two terms as Mayor, then look out.
- Bill - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 4:52 pm:
==. I don’t like bored now==
That’s a little harsh isn’t it shore. He’s not a bad ol’ guy even if he is a little idealistic and somewhat refreshingly naive. After all, he worked in the Reagan administration. You guys have a lot in common. You shouldn’t get personal in this business.
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 5:04 pm:
“The CTU wants to make sure that only members of the union count when it comes to tallying such votes, not CPS personnel who fall under the CTU collective bargaining agreement and are assessed dues by the union but are not union members.”
If the union is calling a strike, it is on behalf of the entire collective bargaining population, not just the union. If the teacher’s union wants to exclude their collective bargaining unit members from the vote, is it not appropriate to allow those same members to totally opt out of their dues? It boils down to wanting the excluded members’ money and nothing else.
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 5:32 pm:
–You shouldn’t get personal in this business.–
LOL, just know your ABCs, Always Be Cool.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 5:59 pm:
@Cincinattus -
I think the SJR story might be a little off.
I believe the issue is whether a strike requires the approval of 75% of members or VOTING members.
Its the difference between requiring 60% of ballots cast or 60% of registered voters to adopt a Constitutional amendment.
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 6:08 pm:
YDD,
Do you know if the dues-paying members are voting members or only those that pay the dues and the small amount they can opt out of (supposedly for political activities).
- chi - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 6:18 pm:
all dues-paying members are voting members.
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 6:23 pm:
Thanks, chi.
Given YDD’s addition, how is this then parsed for meaning?
“The CTU wants to make sure that only members of the union count when it comes to tallying such votes, not CPS personnel who fall under the CTU collective bargaining agreement and are assessed dues by the union but are not union members.”
- polititude - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 9:15 pm:
This is why I love WBEZ: Burke’s Finance Committee used to
“shepherd every single piece of proposed legislation to the City Council.” Wrong. Not even close. And Burke had “the power to move or kill legislation without even taking a council vote. (Yes, it has been an awesome power.)” Sorry, wrong again. And Burke’s Finance Committee controlled “all expenditures? ” Nope. again. Under Burke, almost all of the council’s legal work has run through Finance.” Wrong, wrong, wrong. The guy is influential, but get your facts straight BEZ.
- dave - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 9:16 pm:
If the teacher’s union wants to exclude their collective bargaining unit members from the vote, is it not appropriate to allow those same members to totally opt out of their dues?
If the teachers want a voice in how their dues are used, then they should vote.
Do you also think that, in order to win a political election, a candidate should be required to get 50%+1 of all registered voters (or even all people above voting age)?
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, May 12, 11 @ 10:01 pm:
dave,
I don’t think that’s the point being shown in the quote. It says that the CTU wants to exclude CPS people that pay union dues, but are not union members. If they are part of the collective bargaining unit, they should be allowed to vote for the strike, whether or not they are in the union since they are being held to the collective bargain, no?
- Conservative Republican - Friday, May 13, 11 @ 9:24 am:
==A Chicago mayor running statewide? More than tough. ==
Yes, but there was one. Edward Dunne, Mayor in 1905 and later elected Governor in 1912. And he was a Catholic, the first, I believe, in both offices.
- best jobs - Monday, May 16, 11 @ 6:44 am:
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