Here we go again
Tuesday, Aug 23, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The back and forth sniping between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Pat Quinn just won’t end. You already know the background. Here’s the latest…
Emanuel said he wants the money a casino would generate to pay for major, job-creating infrastructure projects around the city, including modernizing antiquated underground water pipes that damage streets when they burst. Chicago, he said, can’t count on Washington or Illinois lawmakers to come up with all the necessary money.
“There is no other place but the casino to make the investment in Chicago’s economic competitiveness,” Emanuel said at a City Hall news conference touting his accomplishments as he marks his 100th day in office this week. […]
The governor’s office shot back at Emanuel after the mayor made his comments Monday, pointing out that Chicago has been the recipient of infrastructure projects because of a statewide capital construction program that Quinn championed.
“Gov. Quinn does not think that the state or the city can gamble its way to prosperity. He has led with other ways to keep the region competitive and put more people to work, most notably the capital plan, which is serving as the largest infrastructure investment in city history and has provided more than $1 billion for Chicago school, road and other local projects to strengthen our economic recovery,” Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said. [Added another paragraph because some people were getting the wrong idea about Emanuel’s comment.]
It’s like the governor’s office is in campaign mode. Never let a statement go unanswered.
The risk here is that Chicago ends up with its casino, but the mayor is still very unhappy. An unhappy mayor is not something that the governor will want to deal with. Such a situation will lead to all sorts of legislative and media problems. Chicago legislators could be pulled off Quinn’s initiatives in retaliation, for instance, and the Chicago media almost always takes the mayor’s side against any governor.
* And this may not abate any time soon. Check out Gov. Quinn’s media event plans today…
Governor Pat Quinn will announce a major Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction project that will improve regional transportation and create jobs in Chicago.
Yeah. Just rub it in some more, governor.
Sheesh.
Call a truce, willya?
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 9:58 am:
Good day for Quinn to talk about Illinois Jobs Now!
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8321272
- JG - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:05 am:
Rahm will be around a lot longer than Quinn, and at least the Mayor has a plan.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:06 am:
So Quinn touts the capital plan as an alternative to gambling without ever acknowledging that a key financial component of the capital plan is video poker, which is arguably the biggest gaming expansion in state history, which he supported and signed.
- Spliff - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:09 am:
If Quinn fully veto’s the gambling bill, when he gets it, would we have enough votes in each chamber to set up a recall?
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:12 am:
- which is arguably the biggest gaming expansion in state history -
Please, those machines were already in place. I remember playing them in the bowling alley back home when I was a little kid. The only expansion in the video poker law was the regulation.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:14 am:
–“There is no other place but the casino to make the investment in Chicago’s economic competitiveness,” Emanuel said at a City Hall news conference touting his accomplishments as he marks his 100th day in office this week. […]–
For real, dude? What hyperbole.
A casino is fine, but Chicago ain’t Mayberry. It’s a great, big economic powerhouse, and in the great scheme of things a casino will be just another option for your disposable dollar.
Some insiders will make big money up front, there will be some jobs, but it’s not like it’s a Ford plant.
Yeesh, Emanuel the never-ending spin doctor. His first “100 Days?’ Does he think he’s FDR or Reagan or something?
- Niles Township - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:16 am:
There is no other place but the casino to make the investment in Chicago’s economic competitiveness
——————————
What a sad assessment of the our economic potential by our new mayor. Can we really do no better?
- Cassiopeia - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:17 am:
Quinn is recall-proof no matter how goofy he gets since Simon would become Governor if he is recalled. How is that for an insurance policy?
- OneMan - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:19 am:
Is he going to announce the flyover again?
At this point I think this is Pat trying to show downstate he is not giving in to Chicago
- MrJM - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:21 am:
Give ‘em each a Super Soaker, lock ‘em in a room for 20 minutes and then tell ‘em to get back to work.
– MrJM
- Dooley Dudright - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:22 am:
Heh. Reminds me of the mid-seventies, and the vitriol between Gov. Walker and Mayor Daley-the-Elder.
Which in part helped Jim Thompson become governor. Which in turn led to a quarter-century Republican lock on the governorship.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:23 am:
Guess the honeymoon is over…they’re both really stubborn men…pass the popcorn…
- siriusly - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:27 am:
Speaker Madigan must be enjoying this. Quinn gets pushed around and made to look weak and Madigan doesn’t have to be the one doing it.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:27 am:
–What a sad assessment of the our economic potential by our new mayor. Can we really do no better?–
We can and we are. That privately financed skyline wasn’t built at a blackjack table.
Emanuel is engaging in hyperbole because he wants a bright, shiny new thing that he can put his name on.
Jackie Leavy from the old Neighborhood Capital Development Group could pound lumps on his head explaining how some strategically placed Rebar and concrete can spin off a lot more jobs than another casino.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:32 am:
===Reminds me of the mid-seventies, and the vitriol between Gov. Walker and Mayor Daley-the-Elder.===
Not quite yet. But you’d think that PQ would want to avoid Walker’s fate, especially since he worked for the guy. Yeah, he was a ghost payroller, but he was still in the administration.
- Retired Non-Union Guy - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:34 am:
Cassiopeia - “Quinn is recall-proof no matter how goofy he gets since Simon would become Governor if he is recalled. How is that for an insurance policy?”
Maybe not. Could Sheila actually do any worse than Quinn has?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:38 am:
I think people in Illinois are too busy working and having, you know, actual lives to engage in recall nonsense.
Leave that mess to the Cheeseheads the Californolocos.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:43 am:
===Quinn is recall-proof no matter how goofy he gets since Simon would become Governor if he is recalled. How is that for an insurance policy?===
Not that it’ll happen, but she would only be the interim governor. A special election will be held to replace the removed governor.
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con3.htm
- soccermom - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:44 am:
STL — did your mom know you were playing video poker at the bowling alley? I hope you have now recovered from your misspent youth…
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:48 am:
Soccermom - Sure she did, I’m just mad no one told me I could actually get money when I won. You’ve also met me a couple times, next time I see you I’ll let you judge for yourself if I’ve recovered.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:54 am:
I probably should have included more of Emanuel’s quote. He wasn’t saying that the casino would be the be-all, end-all. He was saying the cash from the casino would provide the needed money to invest in Chicago’s infrastructure. I think I’ll go back and expand on this.
- soccermom - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 10:55 am:
STL — I believe I’ve met your mother, too. Let’s just hope she doesn’t read CapFax.
- Jaded - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 11:09 am:
===Call a truce, will ya?===
What are you getting soft in your old age Rich? I’d think a war between the Mayor and the Governor is something political reporters dream about.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 11:20 am:
===I’d think a war between the Mayor and the Governor is something political reporters dream about. ===
True.
But I’m also a citizen.
- Sinister - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 11:55 am:
What is Quinn thinking? Does he really think he can win against the Rahmbo? I’m no Rahm fan, but I do see him to be much savvier, smarter, and ahead of the curve than Quinn. Chicago needs the revenue and jobs. Sign the bill, governor!
- downstate hack - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 12:20 pm:
which is arguably the biggest gaming expansion in state history -
Please, those machines were already in place. I remember playing them in the bowling alley back home when I was a little kid. The only expansion in the video poker law was the regulation.
The problem is the ineptness of Quinn’s buddies at the Gaming board have failed miserably despite $14 million in funding to get the regulations done in two years. Disgraceful!!!
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 12:40 pm:
- The problem is the ineptness of Quinn’s buddies at the Gaming board have failed miserably despite $14 million in funding to get the regulations done in two years. Disgraceful!!! -
That’s a different argument. Either way, somehow I’ll go about my day.
- Cook County Commoner - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 1:16 pm:
Since both Mayor Emmanuel and Governor Ryan apparently have abandoned any thought of bringing good paying, long term jobs to Chicago and the state, the revival of Chicago as a sin city needs serious attention. We should be concerned about a Navy Pier casino opening 18 miles from Des Plaines’ Rivers Casino. Dilution of gaming proceeds appears to be a real concern. Why should Chicago and Des Plaines compete for the same marks? Leave local gaming in Des Plaines but allow Chicago to resurrect its past glory as a world class brothel town. Bring back emporiums reminiscent of the Levee District and the Everleigh Sisters Club. Don’t we already have the necessary infrastructure via CTA to connect these gaming and sex destinations? Besides, casinos are expensive to erect. Plenty of hotels already in downtown Chicago could do double duty, making Chicago’s new red light district ready to provide low wage jobs and enrich local pols almost immediately.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 1:52 pm:
CCC-
“Governor Ryan…” Um, huh? You mean the one in prison?
- wishbone - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 1:57 pm:
We have a serious mayor and the ultimate unserious governor. The mayor is trying to address the city’s financial problems while the governor attends nonsense ceremonial events and has no clue how to proceed to deal with the state’s imminent financial collapse.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 2:05 pm:
–and has no clue how to proceed to deal with the state’s imminent financial collapse.–
How does one “proceed to deal” with an “imminent financial collapse,” anyway?
And since it’s “imminent,” what day are we talking about? Tomorrow? Thursday? Prince Spaghetti Day?
And what will the “collapse” look like, what will it entail?
Talk about serious and unserious.
- wishbone - Tuesday, Aug 23, 11 @ 11:48 pm:
As the Federal government takes action to implement its needed deficit reduction by (in part) reducing aid to the states the “imminency” will become apparent to all. In the face of this reality only an unserious politician (like Quinn) would continue with his business as usual approach. What we need is a hard discussion of what each level of government should be doing to reduce duplication of effort and to focus on essential services. I hear nothing of this from Quinn but quite a bit of this from Emmanual.