Under siege
Friday, May 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ever since the Tribune poll came out last week which showed Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s poll numbers slipping, particularly with African-Americans, the Chicago media has seemed to really amp up the criticism.
For instance, check out this from a Sun-Times reporter…
Down was up and up was down as Emanuel joined business and labor leaders at McCormick Place to begin the formidable job of selling the concept of using more than $100 million in public money to bankroll a 10,000-seat arena near McCormick Place. It will become the new men’s and women’s basketball home of the DePaul Blue Demons.
It’s a tough sell. Aldermen, union leaders and local residents have questioned the mayor’s priorities at a time when Emanuel is closing 53 elementary schools, phasing out the city’s 55 percent subsidy for retiree health care and using millions in overtime to mask a shortage of police officers.
* The Tribune piled on with two editorials, one reminiscing about Mayor Daley’s parking meter disaster…
Aldermen, have your heads stopped spinning over all the details in that McCormick Place/Navy Pier megadeal announced Thursday?
If so, we have some questions for you. No, not about that megadeal. About the last megadeal. The one on revising the parking meter contract that was announced 19 days ago.
* The other…
The Elevate finance scheme may be quite different from the Soldier Field deal, but the question is the same: Who, exactly, would be responsible in the event of cost overruns, or runaway operating expenses, or insufficient hotel tax revenue, or the financial collapse of one of the players in this project — or if the facility just turns out to be a white elephant nobody patronizes?
There’s nothing inherently wrong about public-private partnerships. But tell us now: If this thing flops, who is the ultimate guarantor? Because if it’s Tommy and Tammy Taxpayer, they’re already partners in one risky financing deal on the lakefront.
* The Sun-Times wasn’t happy, either…
We’re not convinced that his big, new addition to McCormick Place — a 10,000-seat sports arena where the DePaul Blue Demons would play basketball — makes sense. Especially when $103 million in taxpayer dollars is involved. If DePaul were to use it 18 nights a year, who are these corporations, schools and conventions just dying to use it the other 347 days?
* The mayor is also playing defense over his decision to kick tens of thousands of retirees out of the city’s health insurance program…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday defended his decision to save $108.7 million-a-year by phasing out the city’s 55 percent subsidy for retiree health care and forcing 30,000 retired city employees to make the switch to ObamaCare.
hey
“There’s another way to upset people, which is saddle `em with a half-billion dollars worth of costs with no way to pay it. That, too, will have a lot of other people upset,” Emanuel said.
* Toni Preckwinkle added to the bashing…
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle broadly criticized Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s education agenda Thursday, saying the Chicago Public Schools teachers’ strike last year had provided the excuse for a sweeping school-closure plan that “weakens our public schools.”
In an exclusive interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, she suggested the mayor and his handpicked schools officials refrain from shuttering 13 of the 54 schools marked for closure. She noted that hearing officers hired to oversee the process recommended that those schools stay open. […]
“I think he came into office critical of the teachers,” she replied. “If you spend the whole year before you have to negotiate a contract insulting your teachers, I don’t know what you expect. They had a contract that said they were entitled to a raise, and then the Board of Education that he appointed refused to give it to them. That was the first summer that he came into office.”
Asked if she expected closing so many schools would trigger teacher layoffs, Preckwinkle replied, “How could it not? How could it not? It weakens the teachers’ union and I would argue it weakens our public schools. You know, one of the people in the public schools who I admire most talked to me a couple months ago — it was so depressing — the comment was, ‘I think they’re deliberately trying to destroy our public schools.’ ”
* There’s a new lawsuit…
The Chicago Teachers Union’s decision to go to court to try to stop the city from closing 53 elementary schools, while not unexpected, makes clear that the Board of Education’s vote on the proposal next week will not put an end to the controversy.
The two lawsuits, filed on behalf of parents and their special needs children, say the proposed school closings are unfair, will harm students with disabilities and are discriminatory because almost all the students affected are African-American.
* More disclosures…
Making the case to close Ericson Academy on the West Side, Chicago Public Schools officials stressed that it would cost $9.6 million to fix the 51-year-old building. What they didn’t point out in materials provided to parents was that they planned to spend nearly as much this summer on repairs to Sumner Elementary, where Ericson students would be reassigned.
District officials said one downside of Calhoun Elementary, also slated for closing, was its lack of air conditioning in every classroom. Yet records that were not part of the district’s presentation on closings show the designated replacement school, Cather Elementary, would require the installation of 33 window units to bring cooling to every room.
* And…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has returned a $10,000 campaign donation from a lobbyist for a tech firm disqualified from a city program this week after the Tribune raised questions about potential violations of the mayor’s self-imposed limits on political fundraising, an Emanuel spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.
The action by Emanuel came a day after he announced he would return $15,000 in donations from several key figures behind the CityScan tech firm that potentially violated the mayor’s executive order banning contributions from vendors seeking city business. The company was also removed from the list of firms prequalified to get a city contract under Emanuel’s municipal marketing program.
Sheesh.
- Keyrock - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 11:55 am:
I have a little sympathy for Rahm. Something has to get Chicago’s economy again. On the other hand, Rahm may be asking himself, “how do I work this?”
My questions:
Who is doing the building? The Public Building Commission?
Who gets the bond contracts?
The legal contracts?
The construction contracts?
The answer:
Into the blue again after the money’s gone.
Same as it ever was.
- Boone's is Back - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:02 pm:
Don’t quite understand Preckwinkle’s motivation on this one. She stays mum during the contract negotiations and strike, but kicks Rahm when he’s down in the polls? Yet she claims she doesn’t want to run for mayor.
- Shore - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:13 pm:
half the city council backed the new parking meter regulations without reading it, the rest of this is warmed over criticism from a county official desperate for attention and the typical skepticism of major announcements/initiatives.
hardly a firestorm and he’s still mayor/power for life if he wants it.
- Whatever - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:14 pm:
What goes around, comes around. Rahm is a bully who enjoys dishing out criticism. Let’s see if he handle the heat when it’s on him.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:16 pm:
Gee, this is sad. He’s such a warm, loveable guy, respectful of everyone he deals with.
The spin on this DePaul stadium deal is obtuse and insulting. Of course it doesn’t make any economic sense in-and-of itself. The only way it works is as an entertainment venue linked to a casino.
How about this whopper they’ve been peddling: The arena will bring in trade shows that are too big for Navy Pier and too small for McCormick Place.
Um, what trade shows meet in basketball arenas?
Besides, the McCormick Place West building was designed specifically to have the flexibility to host meetings and shows of varying sizes simultaneously. That building came on line six years ago at a cost of $900 million.
This rollout is just weird, and that’s why people are piling on.
- Keep Calm and Carry On - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:21 pm:
Strange choices by the Mayor. Very strange.
Assuming he cares about the health and well-being of Chicago’s population.
- Loop Lady - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:34 pm:
I hope Rahm enjoys his one term as Mayor and then goes back to the private sector robber barons where he belongs…
If Toni doesnt stop speaking truth to power she will be running for Mayor.
The connected white guy network ain’t working very well in todays Chicago.
- Darienite - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:34 pm:
==”Um, what trade shows meet in basketball arenas?”==
Gun shows? In all seriousness, when the Arie Crown Theatre was in the re-built McCormick Place (aka Lakeside Center), it was a 4,000 seat theatre to hold concerts. These days, conventions get entertainers to perform privately for the attendees. So McCormick needs some type of theatre in the round to have private concerts to keep conventions in Chicago. DePaul is just a pawn in this deal - they want out of Rosemont and will agree to anything.
- Responsa - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:42 pm:
I think people across the board are disappointed. The lack of much of anything positive coming out of Rahm’s no longer new administration is noticeable–and is reaching critical mass both on the street and in the media. If there’s any bright spot in this for Rahm it is that when one looks around realistically and critically at the field of weak competitors he faced in running for mayor it’s hard to imagine any one of them doing any better. Just sad all around for the city.
- Keep Calm and Carry On - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:53 pm:
WHAT? The same day Rahm holds his little tete-a-tete in favor of spending public money on the stadium, he also rolls out this dismal news about remodeling Navy Pier:
“The project will be funded by $115 million in public money, which is nearly double what was originally anticipated for this phase. There is no funding from corporate sponsorships or philanthropic donations at this point, as had been discussed at the onset.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-navy-pier-20130517,0,3917296.story
Nice job, Rahm.
- Shore - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 12:53 pm:
I’m not really sure what “new things” he was going to bring to chicago. Not like he’s Rudy replacing dinkins or bloomberg replacing rudy where you have a completely new admin coming with new ideas from different think tanks and new teams. A lot of his team is recycled daley and obama folks and ideas. This was always going to be a continuation of the status quo with his name on the front which was the purpose.
Illinois and specifically chicago more than any city and state I’ve seen values continuity in political leadership and the costs are seen every day.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 1:12 pm:
–Illinois and specifically chicago more than any city and state I’ve seen values continuity in political leadership and the costs are seen every day. –
Don’t really agree about Illinois, but the Chicago continuity observation is interesting.
It’s highly likely that without the Big Snows in January 1979, Bilandic would have kept the mayor’s seat warm until Richard M. claimed it.
Without Byrne, you don’t get the three-way race that puts Washington over the top in ‘83.
As it was, there was only 12 years between Daleys. And Rahm was certainly the family choice to take over the business.
- Just sayin' - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 1:19 pm:
This is why politicians (including Rahm’s predecessor) don’t make the hard decisions. The City and Schools are broke,folks. Rahm is taking the heat to put the City on the mend. Then we may be able to focus on kids’ educations instead of empty buildings, and jobs and economic development, instead of bankrupting annuities.
- Skeeter - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 1:35 pm:
I get the questions about the De Paul and the parking meters, but I’m amused by the outrage over school closures.
People demanded that the City cave to the teachers on the contract.
Now schools are being closed.
What did people expect? More money for teachers means fewer teachers. That seems obvious.
- dupage dan - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 1:36 pm:
I am not a fan of Rahm “you never let a serious crisis go to waste” Emanuel. However, he was making some of the tough decisions needed to get a handle on some of the cr@p that Daley left behind along w/other poorly addressed issues. That has certainly garndered some of the criticism - if you are in gov’t and you are making everyone happy, you are spending alot of money to do it. This DePaul roll/Navy Pier roll out is bizarre - just bizarre. Can’t see him getting this one going and failing to do so will weaken him considerably - either for being re-elected or moving onto another elected position. Maybe he’s looking for a cushy job @ DePaul U?
- Keep Calm and Carry On - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 1:37 pm:
=== Rahm is taking the heat to put the City on the mend. ===
Respectfully disagree. Rahm is taking heat for his choices on how to spend public funds, cost overruns and empty promises that are not panning out.
- anon - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 1:57 pm:
I think Rahm thought he’d be further along on the casino project and the DePaul facility would have been a nice enhancement. This city management thing isn’t as easy as it looks friends. I appreciate Toni offering an alternative view on the school closing issue. This is very tough and is not going to be good for anyone in this city. The heartbreak will extend deep within all our communities as we watch families with very young children try to figure this out. Not our finest hour.
- Publius - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 1:58 pm:
Let’s see if i get this…while it looked like the contractors had a chance at getting city work, he took their money. When it became clear they couldn’t get city work, he gave the money back? Doesn’t that tell us both sides saw the money as part of getting he contracts and when he couldn’t deliver, he gave them a refund?
- Just The Way It Is One - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 2:11 pm:
Whoa, I don’t know about THIS move–questionable, HIGHly questionable…it looks like Rahm just couldn’t resist making at least SOME “mark” of his OWN on the Lakefront, but is this really WISE in tough economic, debt-ridden times like THIS (while those PARKing Meters just keep on collecting from all of us who have to PARK in the City sometimes, a REPUL$ive amount of money for–$OMEBODY ELSE, and hardly for Chicago’s RESidents to benefit THEM)–and like DePaul (consistently quite LOUSY Basketball team for several years running now!) really NEEDed this new Venue, (why not LOYOLA–at least THEY once actually WON a National Championship in my lifetime), let alone questions lingering about just WHO WILL fill up the facility on all of those HUNdreds of OTHer, open dates on the Calendar???!!!
And, worse yet, funded strictly by the TAXpayers’ hard-earned PUBlic–ONLY monies Emanuel has the purse strings over?!! Again, I repeat, questionable–HIGHly questionable Rahm…!
- Niles Township - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 2:20 pm:
He’s fixing many of Daley’s mistakes while making some new ones of his own. I look around Chicago and I see no one even close to being able to take him on at this point. Preckwinckle can pretty much sit pretty as board prez for the balance of her career. Why should she risk it all for a toguh primary battle? Anyone else even close? Karen Lewis? While I think she might get some union support, I’m not even convinced all the unions would back her. The bottom line is Rahm is mayor for as long as he wants to be unless some major criminal indictment comes down which won’t happen here.
- Keyser Soze - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 2:20 pm:
If you’re going to do it, at least do it right. The proposed 10,000 seating is too small for a big time NCAA program, if that is where DePaul is heading. By way of example, ISU’s arena holds 10,000. But, it’s not on the lake shore.
- Chris - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:00 pm:
“More disclosures…”
Okay, don’t like to be *too* insulting, but whoever wrote that is a maroon: The explanation in each case is that making capital repairs at one school is cheaper than making the repairs at two.
Is it cheaper to make $9.5m of repairs once, or twice?
Is it cheaper to buy 33 a/c units, or 66?
Think it thru before you write it, ya maroon!
- Rod - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:11 pm:
In response to Skeeter on the Chicago Teachers Union contract and school closings/teacher layoffs. Normally yes in situations where a school district has limited revenues and teachers get raises there are layoffs.
But as a wide variety of newspapers in Chicago have been reporting the actual savings from the school closings may be very limited even if teachers are reduced. So the Mayor is still taking heat. By the way its not just supporters of unionized teachers who are questioning cost savings, it’s also independent hearing officers CPS is required to use in some cases that are raising these questions.
The entire education sector that Mayor Emanuel originally saw as a plus in his column has become a very big negative and its totally reflected in polling data that Rich has included on his blog.
Mayor Emanuel needs a humility clinic big time.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:16 pm:
@skeeter - the outrage is about much more than schools being closed. People understand the budget difficulties that exist. But where Rahm is losing the general public is all the lies and misinformation his office has put out during the school closure process. He has not at all made it clear that the closures are about saving money so much as acting out his personal ideological agenda that stands for fewer public neighborhood schools and more privately run charter schools run by his clouted pals. This is why you have the polls dropping even more now and people like preckwinkle speaking out. It is it not a fringe belief that preckwinkle articulated about rahm wanting to dismantle public education.
Maybe privatization is something that saves money and improves services other places, although I’m skeptical, but it certainly doesn’t work to better services or save money in a pay to play haven like chicago.
One other point… the closure of public schools and opening of charters is tied to boondoggles over navy pier and mccormick place in that rahm just doesn’t give off the impression that he actually cares or relates to the people who live in chicago. Every initiative is targeted toward pleasing dc or nyc think tanks and banksters, every improvement in the city is for out of town visitors be they conventioners, tourists or suburbanites… like him.
- Skeeter - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:24 pm:
hisgirlfriday,
If his numbers are related to school closures, it is because people want something but don’t get that you have to pay for it.
They wanted to give the teaches more money.
They wanted schools open.
But they also did not want to have their taxes raised.
The whole debate over school closures is slightly ridiculous. What exactly did people expect when they supported the teachers union last year?
If prices go up, you can’t buy as much.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:27 pm:
@keyser soze: Yes! 10,000 is too small for a major ncaa basketball program and also makes this even more of a boondoggle. Will concerts really relocate from rosemont or the uc when they can sell thousands less tickets there? What about ncaa tourney games and big ten tourney games? 10,000 is too small even if mccormick may be a better location. Then what about trade shows? Something like a national political convention would need to still be out at the uc because 10,000 seats wouldn’t be big enough.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:38 pm:
@skeeter - the debate over school closures is not ridiculous. Just because you like that Rahm is sticking it to the teachers unions doesn’t mean the people of chicago don’t deserve a debate when an unelected school board unilaterally decides to close schools despite those closures not saving as much money as promised, when impartial hearing officers question that decision, andwhen a mayor claims a budget crisis is prompting the closures yet he can simulataneously find hundreds of millions of dollars worth of taxpayer money skimmed off the education funding base into his tif slush fund and put that money toward pet projects on the lake far far away from the neighborhoods he is putting in turmoil with these school closures.
- ChicagoDem - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:40 pm:
Great points hisgirfriday. Rahm is definitely sounding like Jane Byrne. She was more worried about “inside” fat cats than the common folk in Chicago. She had a big school crisis, and the parks were in disarray, crime issues at CHA etc., yet, she was busy planning for the next world’s fair. And then along came Harold questioning all these grand spending plans to beautify Navy Pier/the parks by way of a world’s fair. Harold’s famous line: “Who’s going to pay for it?” Preckwinkle should start asking the same question. And let the rest happen.
- Plutocrat03 - Friday, May 17, 13 @ 3:46 pm:
Anybody considering how the convention business model is changing and the amount of this kind of business is declining
The question is not only whether the new bonds will be paid back, but the last 900 mil as well.
Kind of like a down on your luck gambler needing to make one more bet to stay ahead of the game.
- Short term bad credit loans - Wednesday, May 29, 13 @ 10:49 am:
Your interest payments on your student Bad Credit Loans will be discharged.
The company’s computer storage devices should have requisite physical and network security to prevent the foreclosure. The savings to your check book and over the life of the Bad Credit Loan. When considering a proposed project ask the following three. The student must be enrolled at least half of the two-year Bad Credit Loan term has lapsed. What about those who receive money from the government have truly made this a buyer’s market.