* Mayor Emanuel reacted today to the governor’s latest plan to sell the Thompson Center. Click here for background. Click here for raw audio…
This is a political stunt. He could have signed the pension parity bill. He could’ve, 22 months ago he could’ve introduced a balanced budget that fully funded education. And he’s spending more time on the Thompson Center in the last three days than he has spent in the last 22 months on the entire budget and funding education.
There’s that pension bill again.
* Mayor Emanuel had earlier released a statement about how Gov. Rauner should focus on passing a budget, and here’s the governor’s response…
The mayor’s correct. We should have a balanced budget. We should’ve had a balanced budget 18 months ago. He should ask the speaker why he’s held that up.
* Rauner also asked reporters why Emanuel was throwing up “artificial roadblocks” on the project and then said…
It seems to be a tag-team effort between the mayor and the speaker to come up with delaying tactics… It’s being held up by the mayor and the speaker for political reasons. This should not be tolerated.
* The Tribune got a response from Speaker Madigan’s spokesman…
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said Friday that he was “not sure what today’s outburst was about.” The speaker’s staff has been meeting with staff from the mayor’s and governor’s offices “multiple times a week on trying to move this project along,” Brown said.
That the idea to sell the notoriously dilapidated office building, and the prime city block on which it sits, has become a sparring ground for the Republican governor and his Democratic adversaries is the latest sign of the deep political stalemate that’s overtaken Illinois.
Democrats agree with Rauner that the Thompson Center, which is used as office space for about 2,200 state employees, is a troubled building. Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton moved their offices and staffs to a nicer building across the street years ago.
“I don’t think there’s any disagreement by the speaker’s office or the staff that the state could do better than (the Thompson Center),” Brown said.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
– And he’s spending more time on the Thompson Center in the last three days than he has spent in the last 22 months on the entire budget and funding education.–
Focus!
- blue dog dem - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
Us uneducated downstaters perceive this to be a winning issue for Rauner.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 2:53 pm:
–Us uneducated downstaters perceive this to be a winning issue for Rauner.–
One building in Chicago and a one-time revenue of maybe $200M is a big issue downstate?
- RNUG - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:05 pm:
The kind of attention the Thompson building is getting, you would think it is a setup for some politically connected property developers to cash in.
- Puddintaine - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
Did anyone actually expect them to agree?
- Annonin' - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:13 pm:
Durkie doin’ all thsoe Cheeeeecaaaago kids a favor is sure much appreciated Mr. Durkie….btw Durkie was was addin’ words when he tried to read his bill. He wants you to believe the Cheeeeeecaaago kids will get tax money from the JRTC after it is reduced to rubble. That is not what his bill sez…but hey hey Mr. Durkie I doin’ us this big favor.
- Saluki - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:24 pm:
I am so tired I can barely keep my head off the desk.
- Anonymous - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:25 pm:
Rahm’s comments show he’s not actually concerned about any impact on CTA riders if the Thompson Center sells.
Pick an issue, Rahm, and stop blaming Rauner for your jacked up spending priorities.
Chicago doesn’t need to declare a TIF surplus in order to release tax $$$ to CPS. All mayor and council need to do is ELIMINATE the TIFs and they can redirect funds on hand to the schools and other bodies that were swept.
- PJ - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:36 pm:
Rauner is so remarkably desperate for a win that he’s holding stunt press conferences in boiler rooms in the Thompson Center. One building, in one city, the revenue for which will be an infinitesimal drop in the bucket. Especially when you account for the fact that they’ll need to pay for other space to house the 2,000 employees.
This is pathetic. Can anyone imagine a *successful* governor of an entire state wasting so much time on the sale of one building? No. Because they have real things to do.
- Barrington - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:49 pm:
RNUG at 3:05 — very perceptive remark and I completely agree.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:52 pm:
Does the governor think taking responsibility for something gives him cooties?
- wordslinger - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:54 pm:
–The kind of attention the Thompson building is getting, you would think it is a setup for some politically connected property developers to cash in.–
He does seem to be in a hurry all of a sudden.
Of course, this shiny-object “personality conflict” also serves to distract Chicago media from small matters like the explosion in overdue bills and the destruction of higher ed and social services.
Not that they were paying much attention to begin with.
- Keyrock - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 4:15 pm:
And if anyone knows what a political stunt is, it’s Rahm.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 4:15 pm:
Political stunt? Pot and kettle? Wasn’t it Tiny Dancer’s mouthpiece that fired off that incendiary blast a couple hours ago? Rahm wants the control and the cash and ain’t in the position yet to lever either one.
It’s like the two jamokes and Mendoza stopping Raffi’s rent. That letter request is meaningless and Susana is in violation of her oath of office if she follows it.
I think I’ll stop here and check my blood pressure.