Chicago Sun-Times BY BECKY SCHLIKERMAN AND FRAN SPIELMAN Staff Reporters
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner added his old friend, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, to the list of Democrats that he says won’t compromise during the state’s budget stalemate.
“At this point Mayor Emanuel has made a number of requests of our administration and of the state government to assist the city of Chicago, and there’s not a single request that he’s made so far that we haven’t said that we are willing to pursue,” the governor said Thursday in Chicago.
But, Rauner said, “At this point the city of Chicago and the mayor have been unwilling to help us in our reform agenda to reform the state. And this has got to be a two way partnership. This has got to be mutual, effective reform. It can’t be one-way. And we can’t make requests upon the state of Illinois and state taxpayers to help Chicago if Chicago is unwilling to help the state help its taxpayers, help its school children, help its recipients of services.”
Emanuel is desperately trying to get $500 million in state cash to plug a teacher pension gap but said he is unwilling, in exchange, to endorse Rauner’s bid to limit the influence of public unions. read more…..