Rauner, Emanuel Take Credit For Job Project, Blame Each For School Funding
(CBS) – It's a sight seldom seen: Gov. Rauner and Mayor Emanuel, together and shaking hands.
They teamed up to announce the coming of almost 300 new Chicago factory jobs, but they still seemed very much at odds on school funding and a state budget.
CBS 2 Political Reporter Derrick Blakley has more.
The two shared credit for luring 286 new jobs to Hegewisch, where a new Flex N Gate Auto Parts plant opens in two years.
"We are fortunate in 2017 to have the vision and the leadership of Gov. Bruce Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel," CEO Shahid Kahn said.
Tax breaks from the city and state helped attract the new plant.
But there was no sign of similar co-operation on funding for Chicago Public Schools.
The mayor again accused the state and the governor of short-changing schools.
"Five hundred school superintendents from around the state have come together and said, 'Illinois can no longer continue to cut back on education investment, they have to stabilize it, they have to grow it,'" Emanuel said.
Gov. Rauner says Emanuel has been AWOL in the Springfield fight for statewide school funding reform, which would produce more dollars for CPS.
"The mayor should get involved in pushing to make sure the new funding formula gets done," Rauner said. "He has influence in the Democratic caucus. I hope he'll get involved directly."
Rauner got a boost for his pro-business reforms when a Hegewisch businessman talked about their losing battle against Indiana.
Meantime, in Springfield, the wrangling continues over the "grand bargain" state budget compromise.
Rauner says the two sides are still talking. But Senate President John Cullerton says Democrats have gone about as far as they can, with Rauner reportedly objecting to a workers comp proposal that he says doesn't cut business costs enough.
