Mayor Emanuel and Cook County Commissioner, Jesus Garcia in First Runoff Election Debate

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and challenger Cook County Commissioner, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia appeared Monday in their first of three televised debates leading up to the April 7, runoff election, hosted by WMAQ-TV, Telemundo and the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics and Harris School of Public Policy and was moderated by Chicago Tonight’s, Carol Marin.

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STANDARD

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Both Mayor Emanuel and Cook County Commissioner Garcia seemed poised during the contentious, one-hour opportunity where they each laid out their reasons why they are the better candidate for the city’s highest office.

Tasked with keeping the mayor and Garcia on point, Marin struggled at times to get questions answered, as asked.

Topics of discussion included the City’s fiscal issues such as the underfunded pension dilemma, whether or not to increase property taxes, crime, job creation, and red light cameras.

Marin begin by asking about the city's under-funded pensions, a problem Emanuel inherited from his predecessor, Richard M. Daley. Marin also asked specifically about the $550 million contribution the city is required to make in Dec. to its underfunded police and fire pension funds. 

Chicago reportedly has the worst-funded pension system of any major U.S. city, with roughly a $20 billion hole in four accounts, according the Associated Press.

Legislation approved last year seeks to eliminate a $9.4 billion shortfall in two city pension systems by cutting benefits and increasing contributions for both the city and employees, is being challenged in the courts.

The city pension fund lawsuits challenge the legality of a 2014 Chicago pension reform law that raises employee and employer contributions and reduces retiree cost-of-living adjustments for participants in the $5.1 billion Chicago Municipal Employees’ Annuity & Benefit Fund and $1.4 billion Chicago Laborers’ Annuity & Benefit Fund.

Pressed on the pension matter, Emanuel called for both reforms and new revenues generated from broadening the sales tax base, the tax increment financing (TIF) surplus system as well as a Chicago casino owned and operated by the city.

Emanuel said reforms have to be part of the city's pension solution and that Chicago shouldn’t have to support suburban pensions as it does now and added that two of the city’s pensions are on the way to being solvent.

“Chuy and I disagree," Emanuel said. “He puts all the emphasis on tax payers. The taxpayers alone cannot bare this burden," he added referring to Garcia not taking a property tax increase off the table as a way to deal with Chicago’s fiscal issues.

Garcia did not offer any specific plan on how to deal with the pension crisis but maintains conducting a financial and performance audit of city departments. He responded saying, “Reform is important but the plan the mayor puts forth (to deal with the pension problem) is pending in the Ill. Supreme Court and I think it’s unconstitutional. The mayor is wrong to assume a pension fix will be upheld by the courts. Then we’ll be back to square one.”

Garcia also, said he would consider supporting a Chicago-based casino, given the city’s dire finances.

Further addressing the city’s financial problems, Emanuel said, “I don’t believe in waiting for the Supreme Court ruling. My plan specifically is opposed to a property tax increase but modernizing sales tax. We need to increase the base and make it more progressive. Chuy, you laid out a commission, not a plan.”

On the issue of crime, Marin said that voters felt somewhat misled about the mayor’s promise of 1000 new police officers added to street patrol. Marin explained that the public thought the mayor was referring to new police hires, not police officers who were from desk duty to the streets.

Mayor Emanuel said that 1000 police were added to street patrol and said crime is down but the city is still not safe enough where everyone in every neighborhood can enjoy it.

Garcia maintains he will hire 1000 new police officers to deal with Chicago’s crime. However Emanuel contends that Garcia's plans calling for 1,000 more police officers is not realistic because of the strain on the city’s budget.

"The difference between being a legislator, and I was one, is that as a legislator, you pass a bill but when you're mayor you have to pay the bills," said Emanuel, a former U.S. Congressman.

Garcia countered saying Emanuel hasn't done enough to address crime and that he’s attended more funeral’s than the mayor ever will. He also accused Emanuel of focusing on benefiting companies and campaign donors. "The mayor is out of touch," said Garcia.

When asked how they’d each create jobs to address the city’s unemployment rates that impacts African American and Latino communities at higher rates, Mayor Emanuel referred to the companies that have expanded in Chicago or that have moved their headquarters here. He also referred to the City Colleges of Chicago career programs and the City’s Star Scholarship program, where students who graduate from Chicago Public Schools in Spring 2015 or after with a 3.0 GPA and who test college-ready in math and English, will be able to pursue an associate degree at City Colleges of Chicago at no cost - free tuition, fees, and books.

Garcia said part of what’s required is making those high unemployment neighborhoods safer and improving the schools. “Investing in neighborhoods is something I want to do. The south and west sides have suffered the most.”

On the issue of the red light cameras, Garcia called the current contract with Xerox tainted and added, removing the cameras that unfairly impact the poor would be his first order of business if elected.

Mayor Emanuel has already removed 50 cameras from 25 intersections, as the issue has taken center stage during the election.

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