Gov. Rauner’s Proposal to Take Over CPS Not Received well by Some Leaders

Larissa M. Tyler | As of Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Gov. Bruce Rauner said during a press conference on Jan. 20, 2015 that Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been in office for almost five years and has not dealt with the financial crisis in Chicago Public Schools.
Gov. Bruce Rauner said during a press conference on Jan. 20, 2015 that Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been in office for almost five years and has not dealt with the financial crisis in Chicago Public Schools.

According to Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauner, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is afraid of the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU).

A recent article in the Tribune quotes the governor as saying, “The mayor is afraid of them. He's not taking them on. He caved in the teachers strike 4 1/2 years ago, and he's sending the message right now, he's going to give them what they want and then say, state pay for it. We are not going to let that happen.”

Rauner’s fork-tongued remark about Emanuel came shortly after he announced last week, his proposal to take over the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system and allow CPS to file for bankruptcy.

To no ones surprise, many public officials as well as the CTU viciously criticized the governor’s proposal. It was not well received by some leaders.

Never mentioning Emanuel, CTU issued a statement about Rauner’s proposal saying,”

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“The governor can be his own worst enemy and can’t seem to get out of his own way.” - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

“Since the governor was elected, government in Illinois has ground to a halt, and this proposal is just the latest example of the ‘bull in a china shop’ methods in which he clumsily attempts to lead. A call for Springfield to assume responsibility of the finances of Chicago Public Schools is a non-starter when state government has so far been unable to assume responsibility for its own budget.”

Chicago City Treasurer Kurt Summers recently offered his opinion on the matter stating, "Bankruptcy is not leadership. The Governor's proposal is absolutely the wrong answer for our children and puts teachers at risk. The only people who stand to benefit from this irresponsible plan are the advisors and bankers who would collect millions in fees off the backs of hardworking taxpayers. Those dollars belong in the classroom.”

And State Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago 16th) issued a statement where she asked, “Why not try fully and fairly funding our schools before declaring bankruptcy?”

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“Why not try fully and fairly funding our schools before declaring bankruptcy?” - State Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago 16th) -

Collins continued her questioning of the governor’s playing saying, “Why not negotiate a balanced budget for state government before burdening it with drastic and unworkable new duties? Why not try fully and fairly funding our schools before declaring bankruptcy? And why not start with an elected school board instead of stripping all local control from CPS, with a promise to phase in school board elections at a later date?

Illinois republicans are of course supporting the governor.

Ill. Sen. GOP leader Christine Radogno spoke during a press conference on Jan. 20 saying, “We don't feel like we've had a good look at what's going on in Chicago Public Schools. Everybody is sort of inbred in terms of the political system…There is no support to bail out Chicago or its schools if they're not going to help themselves and if they're not going to engage in a discussion to help the entire state."

Ill. Rep. Ron Sandack of Downers Grove, who is the Ill. House Republican floor leader is in favor of legislation allowing for municipal bankruptcy. In a recent news article he called CPS "a dying employer right now. The system is absolutely collapsing on itself. To do nothing would be unconscionable."

Rauner said during a press conference on Jan. 20, “the Mayor has been in office for almost five years, he has not dealt with the financial crisis in Chicago Public Schools…and his message to us in state government has been for months, '"we have a crisis we need 500 million dollars, we want the state to give it to us. That’s not a reasonable message.'" That’s not a reasonable request.”

Emanuel responded to Rauner’s remarks the next day at a breakfast event telling reporters, “The governor can be his own worst enemy and can’t seem to get out of his own way, as yesterday showed.”

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