As Gov. Bruce Rauner continues to battle Democrats in Springfield, he's also battling them in Chicago. Rauner on Sunday upped the rhetoric against the city's mayor.
There was a time that Rauner and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel vacationed together.
But Rauner's most recent comments about Emanuel were anything but friendly.
"What he ought to be doing is being down here in Springfield, advocating for reforms for his city. He's not here. He hasn't been here at all. But he isn't down here. He hasn't been here at all," he said. Emanuel likewise had harsh words for the governor, earlier that morning on WLS radio.
"There's a reason nobody trusts you and there's a reason is because there's constant inconsistency. And it's not an accident that nothing's getting done in Springfield under his tenure,"he said.
On that program, Emanuel also criticized Rauner's recent veto of legislation meant to ease the city's police and fire pension payments. The governor on Sunday defended his decision, saying his veto will save Chicago taxpayers billions.
The Chicago-backed measure that would have given the city more time to make payments, easing financial pressure in the short-term. But Rauner says it would eventually cost city residents billions by increasing the long-term pension tab.
"What Chicago has been doing for decades, and it's the reason they're so financially ---they're on the verge of bankruptcy as a city and as a school district, is they've been borrowing to fund operations. And that's what the mayor is doing by delaying these pension payments," the governor said.
Mayor Emanuel says with the veto, Rauner defied one of his own principles: increased local control, and that as a result, Rauner is forcing city residents to endure an "unnecessary" increase in property taxes.
The Senate on Monday voted to override Rauner's veto. The House is likewise expected to try, but the legislation initially didn't pass with enough votes in that chamber to do it.
