Emanuel for Chicago mayor

[Jolie Rouge]

Ill. high court: Emanuel can run for Chicago mayor
Don Babwin And Deanna Bellandi, Associated Press – 15 mins ago

CHICAGO – Illinois' highest court put Rahm Emanuel back in the race for Chicago mayor Thursday, three days after a lower court threw the former White House chief of staff off the ballot because he had not lived in the city for a full year.

The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Emanuel's favor, saying an appeals court decision that said the candidate needed to be physically present in Chicago was "without any foundation in Illinois law."

"As I said from the beginning, I think the voters deserve the right to make the choice of who should be mayor," Emanuel said shortly after getting word of the high court's action. "I'm not quite sure emotionally where I'm at."

[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]


When he learned of the ruling, Emanuel said he immediately called his wife and took a congratulatory call from his old boss, President Barack Obama.

Emanuel lived for nearly two years in Washington working for Obama. He moved back to Chicago in October, after incumbent Mayor Richard M. Daley declined to seek another term.

Emanuel never stopped campaigning as the case unfolded. Within minutes of the ruling, he was at a downtown Chicago public transit station shaking hands with residents. He was scheduled to participate in televised debate later Thursday evening.

The former White House aide has said he always intended to return to Chicago.

In their appeal to the Supreme Court, Emanuel's attorneys called the appellate court decision "one of the most far-reaching election law rulings" ever issued in Illinois, not only because of its effect on the mayoral race but for "the unprecedented restriction" it puts on future candidates.

His lawyers raised several points, including that the appeals court applied a stricter definition of "residency" than the one used for voters. They say Illinois courts have never required candidates to be physically present in the state to seek office there.

Monday's ruling threw the mayoral race and Emanuel's campaign into disarray. The following day, the state Supreme Court ordered Chicago elections officials to stop printing ballots without Emanuel's name on them. Chicago election officials said they had printed nearly 300,000 ballots without Emanuel's name before they abruptly stopped.

Emanuel had been the heavy favorite to lead the nation's third-largest city, and had raised more money than any of the other candidates vying to replace Daley, who announced he would retire after more than two decades as mayor.

When Emanuel's candidacy appeared in doubt, the other main candidates in the race — former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, city Clerk Miguel del Valle and former Chicago schools chief Gery Chico — moved quickly to try to win over Emanuel supporters.

The residency questions have dogged Emanuel ever since he announced his candidacy last fall. He tried to move back into his house when he returned to Chicago, but the family renting it wanted $100,000 to break the lease and move out early. The tenant, businessman Rob Halpin, later filed paperwork to run for mayor against Emanuel, only to withdraw from the race a short time later.

The Supreme Court took note of Emanuel's testimony before the city's election board in which he listed all the personal items he left in the house in Chicago when he moved to Washington — including his wife's wedding dress, photographs of his children and clothes they wore as newborns, as well as items belonging to his grandfather.

"The Board determined that, in this situation, the rental did not show abandonment of the residence," the court wrote. "This conclusion was well supported by the evidence and was not clearly erroneous."

More than two dozen people testified on the residency issue at a election board hearing in December. The three-day hearing got progressively stranger as attorneys gave way to Chicago residents who filed objections to the candidacy, including one man who asked Emanuel if he caused the 1993 siege at Waco, Texas.

The elections board and a Cook County judge had previously ruled in favor of Emanuel, a former congressman, saying he did not abandon his Chicago residency when he went to work at the White House.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110127/..._chicago_mayor

What a surprise!!! I am shocked, shocked, that such a decision could be handed down in Illinois. And, no doubt, he will win in a landslide. lllinois is corrupt from top to bottom. Emanuel would fit in perfectly. He has corruption and greed in his blood. What a crock!!!

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Yeah, welcome to the @#$%ing Machine, folks!

Rahm is a dirtbag, nine fingered little punk. He's totally unqualified to be our Mayor, and he'll be voted in by the usual system of corruption.

Dredge the cemeteries, and all of a sudden my sweet, long lost grandmother's voting Democrat after being a life-long Republican all of her life. Ah, but alas, everyone dead in Chicago's cemeteries are Democrats, and vote twice!

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Once again evidence thathalf the energy of this country is wasted in litigation, which boils down to one thing: we are now governed by judges, no longer by elected people -A sad and dangerous situation! Another crook in Chicago !!!!!!! George Wallace said it best many years ago......Thugs and judges run America, or that effect. And yes, Chicago voters will elect him as mayor.....I'm glad I don't live in Chicago, but I hear there are some nice people living there, politicians, unfortuantely are not among them, Oh well, not my problem, bro....

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Most of us knew this would happen already. LOL. I do have to laugh though.

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[Jolie Rouge]

Emanuel calls victory as Chicago mayor humbling
By Deanna Bellandi And Tammy Webber, Associated Press – 36 mins ago

CHICAGO – Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago on Tuesday, easily overwhelming five rivals to take the helm of the nation's third-largest city as it prepares to chart a new course without the retiring Richard M. Daley.

With 97 percent of the precincts reporting, Emanuel had trounced five opponents with 55 percent of the vote — a margin that allowed him to avoid an April runoff. He needed more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright.

It was the city's first mayoral race in more than 60 years without an incumbent on the ballot and the first in more than two decades without Daley among the candidates. Daley and his father have led Chicago for more than 43 out of the last 56 years.

Emanuel called the victory "humbling" and thanked Daley for his lifetime of service, saying the outgoing mayor had "earned a special place in our hearts and our history." But he added: "We have not won anything until a kid can go to school thinking of their studies and not their safety. Until the parent of that child is thinking about their work and not where they are going to find work, we have not won anything."

Reginald Bachus, the 51-year-old pastor of a West Side church who voted for Emanuel, said this was "a very critical time for Chicago. We really need a mayor who has vision. It's my personal opinion everyone else would have been a manager, and I think Rahm has vision," Bachus said.

The other major candidates — former Chicago schools president Gery Chico, former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and City Clerk Miguel del Valle — had hoped to force a runoff that would have extended the campaign for six more weeks. But they were no match for Emanuel's momentum and money.

Chico had 25 percent of the vote compared with 9 percent for both del Valle and Braun. Two other lesser-known candidates each got about 1 percent.

The campaign began last fall when Daley — with an ailing wife, six terms under his belt and a future full of looming fiscal challenges — announced he would not seek re-election. Emanuel, a 51-year-old married father of three, will be the city's first Jewish mayor, is a well-known figure in national Democratic politics. He worked for two presidents and served three terms representing the North Side in the House of Representatives.

Emanuel had just been elected to his fourth term in 2008, when he resigned to work for fellow Chicagoan President Barack Obama. It was a job he held until he resigned in October 2010 to run for Chicago mayor. He had also worked as a top aide to Bill Clinton.

During his time in Congress, Emanuel served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and was credited with leading Democrats to victory in 2006, when they won the majority in the House after a dozen years in the minority.

The new mayor faces a daunting series of challengers, including fixing the city's finances, addressing underfunded employee pensions and confronting a shrinking urban population. The new mayor will have to decide quickly on a politically unpalatable strategy for improving city finances that may involve raising taxes and cutting services and public employee benefits.

Daley has been criticized for allowing the city to spend beyond its means, and Chicago was not spared the pain of the economic downturn of the last few years. The city's inspector general's office warned in October that Chicago's annual deficit was effectively more than $1 billion when combining recent budget deficits with the spending increases the city would need to properly fund its pension system.

The new mayor will also have to find new leadership for city schools and a new police superintendent. All the candidates have talked about wanting to replace Jody Weis with someone who has a stronger focus on neighborhood policing.

Emanuel's win capped off a campaign that included an unsuccessful legal challenge to try to knock him off the ballot. More than two dozen objectors contended that Emanuel wasn't eligible to run for mayor because he didn't meet the city's one-year residency requirement. Emanuel had lived in Washington for nearly two years while he worked for President Barack Obama and his family had rented out their Chicago home to join him. Emanuel moved back to Chicago in October after Daley announced he wouldn't seek a seventh term.

The matter went all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court, which overturned a lower-court ruling that threw Emanuel off the ballot.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110223/...FudWVsY2FsbHM-

I'm 100% convinced now that elections in the US are fixed. There is NO way a majority of people in the US were dumb enough to vote for Obama, and now Chicago votes for the biggest crook in the city after several judges said no he could not run, but one finally came along and said yes he could run, and then he magically wins by a landslide. Really? What a crock of horsesh...

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Not surprised in the least. The chicago way triumps yet again.

[pepperpot]

My country is becoming sadly unrecognizable...

[SHELBYDOG]

WTG Rahm!

[Jolie Rouge]

A full 24 hours from appointment to resignation for ethics reasons. Is that a new Chicago record? Highly unlikely

Emanuel aide resigns over ethics violations
By: CNN's Gabriella Schwarz

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...cs-violations/

CNN) - A co-chair of Chicago mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel's transition team resigned from her new post Friday after it was revealed that she left her high-level state job last summer over ethics violations, CNN confirmed Saturday.

Judy Erwin previously served as the executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and served on then-candidate Barack Obama's Education Policy Committee during his 2008 presidential campaign. On Thursday, she was named to Emanuel's transition team and according to a news release, Erwin was also recently hired as managing director for ASGK Public Strategies, the communication management firm founded by former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod.

Read the full decision here. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/im...inion..pdf.pdf

But a recent decision by the state Executive Ethics Commission says Erwin used her state e-mail account and phone to campaign for Obama, engaging in campaign fundraising activity and using staff resources to help plan her trip to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The filing states that Erwin stepped down from her position at the Board of Education on August 15.

The news of Erwin's resignation from the Emanuel team was first reported Saturday by the Chicago Tribune. Emanuel spokesman Ben LaBolt confirmed the report to CNN. "We had not seen the decision," LaBolt said. "Judy Erwin is a friend of Rahm's with a wealth of experience and he'll continue to consult her public policy knowledge."

In an interview with the Tribune, Erwin, a former state representative who also co-chaired Emanuel's congressional campaigns, said she was careless while busy at work, but that she cooperated with investigators. She told the Tribune that neither Emanuel nor his campaign were aware of the issue before Friday. "The bottom line is the mayor-elect has very important work to do and I certainly don't want to have any distractions," Erwin told the Tribune. "I will be stepping aside from the transition. I don't want any distractions at all."

Attempts to reach Erwin on Saturday were unsuccessful.

The ruling states that a $4,000 administrative fine was levied against Erwin. "The atmosphere for (Board of Education) employees must have been heavily colored by Ms. Erwin's political activity on the job," the ethics board said.

It also found her explanation that she made a campaign contribution to a state representative who was chairman of the higher education appropriations committee "particularly troubling." "This suggests that she was responding to a real or imagined pay to play incentive within state government," the decision states.

[Jolie Rouge]

Chicago mayor creates support office for immigrants
Published July 19, 2011

Chicago – Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday announced the creation of the Office of New Americans to provide support for Chicago's immigrant communities and strengthen their contributions to the city's economic, civic and cultural life. "Chicago's vitality has been built on the strength of immigrant populations that have come to enjoy new freedoms and access new opportunities," Emanuel said in a statement. "I want to make Chicago the most immigrant-friendly city in the world," the mayor said.

According to the mayor, who is thus fulfilling one of his campaign promises, the Office of New Americans will ensure that each immigrant has the necessary resources to become a productive member of society. Among the tasks of the office is the creation of partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions and the private sector.

The new agency will seek to establish centralized policies to ensure that recently arrived immigrants have access to important information about education, public safety, health and municipal services. The office will foster better coordination between municipal government and community organizations to increase access to existing programs on the municipal, state and federal levels. Also, it will facilitate the establishment of businesses owned by immigrant businessmen and entrepreneurs. In addition, it will foster participation by immigrant parents in activities of the Chicago Public Schools, whose 400,000-strong student body is roughly 40 percent Hispanic.

One model to follow, according to the mayor's office, is the Logan Square Neighborhood Associations' Parent-Mentor program, which operates in a mainly Puerto Rican area.

To help immigrants, it will also expand free English instruction at community colleges and other adult education centers.

The office, whose director has not yet been appointed, will also promote the acquisition of U.S. citizenship by eligible immigrants.

The project will be coordinated with community organizations, federal agencies and the Illinois state government, which has had a similar office for several years and two welcome centers for immigrants in the Chicago suburbs.

In addition, the new mayor confirmed his support for the Dream Act of Illinois, which would allow private funding to be provided for undocumented students so they can attend college. In the initial report on Emanuel's priorities upon assuming office in May, it was established that the cost of pursuing higher education is the main reason why many people do not have access to universities in the United States. Emanuel said that he will issue a call to businessmen and individuals to participate in the establishment of a financial support fund for undocumented students.

Currently in force in Chicago is an executive order issued by the former mayor, Richard M. Daley, prohibiting the police from cooperating with and acting as immigration agents. Emanuel ratified the city's designation as a sanctuary for the more than 250,000 undocumented immigrants who live in the area, most of them of Mexican origin.

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/new...#ixzz1Snk6Y5cT

comments

If I violated federal laws I would be facing fines and jail time. The New Mayor of Chicago does it and nothing happens. Hmm, bust be nice to have such a close relationship with comrade Obama.

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Sanctuary cities are against Federal law. They weaken it. Such an uproar over Arizona but no cry of foul over thses cities who work against the federal government. Rahm should know better( cough cough)



Illinois to create scholarship fund for undocumented students
Published May 31, 2011

Chicago – The Illinois General Assembly has approved a bill that will allow undocumented students to finance their university studies with private funds. Known as the Illinois DREAM Act, SB2185 passed the lower house Monday with a narrow, bipartisan majority of 61-53 on a day seen as historic by defenders of the rights of undocumented immigrants. The bill had earlier passed the state Senate by a vote of 45-11. "This vote is a victory for our state and an important step forward in recognizing the contributions of immigrants," Lawrence Benito, deputy director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said in a statement.

The ICIRR promoted the bill as the state's response to the bogged-down DREAM Act presented at the federal level by Illinois Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin. Benito stressed that the law will have no cost for taxpayers in Illinois, but rather creates a fund of private scholarships for students without access to state loans or other kinds of public financial aid. The DREAM Act of Illinois will also make it easier for high school counselors and those in charge of university and community college admissions to be informed about the opportunities available to undocumented youths, and to know how to work with that segment of the population.

Unlike Durbin's congressional bill, however, the Illinois DREAM Act does not offer undocumented students a path toward legalization. The measure was supported by the presidents of 15 universities, the community colleges of Illinois and dozens of community organizations.

Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, said that the state DREAM Act "strengthens Illinois' commitment to ensuring education for all" and said he will sign it in the coming days. Also hailing the vote was Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who said in a communique that the law will allow thousands of undocumented students in his city to get a good education and the chance to achieve the American Dream.

ICIRR pointed to the law being passed as a sign of "the growing political power of immigrant communities."

It added that in the last 20 years the Latino community in Illinois increased by 124 percent and the number of Asians doubled. In Illinois there are 640,000 U.S.-born children under 18 whose parents are immigrants, and another 70,000 who will reach voting age in 2012. "This vote is very important for Latinos, immigrants, and their supporters, who will remember this vote in 2012," the ICIRR said.

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/new...#ixzz1SnlPApfP

[gmyers]

Well I bet we see a lot more illegal aliens in Chicago now. Why not with them getting funding for higher education and did I read that right. Is this organization they're creating going to make it easier for them to get things like food stamps and federal aid easier. Why isn't this against the law. I think some states think they can do anything and its alright. I hope they all go there and it puts a big drain on Chicago's economy. And how come these judges can change election rules and get away with it. That doesn't seem right to me how our country is being changed so much for foreign people and people here who don't want to follow rules. Shoot I guess next a person from another country will just come in and run for president or office here and it'll be ok. I really don't like how this country is changing so much .

[Jolie Rouge]

Quinn to sign Illinois Dream Act for scholarship money
The Associated Press 3:21 p.m. CDT, July 29, 2011

A spokesman says Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn will sign a bill to allow the children of immigrants, both legal and illegal, to get private college scholarships and enroll in state college savings programs.

Quinn spokesman Grant Klinzman says the governor will sign the bill Monday.

Called the Illinois Dream Act, the measure creates a panel to raise private money for college scholarships. Supporters say this will help illegal immigrants who graduate from Illinois high schools go on to college because they may otherwise not be able to afford it.

Students must have at least one immigrant parent and must have attended school in Illinois for at least three years to qualify for scholarship money.

Opponents say the legislation wrongly helps people who violate immigration laws.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,7311321.story

comments

Simply put, Mr Quinn is looking for votes and supporters. We all know the illegals are not suppose to vote, but with their fake Socials, it makes it very easy for them to vote. He knows this and is taking full rights to it. Il is one of the most "in the hole" (debt) then any other state (besides California). A major part of this is because of the "open arms" Il provides for illegals.

We need to stop this open door policy ASAP. No matter what anyone thinks, illegals hurt the country, not help it. They are one of the MAIN reasons why the economy is the way it is.

Come on Illinois, follow laws that have been in place since our forefathers wrote them (its ILLEGAL to be an ILLEGAL, federal LAW for that matter.). Deport anyone, any race, that is here illegaly.

I just dont understand this. I struggle every single day to provide for my LEGAL family...saving up every penny I can to give them a better life (for college, ect). IF I were to ask for help from the state, I would be denied on the spot. Now, I could be ignorant like the ILLEGALS and claim the state is being racist or unfair...which by all forms of the word, they are to us natural born AMERICANS.

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Illinois officials continue to slap their citizens in the face. We read about Cook County releasing ALL jailed illegals from immigration holds, and Chicago helping illegals get access to social services. Now the state is going out of its way to fund SCHOLARSHIPS for illegals. This with 600,000 unemployed and families struggling to make ends meet, let alone send their kids to college. 'Disgraceful' doesn't come close.

[Jolie Rouge]

Having solved all other problems, Rahm Emanuel begins crusade for healthier vending machines in city buildings
By Doug Powers • November 15, 2012 02:33 PM

If you’re in Chicago and the tragically high number of shootings have you living in fear http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...cal&id=8864931 of getting killed by a vending machine, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s got your back: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward...282661.html?dr

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday he’s cracking down on the caloric content of vending machines in city buildings and plans to replace them all with healthy vending by next year.

A proposed ordinance, to be introduced this week, will lay out plans for the new machines and detail guidelines on fat, sugar and calorie content starting in January 2013.

“These new vending machines will make it easier than ever before for city employees and the public to make healthy lifestyle decisions,” Emanuel said. “When city employees take their wellness into their own hands, we can reduce health care costs and also serve as a model for the residents of Chicago when it comes to making healthy choices.”

Emanuel’s guidelines dictate that only 25 percent of the new machines’ cold beverages can be “high calorie,” or contain 25 calories or more per eight ounces. All hot drinks must not be high-calorie, and all vended drinks must be limited to 12 ounces.

According to the plan, at least 75 percent of food offerings should contain 250 calories or less and at least five items should contain 250mg or less of sodium per serving. A gluten- and nut-free option also must be provided.

Apparently Emanuel’s applying the Remington-Flockhart Theory of Public Safety, which posits that stray bullets are slightly less likely to strike thin people.

**Written by Doug Powers http://michellemalkin.com/2012/11/15...nding-machine/

[pepperpot]

Chicago voted him in....

[Jolie Rouge]

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said on Wednesday he won’t step down from office amid growing calls for his resignation.

In a visibly tense interview at a Politico Illinois event in Chicago, Emanuel, who served as President Obama’s chief of staff, said he will be held accountable by the political process. “We have a process called the election,” Emanuel said. “The voters spoke. I’ll be held accountable for the decisions and actions that I make.”

Emanuel asked on Tuesday for the resignation of Chicago’s top cop, Superintendent Garry McCarthy, in response to the killing of 17-year-old Lanquan McDonald, a black man who was shot 16 times by a white police officer.

“Well, as I said yesterday and as I’ve said over the two years, a lot of people over a year asked me, or two years, to fire the superintendent,” Emanuel said at the event. “He has become the issue rather than dealing with the issue,” he added of McCarthy.

It took 13 months for video of the October 2014 shooting to be released to the public. Emanuel said the video was withheld in order to ensure the integrity of the investigation was not compromised.

Jason Van Dkye, the officer who shot McDonald, was charged with first-degree murder hours before the video was released.

In a scathing editorial on Tuesday, The New York Times called the incident a “cover-up” and said Emanuel’s response to the shooting, “either by design or because of negligence, was to do as little as possible.”

Emanuel, who was reelected in February, declined to speculate on Wednesday whether he would have won the mayor race if video of the shooting had surfaced prior to the election. “That’s a hypothetical I can’t answer,” he said.

At one point during the interview, Emanuel also became upset at reporters for disclosing where he will vacation with his family over the holidays. “Well, first of all, thanks for telling everybody what I’m going to do with my family,” he said. “You just had a private conversation with me, and now you’ve decided to make that public. I really don’t appreciate that.”

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/rah...d=ansmsnnews11

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel got into a tense and awkward exchange with Politico's Mike Allen on Wednesday.

During a public interview, the infamously irascible mayor blew up after Allen revealed that Emanuel and his family would be traveling to Cuba for the holidays, which was something the mayor had told Allen backstage before the interview.

"First of all, thanks for telling everybody what I'm going to do with my family," Emanuel said icily. "You had a private conversation with me, and now you decided to make that public. I really don't appreciate that. I really don't."

"I'm sorry," Allen said, "I didn't know that wasn't public."

"I'm expressing to you now, publicly, my displeasure: My family trips are my family," Emanuel said, before going on to explain that he wanted to expose his children to other cultures and other parts of the world.

"This year, if my wife doesn't kill me now because of what you just did, we will take our kids to Cuba to be exposed to that culture, in the same way they've been to India, in the same way that they have been to Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Chile and Vietnam and Laos."

Emanuel then asked Allen for his cell phone number so he could apologize to his wife, Amy, personally.

"I don't know if you know this, it's not going to work," Emanuel said.

Reached for comment, Allen referred CNN to a tweet from his colleague.

"Politico's Jake Sherman said it best, on Twitter," Allen said. "'Of course Rahm - a public figure since 90 - knew he wasn't going to go to Cuba for Christmas w/o people knowing. Mayor of 3rd largest city!'"


http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/02/medi...uba/index.html