Hatch: “Rahm ain’t no Obama.”
 
By Chinta Strausberg
 
Chicago, IL – Several supporters joined Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-1st) Saturday at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition forum in taking swipes at mayoral hopeful Rahm Emanuel where he accused the controversial candidate of allegedly trying to buy the February 22nd mayoral election with his misleading and untrue media ads Rush says are designed to ‘confuse”  the black and brown electorate.

During a forum held at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition just 15-days to go before the election, Rush and four ministers laid out their reasons why and how the African American vote can determine who will sit on the Fifth Floor of City Hall and revealed shocking allegations against mayoral hopeful Rahm Emanuel—charges he denies.

Ironically, the election falls during Black History Month and on the exact date that the late Mayor Harold Washington won the historic mayoral primary on February 22, 1983.

In answering questions field by the moderator, Rev. Dr. Attorney Janette Wilson, Rush accused some mayoral candidates of spending mega bucks just to allegedly “create a state of confusion” among black and brown voters.
 
“Our adversaries are trying to confuse each and every one of us, and they are spending $11 million or more primarily to keep our African American and Hispanic community confused,” said Rush. “They got us in the wrapper and throwing the candy bar away and any time the wrapper taste better than the candy bar, then you out to check yourself out. You got it upside down and inside out.

“This election is probably the most critical election than we’ve had since 1983…and in some instances, it’s even more critical than 1983,” said Rush referring to the historic election of the late Mayor Washington who won the April 12, 1983 general election with 668,175 votes or 51.72 percent. It was the united black vote that propelled him over the victory line.
 
Glancing back at the 1983 mayoral election, Rush said it is more critical than that race because today African Americans “are positioned better in order to win. What our enemies are trying to do, Emanuel and the other folks, is to snatch our victory from their jaws of defeat. We can win this,” Rush told the audience.
 
Explaining, Rush said Blacks have 43 percent of the registered voters in the city of Chicago, the Hispanics have 18 percent and whites have 40 percent. “We can win this if a coalition of good-thinking white folks, Hispanics and a preponderance of blacks votes…. We can win.”

According to Rush, the registered non-white votes in the city of Chicago are 65 percent. “Never, ever has a credible African American candidate received less than 75 percent of the African American vote.

“Now, that is what Emanuel’s challenge is. He is trying to break into that number using hollow words, the White House, all of this high falutin…the financial elite,” said Rush.
He said the raw number of Black registered voters is 601,675, which is 43 percent of the vote. “The biggest secret is that there is no Democrat who won countywide, statewide or nationwide can win without some of the black votes in Chicago.”

Wilson said, “We are the margin of victory.”  Rush explained saying, “We are sitting in the seat of power. We got the power, but we just don’t recognize it and won’t use it. The power is ours. We can define whom not only the mayor and the governor but the president (will be) because they all have to come through the black community in Chicago. “If Rahm Emanuel gets even 40 percent in a six-wide candidate race, he should fall short…. “ Wilson said to avoid a run-off a candidate has to get 50 plus 1 percent of all the votes cast.

Rush broke it down explaining that in order for Emanuel to win, he will allegedly need 70 percent of the white vote, 30 percent of the black vote and 20 percent of the Hispanic vote. “This has never been done in the history of this city…,” said Rush.

He said for mayoral candidate Carol Moseley Braun to win she needs 70 percent of the black vote. “A credible candidate usually gets 75 percent of the black vote. She needs 20 percent of the Hispanic and white vote and 30 percent of the non-black women vote and 80 percent of the non-black men vote. Rahm is probably going to tie. It’s probably going to be a close tie if we turn out. If we keep Carol at 75 percent or more of the black vote….”

“There is a real conscientious hard-driving campaign with all of these media commercials showing black people and a few major black endorsements from some folks, but we cannot be confused by this,” said Rush.

“Rahm Emanuel represents the elite in Chicago,” he alleged. “These folks are not concerned about what happens on the side streets of Chicago. He said  Emanuel is allegedly more interested “on LaSalle Street and on Wall Street. That’s their friend. That’s where they’re getting the money from, Hollywood, Wall Street. Follow the money. “I know Rahm. He’s a stranger to you, not to me. I know what he has done as a member of congress, and I know what he hasn’t done.”

Wilson asked Rush what has Emanuel done for affirmative action or minority set-asides. “Rahm Emanuel was the main impetus for those conservative white Democrats known as the ‘Blue Dogs.’” Rush said Emanuel allegedly courted them and even managed their campaign.
Rush claims that Emanuel “ordered, insisted that the Blue Dogs not to vote for the Congressional Black Caucus’ budget. He voted against a bill to eradicated health care disparities…. These commercials will bamboozle you…. They are paid commercials. He has actors in these commercials.
 
“If he were concerned about hiring black folks…, when he was a member of congress how many black folks were on his congressional staff? Zero…,” said Rush. “This is about LaSalle Street. This is about who will control the market. This is about high finance…. Anytime you walk up and down your street and you see a vacant boarded up house… you ought to think of Rahm Emanuel because he was part and parcel of that whole conspiracy that whole effort when he sat on the board of Fannie Mac where all these sub-prime mortgages created instant wealth for these super rich people.

“He was part and parcel of that kind of trading. He’s running to be become mayor of the market place, the LaSalle Street market…global economy. He is not concerned about these mortgages, these abandoned homes…high crime in our neighborhoods. He’s concerned about high finance…. It’s natural to him. It’s unnatural to him to come out to someone who is losing their home or whose son is in jail…. He’s not concerned about that….”

Rush said, “now is the time” for blacks to take care of their own problems. “If you continue down the same old place, you will end up in the same old place.”

Jonathan Jackson, the national spokesperson for PUSH, said, “the balance of power of who will be the next mayor of Chicago rests on the South and the West Side. Mayor Daley could not have been mayor without the black community’s votes; so, we’re also responsible for the mess that we’re in.

“The question becomes do we want to change or change directions and I suggest we change direction.”

Referring to Gov. Pat Quinn’s recent victorious election, Jackson said out of 102 counties in Illinois “Gov. Quinn only won three counties. Those three counties had African American votes. The African American community delivered Pat Quinn to Springfield, Illinois. African Americans in Cook County registered over 450,000 votes for Gov. Pat Quinn. Senator Brady only received 120,000 votes. We overwhelmingly delivered Gov. Quinn  to Springfield…,” Jackson said.

Wilson asked about the economic disparities. Jonathan said, “It is very important that you clean up the mess that you created…..  Now that we know there is sentencing disparities, what should Rahm  Emanuel do about the three strike legislation that he and Bill Clinton helped create. That is tearing apart our families, tearing apart our communities.”

Jackson said the unfairness of this policy especially when “you see African Americans have an eight times more likely to be sentenced on a felony count for a minor drug possession.”

 Jackson said they should be committed to rehab especially since it cost $25,000 to lock up someone vs. $4,000 or $7,000 to get them into a rehab program.

Jackson said Daley’s chief fundraiser in 1989 was Emanuel. “There is a reason why Emanuel will not mention Mayor Daley’s name. Who do you think the mayor is really supporting? It’s one in the same…. The mayor is complicit in there….
 
He criticized the handling of the “Blizzard of 2011” and was critical of the school system including the 100 schools that allegedly have no air-conditioners. “We should have adequate schools…. “

Jonathan said the income in the black community is dried up” and pointed to the Army & Lou’s and Edna Restaurants that have closed.  “I want us to have a regime change. Daley, Emanuel and Chico should all get out the same day.”

Wilson asked Rev.  Attorney Jacqueline Atkins why should women be concerned about this election. Atkins said, “If  you want to see who somebody is, you have to look at what somebody has done….”
She asked who cares about education especially Blacks. “If we are going to be a strong democracy, everybody needs to be educated”? Atkins said unions have been important to her and asked, “Who will help us make sure the unions continue to work for everybody.”

Referring to women, Atkins said, “women know how to bring people together…. I want somebody to be able on the Fifth Floor will hear me when I call…. Who has come into the neighborhoods to hear me…? Vote your interests.”

When asked by Rev. Wilson what is so significant about the February 22nd mayoral election, Bishop Tavis Grant, national field director, for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said, “across the country, the electorate has been on one hand apathetic and on the other, disengaged and whether it is in Washington, D.C., or New York, Atlanta, or Los Angeles…in Chicago. Our fundamental challenge is to represent the people who are our constituents.

“African Americans have lost the most but on the other hand have the most to gain. This particular election electing an African American woman to the third largest city in America will send shock waves around the country and create a sense of political transformation at a time where we need comprehensive political sophistication where we do not vote just simply because someone is our color but she also has the content as a political leader to lead this city,” Grant stated.

“This city is facing tremendous deficits across the board.” He said CPS is $6.6 billion” in the red. “Who is going to renegotiate the police contract…the teacher contracts? There will be a number of layoffs and a number of cutbacks that this city will have to suffer and we don’t have another Lake Shore Drive or Tollway to sale to somebody or parking bill….

“We need sound fiscal management in the city of Chicago,” he said explaining Chicago’s fiscal state mirrors cities across the nation and gave Detroit’s recent election as one where voters “voted less than our potential.
 
“In the past 21-years, Mayor Daley has never won an election over 300,000 votes. African Americans have 600,000 votes. All we have to do is to turn out and when we turn out things turn out right for us,” Bishop Grant said.

Rev. Marshall Hatch blamed mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel for the “unraveling of our economy of which we are still recovering, people still losing their homes. All of that is attributed to the mis-stewardship of Rahm Emanuel at Freddie Mac (which works with mortgage lenders) and Fannie Mae,” he alleged during a forum on the mayor’s election held Saturday at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
 
The moderator, Rev. Dr. Attorney Janette Wilson asked Hatch why is this election important to parents, students, and educators and why should they vote, he said who ever wins on February 22nd, “will appoint the leadership of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) that is part of what is at stake in a district is, contradictory as it sounds, majority minority. It means there are more black and brown children in this system than anybody else.

“The next mayor will appoint that leadership. All of us who are interested in education reform, who’re interested in making sure that the resources that come into the CPS that we will have a children’s first policy that is not simply a $6 billion contract-letting operation on behalf of the administration as a business interest so that children are first,” said Hatch.

“We should not vote for the candidate morally who has the most money. That is un-godly,” said Hatch. “We should vote for the candidate who has the interest of poor people and poor children in particular. That is why this is such a critical election…. Chicago is pivotal.
 
“The black community holds the power in our hand to elect the next mayor. We just simply do. You can have  $11 million, you can have $18 million, you can have $100 million none of those dollars have a vote in the city of Chicago, only the people do,” said Hatch. “Rahm is no Obama.”
Wilson urged everyone to take advantage of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ Early Voting Program that is available at 51 sites through February 17, 2011.
Click on the following link to see the addresses of these sites: http://www.chicagoelections.com/page.php?id=9.

Four-City Tour to begin On February 9th

Mount Vernon, NY (BlackNews.com) — American Legacy, the magazine of African-American history and culture announced today that Kroger and Pepsico are sponsoring its “Know your History” mobile truck tour in 4 U.S. cities beginning February 9th through February 19th.

The mobile truck is a traveling museum filled with photos, stories and interactive learning stations that celebrate the African-American experience “We’re excited to have Kroger and PepsiCo join us in this celebration of African American history and culture. As we present this educational event in each city, our mission of providing important information on our past is achieved.”

The 18-wheel trailer transformed into a black history museum will take visitors on a historical journey in black history through the pages of American Legacy Magazine.

The “Know Your History” tour, sponsored by Kroger & Pepsico will include: an exhibit of the magazines covers highlighting the depth and magnitude of African-American history and culture; “Always In Our Sight: The Fight For Civil Rights” an exhibit of artifacts and memorabilia from slavery to civil right from the collection of Gene Peters; exhibit featuring the Buffalo Soldiers, and an exhibit from American Airlines: Black History in Aviation.

“This is another giant step in the history of American Legacy Magazine where we move closer to our mission of teaching our history and helping to restore pride and self-esteem to those in and outside of our community, specifically our young people, who do not know their history,” said Reynolds. “This unique experience will be just another approach to help them feel good about where they’ve been and give them hope on what they can achieve.”

American Legacy’s “Know Your History” Mobile Tour cities and dates are as follows: February 9: The Kroger Co. 1014 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH; February 12: Kroger 1234 Finley, Memphis, TN; February 15: Kroger 3425 Cascade Road, Atlanta, GA; February 19 Kroger 8920 W. 8 Mile Road, Ferndale, MI. American Legacy’s “Know Your History “Mobile tour will be open to the public from 10:00AM-4:00PM.

American Legacy magazine is distributed nationwide to over 2.25 million readers through black churches, educational and cultural institutions. Also available on newsstands and through paid subscriptions, American Legacy is owned by RJR Communications, Inc. In addition to the magazine, other brands include American Legacy’s Black History Curriculum Guide and its “Know Your History” board game. For more information on how to purchase these products log onto www.americanlegacymag.com.

Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 334,000 associates who serve customers in 2,461 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The Company also operates 784 convenience stores, 375 fine jewelry stores, 954 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.

 

PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo’s people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

Launch of 104-year-old historically African-American fraternity’s efforts to expand globally

Pictured on first row: Charter members of Rho Phi Lambda, from left, Herman Warren, Reginald Shaver, Sean Walker, Gerald Sherman, Michael Sudarkasa, Linston Terry, Njagi Makanga, Eric Wright, Gerald Theus and Lou Hureston (not pictured, Robert Kelley III). Standing behind the charter members are the Board of Directors and visiting members from the United States.

Baltimore, MD (BlackNews.com) — The world’s oldest intercollegiate fraternity founded by African American men has established its first chapter in South Africa.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. in 1906, chartered Rho Phi Lambda Chapter, in Johannesburg, on Feb. 3, 2011. The ceremony was held during the Kenneth Harlan Simmons Memorial Charity Dinner.

Simmons, a successful African-American architect and professor, was a longtime member of the fraternity known for his work on equal rights, urban planning and community development. He relocated to South Africa in 1994 after retiring from the University of California-Berkeley. Of much significance to the chartering Brothers of Rho Phi Lambda, Bro Simmons was an initiate into the fraternity with its most illustrious son, the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The event, which included an Alpha auction for education, was presided over by the fraternity’s world leader, General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., and included members of the fraternity’s board of directors, dignitaries and more than 200 others. The new chapter provided contributions to two outstanding charities: the African Leadership Academy, which hosted the program and the Teboho Trust, a nonprofit organization that provides African children with educational and life skills support.

“This is just the first of many steps Alpha is taking, now and in the near future, to keep the organization growing across the world,” said Mason.

The new Johannesburg chapter’s 13 charter members relocated from America to South Africa. However, the fraternity aims to expand by inviting native South Africans to join the fraternity through the Rho Phi Lambda chapter. The charter members include, Brothers James Addo, Leonard Bennett, Robert Kelley III, Reginald Shaver, Gerald Sherman, Michael Sudarkasa, Gerald Theus, Linston Terry, Lou Hureston, Herman Warren, Sean Walker, and Njagi Makanga, a Kenyan-born naturalized U.S. citizen now living in Durban. Bro. Kenneth Simmons is posthumously a chartering member of the chapter.

“We are excited about establishing the first chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha on the African continent in the 21st century,” said Michael Sudarkasa, chapter president and a Harvard University-trained lawyer initiated at the University of Michigan. “We look forward to playing an integral part in helping to expand the fraternity’s presence in Africa in the coming years.” “In South Africa, we see a number of areas that we can contribute to the community and will work to support initiatives in the fields of education, economic development, health and housing as our organization is already active in these areas in the U.S.,” said Sudarkasa.

“As the world watches these historic events unfolding in Egypt, the United States should support an orderly transition to democracy that prevents the radical Muslim Brotherhood from grabbing power.  In his testimony to Congress earlier today, the Director of National Intelligence characterized the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as a secular group.  I am concerned that the DNI’s assessment does not agree with recent public statements by senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood nor does it agree with the organization’s publicly stated goals.”

The following is an excerpt from Senator Kirk’s remarks on the Senate floor on February 2, 2011:

Mohammed Badi was elected the Eighth General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in January 2010.  As noted by the U.S. Government’s Open Source Center, Badi is “influenced by the writings of famous MB ideologue Sayyid Qutb… known for his conservative views.”

In an interview on April 14, 2010, Mr. Badi said “we will continue to raise the banner of Jihad and the Koran in our confrontation with the enemy of Islam.”  He went on to say, “The Muslim Brotherhood still considers the Zionists to be its main and only enemy.  The Jews who occupy Palestine have their eyes set on Egypt.”

Two days ago, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammad Ghannem, reportedly told the Al-Alam Iranian news network that he “would like to see the Egyptian people prepare for war against Israel” adding that the world should understand that “the Egyptian people are prepared for anything to get rid of this regime.”  He went on to say that the Suez Canal should be “closed immediately,” and that the flow of gas from Egypt to Israel should cease “in order to bring about the downfall of the Mubarak regime.”

In 2007, the Muslim Brotherhood released a political platform, which contained a number of indications on how this organization would govern Egypt if it came to power.  

According to the Congressional Research Service, the platform “called for the establishment of a board of religious scholars with whom the president and the legislature would have to consult before passing laws.”

As noted by Mohamed Elmenshawy – the editor in chief of Taqrir Washington and Arab Insight: “Reminiscent of Iran’s Guardian Council, this undemocratically selected body could have the power vested by the state to veto any and all legislation passed by the Egyptian parliament and approved by the president that is not compatible with Islamic Sharia law.”

The same document raises the important question of the Muslim Brotherhood’s commitment to a pluralistic society.  Despite pledges to treat minorities and women as equals, the platform allows neither to hold high public office.  As stated in the platform, “non-Muslims are excused from holding this mission.”  For women, the post of the Presidency or Prime Minister would “contradict with her nature, social and other humanitarian roles.”  The draft also cautions against “burdening women with duties against their nature or role in the family.”

http://kirk.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=330818

By Chinta Strausberg

All six Mayoral Candidates on-hand for Chicago Defender Mayoral Debate

Wednesday night at the historic DuSable Museum was peppered with criticisms, praises, hopes and positions on supporting reparations from all six mayoral candidates each trying to win over enough votes to pull them across the finish line come February 22, 2011. 

For the first time, all six mayoral candidates appeared on a forum. Gery Chico, Miguel del Valle, Carol Moseley Braun, Rahm Emanuel, bill “Dock” Walls, and Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins field questions from a panel of journalists and the master of ceremony, NBC 5’s Marion Brooks.
Because Braun, del Valle and Emanuel attended a North Side mayoral forum sponsored by a coalition of 30 LGBT groups held at the same time as the Chicago Defender’s debate, they were late arriving. Chico greeted participants as they entered the North Side forum but left to attend the Defender mayoral forum. He did not speak at the LGBT event.

 
However, once all six were in place at the DuSable Museum, the debate was on and was stoked when James Glover, who was in the audience, submitted a written question asking if each supported reparations for the descendants of United States slaves.

 
“I always have,” Braun told the audience. “That is what the record says. When I was in the United States Senate, I fought against the proponents of the Confederate Flag. “

 
Braun, who was elected to the Senate in 1992 dubbed “The Year of the Woman,” said she also supported legislation that commemorates sites on the Underground Railroad. I served as the first woman on the Senate Finance Committee,” she said not mentioning the fact that she was the first woman who sat on the powerful Judiciary Committee. Braun was the first black woman in the Senate.

 
Emanuel said he was “absolutely” in favor of reparations but his reasons didn’t sit well with two of his opponents. “I think we have to be honest and frank with ourselves. We have a budget deficit that also needs to be addressed and that means those who are making tough decisions that we are investing in the areas that will lead to economic growth,” said Emanuel. He believes there are choices that must be made like the “city facing budget deficits,” improving schools, reducing the dropout rates and hiring more police.

 Walls and Watkins were furious over Emanuel’s reasons for backing reparations.

 
“We can have a world-class ballet company and we do in this city. We can have a world-class opera in this city and we do. If half the kids don’t graduate from high school, you won’t see a world class city much longer.“ He said if the murder rate is as high as it is, Chicago would not be a world-class city. Emanuel wants blacks to get an education.

 
His rationale for backing reparations ticked off Watkins who turned to Emanuel and reminded him that there are 2.4 million people in prison with more than 1 million who are black. “We are only 12 percent of the population; so when I hear Rahm Emanuel talk about a budget deficit, to me, that’s offensive,” she told a cheering audience. “This country was built off the backs, the backs of our ancestors. They bled. They died. They came in chains and they died in pain; so don’t talk to be about budget deficits right now,” said Watkins.

 
Walls also bristled at Emanuel’s remarks and reminded the audience about slavery and said while he is for reparations he is not for educational reparations.

 
Walls said educational reparations for an African American woman who is 75 years of age won’t be of much help to her. “Which educational institution would you send people to and how can these educational institutions receive all of the African Americans? Will they be sub-standard educational institutions? No. It must be financial enumeration…just like you gave others reparations….”

 
On reforming city government, Braun said, “I do not support new taxes. I believe that the middle class has been taxed enough. “ She suggested “We can make government more efficient by “renegotiating the horrible parking meter deal,” Braun described as a “ripped off” to taxpayers.

 
Braun said those who purchased the parking meter contract are now on Wall Street allegedly trying to sell it for $11 billion. “ Chicago lost $10 billion just on that,” she said. Braun promised to eliminate subsidies she said no one knows exist. She also said Chicago needs business growth.

 
On her ideas of reforming the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Braun said it began under the late Mayor Harold Washington—a program she says “has since been corrupted and shrouded in secrecy.” She said it was designed to restore blighted areas, to promote job creation, housing redevelopment, creating small businesses in the neighborhoods. Those are not the goals today. “That was interrupted over the years; in fact, (today) TIF’s are no more than a piggy bank that sits outside of the budget…. TIF’s took away money that would otherwise to go District 299 (CPS) and the result is that our schools get left and they spend the money on things that were never intended to be spent on.”

 
Braun gave the example of the city spending $15 million on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and said that is hardly a way to restore a blighted area. She is calling for a moratorium and complete audit on the spending of TIF’s and to make this program completely transparent and that the funds are spent “for the redevelopment of blighted areas for economic development that serves the interests of the neighborhoods in this city,” she told a cheering audience.

 
On TIF’s, Emanuel said there should be a standard established “to make sure TIF’s are meeting their economic development commitments.” He said after 25-years they still don’t have that statement.

 
Watkins said if elected, she would call for a forensic audit “This city has been run by the same mayor for 20 years. I’m sure there is all kinds of waste, corruption and fraud in that budget.” Quoting former Ald. Dick Simpson, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Watkins said, “The cost of corruption is $500 million” a year. She also vowed to bring in new revenue and to reduce the shootings.

 
Walls said he is the only candidate who understands how city budget operates and the only one who believes in term limits. Walls said Chicago has been void of an industry “to call our home since the stockyards” he describes as “being our bread and butter.” He wants to call in the experts who have money and “show them our transportation center…. We can make Chicago the world center for anontechnology development….”

 
The audience laughed and cheered when del Valle turned and said, “I love Dock Walls. When I’m mayor, I want him to work in my administration. He has good ideas….”

 
Del Valle said “this election is about opportunity…to set a new course in the city a course that says we’re going to treat our neighborhoods the way we treat our downtown areas. This is an opportunity to build those bridges between communities…” Referring on the 77-neighborhood designation, del Valle said “with a different kind of administration” all neighborhoods would be treated fairly. He believes communities should be built up and organized “to ensure that schools become anchors within communities and that we elevate the quality of education” complete with job opportunities.

Saying that leadership must come from the leadership, del Valle called for a federally funded year round youth employment program like it was when he was younger.

 
Watkins said if people want to see “the schools put back on track…entrepreneurial programs…murders go down…then I’m your mayor….”

 
Chico said he too loves Chicago but that “we have been spending beyond our means. He’s prepared to hire more teachers and police and vowed to take a 20 percent pay cut. “
Braun was critical of the recent sale of the city’s parking meters. “ The same group that bought it is on Wall Street trying to sell it for $11 billion.” She said Chicago is being cheated out of $10 billion.

 
Braun vowed to issue a moratorium on the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) saying it has become “corrupt.” According to Braun, the city has strayed from its original intent of using those funds to improve communities. As an example, Braun said it is unacceptable for the city to spend $15 million for improvements to the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT).

 
“I would call for a moratorium on the TIF and for a complete audit of where the (TIF) money has gone. It is shrouded in secrecy. I suppose the aldermen don’t know where the money has gone either,” said Braun.

 
Chico, who said the city of Chicago’s needs an overhaul, wants to use the TIF funds to create jobs and economic development and admitted of the 162 TIF’s no one knows if the job and promises of economic development ever materialized. He also wants TIF’s to be on the Internet so that city government is transparent.

 
“We don’t know how much money is left in that (TIF fund) for economic development,” said Chico. “We don’t know if the jobs were promised to us and we haven’t gotten them and maybe we should, and I will make sure all of this information is put on the Internet available for everyone to see for everybody to see at a moment’s notice,” he stated.

 
Del Valle said in Chicago “we have a tale of two cities” where TIF proceeds go primarily to the downtown area “and the rest of the city…. All we have to do is go back to the original intent…. We know a lot of inside deals get cut. That’s why we need transparency.

 
“We need to know where every TIF dollar is and how every TIF dollar is spent and everyone in this audience should have access to that.” Del Valle said every alderman have to monitor these funds. He also said if there is no job creation then the recipient of TIF funds should “give the money back.”

 
On reforming city government, Chico said, “We have to merge and consolidate departments” but he will not impose any new taxes….. We have to straighten out the pension problem….” He also wants to cut the number of deputies reporting to deputies saying they “do very little to protect the frontline” staff. Chico said there is too much bureaucracy government.

 
On TIF’s, Emanuel said there should be a standard established “to make sure TIF’s are meeting their economic development commitment.” He said after 25-years they still don’t have that statement.

 
Walls said, “We now have a TIF district on LaSalle Street. We have a TIF district to renovate Sears Tower. We have a TIF district to build Millennium Park. What about the black community…. “

Walls wants to take 20 percent of the TIF funds to build low income housing. He said TIF funds should not be used as a one-time revenue source including Emanuel’s proposal to use part of the funds to hire more police officers.

 
Walls turned to Emanuel and said, “ When you were chief of staff, we had children dying in the streets in the city of Chicago.” Walls questioned his silence during that time reminding Emanuel that “You’re a Chicagoan….”

 
Watkins, who wasn’t familiar with the entire TIFF program, said, “We have to be a business friendly city. We have to cut the red tape….”

 
Referring to Emanuel’s most recent ad showing President Barack Obama heaping praises on him, including declaring that “We could not have accomplished what we accomplished without Rahm’s leadership,” Del Valle labeled it as being “dishonest” and “misleading.”
Del Valle added, “This ad should not be used to mislead people into thinking Barack has endorsed Rahm Emanuel, and I think that is really an insult to the intelligence of the community.”

 
And, after the debate Braun shrugged off the controversial ABC7 Chicago poll concluding that Emanuel had 54 percent of the 600 voters interviewed, Chico came in second with 14 percent, del Valle had 8 percent and Braun got 6 percent.

 
And, reacting to the controversial ABC7 Chicago poll that has Emanuel leading by 54 percent of the vote and 53 percent of black support with her coming in last with 6 percent, Braun quipped, “I think we are looking at a repeat of 1992 when everybody said I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell and by the way don’t give her money and I wind up being senator.”