Quinn, Rahm Pledge "Strong Alliance"

By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 19, 2011 1:30PM

Gov. Quinn and Mayor-elect Emanuel met yesterday for the first time since Emanuel's February election and promised a "strong alliance" between Chicago and Springfield rooted in the 31-year relationship between the two, who first met as campaign workers for the late Senator Paul Simon in 1980.

Among the topics Quinn and Emanuel discussed were finding ways to fund CTA, balancing the CPS budget deficit, city pension reforms, a downtown casino and the possibility of the state mandating a longer school day for the public schools if the teachers union balks at it during upcoming contract negotiations.

That will be a hard row to hoe, given Springfield's own fiscal issues. Another possible roadblock will be the current legislative session downstate, which will be down to its final two weeks by the time Emanuel is sworn in. Quinn believes they can get some things done.

"We have lots of energy, lots of ideas, lots of idealism, and we're gonna apply all over the aforementioned to helping the common good," Quinn said.