Countdown to Rahmageddon: Where to Trim the Fat?

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 10, 2011 3:09PM

Rahm Emanuel, looking to burnish his "Rahmformer" credentials, announced earlier this week that he would freeze spending on his first day in office, if elected, and ask department heads to find $75 million in spending cuts. Emanuel also said he would fix the city's pension system, which is way underfunded.

Emanuel gave no specifics as to how to do all this and instead spoke of rebuilding the public trust in municipal government, which has been par for the course of his campaign.

“I know that even mentioning these things has cost me some political endorsements,” he said. “But I am comfortable with that because I think it’s my responsibility to be honest with Chicagoans before they go to the voting booth.”

Economics and job creation has been the focus of the campaign since the state Supreme Court ruled that Emanuel can remain on the ballot a couple weeks back. Last night, during a mayoral forum sponsored by the Chicago Defender, all six mayoral candidates said they would reform the tax increment financing program and work to find ex-offenders job. But it wasn't without some pandering. Carol Moseley Braun, Gery Chico, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins and William "Dock" Wals all said they were in favor of the city offering reparations to descendants of slaves. walls and Watkins, given their first wide audience with the major contenders, made the most of it. Walls attacked Emanuel for not bringing more police to the streets while he was White House chief of staff, while Watkins played to the crowd in saying the media hasn't been paying attention to her campaign.