Chico Doubles Down on "Rahm Tax" Argument, With a Side Bet on "Rahm Didn't Grow Up in Chicago"

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 11, 2011 3:32PM

There were very few fireworks during last night's Fox Chicago/Chicago Urban League mayoral debate at Kennedy-King College. Those that were to be had were provided by Gery Chico. Chico, in addition to continuing his attack on Rahm Emanuel's proposed tax on luxury services, had this to say about getting tough on crime (emphasis ours).

“I think growing up in our city like I did in the Back of the Yards, living with threat of violence stays with you. People like Mr. Emanuel, who grew up in wealthy North Shore, probably never experience that. It makes it harder to come to grips to come up with plan to combat this. I believe this is why I’m endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago,” Chico said.

See what Chico did there? In addition to continuing to attack what he calls the "Rahm Tax" (an attack he should continue until Emanuel finally defines what would constitute a "luxury service" that he would increase in a tax swap), Chico not-so-subtly used the "city versus suburbs" class argument to reintroduce the issue of whether Emanuel is Chicago enough for potential undecideds, which we believed was the whole purpose of the residency challenges to Emanuel's candidacy. It's an argument we find slightly ironic, given Chico's position that city workers (read: police and firefighters) don't need to live in the city they've been sworn to serve and protect.

Chico added fuel to the fire this morning, using his twitter feed to once again say that Emanuel was out of touch because he didn't grow up in Chicago and pointing his twitter followers to this website which does more heavy lifting establishing Emanuel's North Shore background and burnishing Emanuel's reputation for a mercurial temper.

With more than a week left until the Feb. 22 election, expect this dance between Emanuel and Chico to continue, especially as Chico fights to force an April runoff. The latest WGN/Tribune poll shows little change from the ABC poll earlier in the week, with Emanuel pulling away. It's just a matter, at this point, on whose line of BS undecided voters will buy more: Emanuel's or Chico's?