Mayor, governor still at odds over budget at jobs event

CHICAGO (WLS) -- They've been blasting each other for months over a number of issues, yet when it came to announcing 286 jobs coming to Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Bruce Rauner both wanted a piece of it.

A cordial handshake began an event where Emanuel and Rauner talked about the city and state working together to bring Flex-N-Gate, an automotive manufacturing facility, to the Far Southeast Side.

"I also want to thank Mayor Emanuel and his team for working closely with the administration," Rauner said.

"I'll work with anyone to advance the goal," Emanuel said.

But when the goal is funding Chicago Public Schools or a balanced state budget, the mayor and the governor remain at odds. The mayor is still blaming the state for not funding CPS as Emanuel has yet to release a plan on how the city will pay for the rest of the school year.

"The mayor should get involved in pushing to make sure the funding formula comes in. He has influence in the Democratic caucus, I hope he'll get involved directly," Rauner said.

The jobs announcement was made in Alderman Susan Sadlowski Garza's ward. A strong supporter of the Chicago Teachers Union, she has clashed with both the mayor and governor. She hopes Rauner will put aside his anti-union stance to pass a budget.

"I gave him today a Friends of Labor shirt today, with a solidarity fist on it. Hopefully he'll wear and have a change of heart, who knows," she said.

Earlier in the day, the governor was booed by some students at Chicago State University's graduation. He took it in stride.

"I share their frustration. This system is broken. I am totally with them. I'd like to boo the system as well. I'm not going to boo it, I'm going to change it," he said.

Chicago State University has been through financial turmoil. Last year, CSU laid of 40 percent of its employees after the state funding it relied on was cut during the nearly three-year budget stalemate.

As for the state budget, time is ticking. The legislative session ends May 31. Rauner said Thursday he and lawmakers are working around the clock. Yesterday, a plan to revive the "grand bargain" budget plan and begin votes in the Illinois Senate was halted by Republicans.