We think Rahm is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Again.
- Story #1 -Mayor Rahm Emanuel today sent a letter to city employees explaining why he’s decided 625 of them need to be laid off.
Harkening back to his campaign, Emanuel said that as a candidate he told Chicago residents he would be honest, tell the hard truths and make the tough choices.
“Last Friday, I had to make one of those tough choices,” he wrote
The layoffs, which will save an estimated $10 million to $12 million for the rest of the year, will help Emanuel close a $30 million shortfall he inherited from former Mayor Richard Daley. - Story #2 - Calling them the "lifeblood" and the "economic engine" of the city of Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday announced a new office to help immigrants open small businesses.
One out of every five Chicagoans, the mayor said, are immigrants, and they're 50 percent more likely to start a small business.
The new office -- The Office of New Americans -- will "drive the other pieces," said Emanuel, including licensing and permitting, and will make sure immigrants feel welcome and are aware of the services available to them.
How does he plan to pay for it? The administrative cuts he made to his office shortly after he was inaugurated will cover the new expenses, he said.
"There's money in the budget to do this because I made dramatic cuts for this, with this in mind," he said.
"dramatic cuts" must mean "625 layoffs."