Mayoral candidates go after Emanuel on taxes, slavery reparations

[FifthColumn]

Rahm Emanuel found himself criticized on issues ranging from taxes to reparations for slavery Wednesday night during the first forum featuring all six candidates for Chicago mayor.

The former White House chief of staff mostly ignored the barbs, especially those from Gery Chico, former Chicago school board president. He contended that Emanuel would burden taxpayers with a service tax Emanuel has proposed as part of a plan that would include a quarter-point cut in the city sales tax.

Two other candidates, William "Dock" Walls and Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins, slammed Emanuel for his positions on tax increment financing districts and reparations.

Emanuel agreed with most candidates in supporting reparations for descendants of slavery, but said that all citizens need to keep in mind that the city has a significant budget deficit to tackle.

Watkins, a community activist and one of three African-American candidates, said she was offended by Emanuel's comments because the nation was built "on the backs" of slaves.

It's unclear exactly what a mayor could do on the issue. Previous efforts at City Hall have been mostly symbolic.

The question came up at a debate hosted by the Chicago Defender newspaper at the DuSable Museum of African American History.

The candidates also discussed changes to TIF districts, with Walls hammering Emanuel's plan to use the funds to hire more cops.

After the forum, candidate Miguel del Valle said a new Emanuel TV ad featuring President Barack Obama praising him as he left the White House was deceiving. Del Valle said the spot implies an endorsement, which hasn't formally happened.

Carol Moseley Braun, Emanuel and del Valle showed up late because the forum, rescheduled because of last week's blizzard, conflicted with one hosted by a coalition of gay rights groups. That forced the double-booked candidates to scramble from downtown to the South Side to appear at both events in an effort to reach out to two key constituencies — gay and black voters.

Emanuel has skipped most non-televised debates and forums.


Mayoral candidates go after Rahm Emanuel on taxes, slave reparations - chicagotribune.com

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Why doesn't someone bring up the fact that Mexican squatters owe poor Americans reparations for all the services those third world criminals steal?

 

[VaYank5150]

Reparations???? Are you kidding me? How many former slaves are still alive today to collect said reparations?

 

[Madeline]

Reparations???? Are you kidding me? How many former slaves are still alive today to collect said reparations?

I find the discussion of reparations fascinating. I would be delighted if that issue became central to the Mayoral race.

 

[VaYank5150]

Reparations???? Are you kidding me? How many former slaves are still alive today to collect said reparations?

I find the discussion of reparations fascinating. I would be delighted if that issue became central to the Mayoral race.

What, may I ask, fascinates you about it?

 

[Mini 14]

Rahm is the next Mayor of Chicago, still not sure why they're even bothering with the formalities.

And reparations in Chicago is a great idea.

"Little Detroit."

 

[VaYank5150]

Rahm is the next Mayor of Chicago, still not sure why they're even bothering with the formalities.

And reparations in Chicago is a great idea.

"Little Detroit."

Reparations, in my humble opinion, are nothing more than a group of people looking for a handout and asking to get paid for work they did not perform. Period.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Show me a race of people who at some point in history hasn't been enslaved by another race.

Reparations my hairy, white, somewhat in need of moisturizing lotion ass.

 

[Madeline]

Reparations???? Are you kidding me? How many former slaves are still alive today to collect said reparations?

I find the discussion of reparations fascinating. I would be delighted if that issue became central to the Mayoral race.

What, may I ask, fascinates you about it?

Well, much as I like history, I am comfy discarding the claims of modern-day black Americans to the "40 acres and a mule" their families were promised. But there are cases like the life insurance companies that specialized in life insurance on slaves that I think present more complex legal and ethical issues of first impression. Should those companies have to disgorge the profits? And if so, in what amount?

Not to mention, a black American hoping to get in on a reparations case is one able to trace his family back to the early 1800's, and the proof of that is interesting to me.

I dun have a firm belief that reparations should or should not be paid....I think it's an unprecedented legal question, at least in this country. It's just a new area of law that I have an interest in...and the convos people have about this, I think, can be healthy.

And if black Americans were to succeed in a reparations suit, then what about the rights of Native Americans?

 

[Madeline]

Show me a race of people who at some point in history hasn't been enslaved by another race.

Reparations my hairy, white, somewhat in need of moisturizing lotion ass.

If your ancestors were enslaved in the mists of time, yes. If it was your Daddy in a Nazi slave labor camp, no.

This is not all so easily resolved, Soggy.

 

[VaYank5150]

I find the discussion of reparations fascinating. I would be delighted if that issue became central to the Mayoral race.

What, may I ask, fascinates you about it?

Well, much as I like history, I am comfy discarding the claims of modern-day black Americans to the "40 acres and a mule" their families were promised. But there are cases like the life insurance companies that specialized in life insurance on slaves that I think present more complex legal and ethical issues of first impression. Should those companies have to disgorge the profits? And if so, in what amount?

Not to mention, a black American hoping to get in on a reparations case is one able to trace his family back to the early 1800's, and the proof of that is interesting to me.

I dun have a firm belief that reparations should or should not be paid....I think it's an unprecedented legal question, at least in this country. It's just a new area of law that I have an interest in...and the convos people have about this, I think, can be healthy.

And if black Americans were to succeed in a reparations suit, then what about the rights of Native Americans?

Additionally, WHO pays? I can trace my ancestors back to 1794 when they first settled in Massachusetts. All farmers. None owned slaves as they were too poor. Would I be responsible for paying?

 

[Madeline]

Let's say the insurance company involved is Allstate. The shareholders of that company would pay, I suppose, as the damages/reparations awarded (if any) would lower the stock value. I dun think the "40 acres and a mule" promise is contractual -- it seems more like political puffery to me, and unenforceable.

So that would take care of black Americans. But then, what about Native Americans? The treaties with the various tribes ARE contracts. They WERE breached. They certainly would have less difficulty showing their family bona fides than blacks.

You have to admit, this is fascinating stuff.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Show me a race of people who at some point in history hasn't been enslaved by another race.

Reparations my hairy, white, somewhat in need of moisturizing lotion ass.

If your ancestors were enslaved in the mists of time, yes. If it was your Daddy in a Nazi slave labor camp, no.

This is not all so easily resolved, Soggy.

Oh please.. what do you do, give every African American $100 regardless of whether their family was ever enslaved or not? There are plenty of African Americans in this country who are not descendent's of slaves, there are plenty of African Americans living in other countries who are descendent's of slaves. Not to mention there is the issue of the slave trade being heavily facilitated by Africans.

There is nothing to resolve. And why should I pay one damned dollar? My family didn't arive in the U.S. until the early twentieth century.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Let's say the insurance company involved is Allstate. The shareholders of that company would pay, I suppose, as the damages/reparations awarded (if any) would lower the stock value. I dun think the "40 acres and a mule" promise is contractual -- it seems more like political puffery to me, and unenforceable.

So that would take care of black Americans. But then, what about Native Americans? The treaties with the various tribes ARE contracts. They WERE breached. They certainly would have less difficulty showing their family bona fides than blacks.

You have to admit, this is fascinating stuff.

No, its dumb. You've already wasted way too much time on it.

 

[Madeline]

Show me a race of people who at some point in history hasn't been enslaved by another race.

Reparations my hairy, white, somewhat in need of moisturizing lotion ass.

If your ancestors were enslaved in the mists of time, yes. If it was your Daddy in a Nazi slave labor camp, no.

This is not all so easily resolved, Soggy.

Oh please.. what do you do, give every African American $100 regardless of whether their family was ever enslaved or not? There are plenty of African Americans in this country who are not descendent's of slaves, there are plenty of African Americans living in other countries who are descendent's of slaves. Not to mention there is the issue of the slave trade being heavily facilitated by Africans.

There is nothing to resolve. And why should I pay one damned dollar? My family didn't arive in the U.S. until the early twentieth century.

No, Soggy. You are not picking up what I am putting down. There would have to be an existing private company that profited from the American slave trade as a defendant, and a specific group of black Americans who could prove their family had people in it who were the subject of those insurance policies as the plaintiffs.

Willy-nilly paying everyone because slavery happened is nowhere near what the question of reparations is about.

Think of the question in European terms, Soggy. The Mercedes-Benz and Braun companies still exist, and both profited from Jewish slave labor during WW II. There are open cases there on just this question.

 

[VaYank5150]

If your ancestors were enslaved in the mists of time, yes. If it was your Daddy in a Nazi slave labor camp, no.

This is not all so easily resolved, Soggy.

Oh please.. what do you do, give every African American $100 regardless of whether their family was ever enslaved or not? There are plenty of African Americans in this country who are not descendent's of slaves, there are plenty of African Americans living in other countries who are descendent's of slaves. Not to mention there is the issue of the slave trade being heavily facilitated by Africans.

There is nothing to resolve. And why should I pay one damned dollar? My family didn't arive in the U.S. until the early twentieth century.

No, Soggy. You are not picking up what I am putting down. There would have to be an existing private company that profited from the American slave trade as a defendant, and a specific group of black Americans who could prove their family had people in it who were the subject of those insurance policies.

Willy-nilly paying everyone because slavery happened is nowhere near what the question of reparations is about.

Think of the question in European terms, Soggy. The Mercedes-Benz and Braun companies still exist, and both profited from Jewish slave labor during WW II. There are open cases there on just this question.

THIS, I know to be true. Siemens settled their case a few years back.

 

[ElephantMcDonk]

Rahm Emanuel is an absolute lock to win Mayor of Chicago according to Intrade. The bid is 97% and the ask is 99%. Those numbers are normally reserved for confirming election results that are already in. I don't think I've ever seen any candidate with that high of a bid.

 

[Madeline]

Rahm Emanuel is an absolute lock to win Mayor of Chicago according to Intrade. The bid is 97% and the ask is 99%. Those numbers are normally reserved for confirming election results that are already in. I don't think I've ever seen any candidate with that high of a bid.

Ya, I agree. The election is a mere formality.

Poor Chicago.