Gutierrez backs away from Emanuel

The on-again-off-again political alliance between two retiring Democratic powerhouses - Mayor Rahm Emanuel and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez - is back off again - but not for the reasons you might think.

Gutierrez said he's not angry at the lame-duck mayor for taking sides against his daughter and going all-out to re-elect Alderman Ariel Reboyras, who has done the heavy lifting for Emanuel on the volatile issue of police reform.

It's just that while following through on his promise to knock on 2,000 doors to help elect his daughter, Gutierrez has gotten an earful from 30th Ward residents about just how furious they are at Emanuel and just how oppressive his taxes, fines and fees have been.

"People are so under water because of the property tax, because of red-light cameras. … People are suffering. We live a tale of two cities. They feel the mayor has politicized the Police Department. … I have learned from my conversations … how terribly unpopular he is in the bungalow neighborhoods," Gutierrez said Tuesday.

Before leaving office, Emanuel has vowed to do whatever it takes to help re-elect the aldermen who have helped him push through an avalanche of tax increases - on property, telephone and water and sewer bills - just to begin to solve Chicago's $28 billion pension crisis.

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