Oh, Lord: Rahm's Water Tax Draws Fire

The Lord giveth, Rahm taketh away.

A Misericordia pastor on Thursday took a shot at Mayor Rahm Emanuel's decision in the 2012 city budget to cut free water and sewer services for some nonprofit organizations.

"Thank you, Lord, for what WAS free water," Father Jack Clair prayed ahead of Emanuel's speech at the Chicago center for the developmentally disabled. 

Emanuel gave an early breakfast speech at a fundraiser for Misericordia Heart of Mercy Home.

He had a good-natured exchange with Sister Rosemary Connelly, director at the center, who also took a little dig at the loss of free water.

Connelly asked for one fundraiser each year "to pay for the water bill."

Emanuel took it in stride, suggesting Ald. Ed Burke, who was present at the fundraiser, could afford to chip in from his campaign war chest to cover six months of next year's water bill.

In Emanuel's first city budget proposal, he initially called for all nonprofits to pay sewer and water. He then offered a compromise at the urging of several aldermen, allowing smaller nonprofits to be phased into the costs.

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