Rahm Talks Economic Agenda

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has turned his re-election campaign’s focus to jobs and the city’s economic growth.

Emanuel delivered his state of the economy speech Wednesday at the Method manufacturing plant in the Pullman neighbrohood.

The address comes on the same day Emanuel announced that Prescient Edge LLC, a global security and technology company, will move its headquarters to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Chicago.

The company will be creating at least 60 full-time jobs in Chicago initially and expects significant growth with the addition of hundreds of jobs in the coming years.

“From the education of our workforce, to the quality of our transportation, to the diversity of our economy, more companies like Prescient Edge want to relocate to Chicago for the city we are today and the growth opportunities we offer them for tomorrow,” Emanuel said in a statement. “We are starting to see the results of having the right strategy and making the right investments. I look forward to building on this progress to give more companies the confidence to invest in Chicago’s future and create more jobs for more of our residents.”

The mayor’s economic address shifted the focus not just to the attraction 30 company headquarters to the downtown area during his time as mayor, but also to the expansion of what he hopes will become a new business plaza in the Pullman neighborhood.

“We want all part of the city to grow, all parts have strengths you have to invest in,” Emanuel said.

Those who also want to be mayor see the city’s economic agenda differently, arguing the city's neighborhoods aren't feeling the economic impact.

“He talks about Pullman he talks about Englewood, what has he really done there?” said mayoral candidate Ald. Bob Fioretti.

"While Mayor Emanuel might say he’s trying to make Chicago work for all our communities, his actions in the past four years have created a divided Chicago – one for the rich, and one for everyone else," Fioretti said in a statement.

“The neighborhoods haven’t seen much job growth,” said candidate Jesus Chuy Garcia, who also said in a statement that "Chicago cannot afford four more year's of Emanuel's failed economic policies."

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