That's what it reads like to me. It was revealed that people were being bused in and paid to attend meetings supporting Rahm's plan for the closing of many public schools.
It looks like a guy who heads a consulting firm with close ties to Emanuel, who helped run his campaign, has admitted giving money to "Rev. Roosevelt Watkins, who is under scrutiny for paying people to attend hearings and speak on behalf of school closings."
From the Chicago Tribune:
Resolute Consulting CEO Greg Goldner says mayor, CPS have not asked for his involvement to organize community groups, faith leaders in support of longer school day, charter schoolsBut he's giving it anyway.
A political consulting firm with close ties to Mayor Rahm Emanuel has funded and helped organize community groups and faith leaders on behalf of the mayor's contentious education agenda as a counterweight to fierce opposition from the Chicago Teachers Union.
Greg Goldner, who ran Emanuel's successful 2002 bid for Congress, dedicated the skills of Resolute Consulting to write press releases for pastors, produce a video presentation and help plan events. The effort supports Emanuel's attempts to lengthen the school day, bolster charter schools and close underperforming schools.
The issue of who is generating grass-roots support and whether it's real or the faux kind political types call AstroTurf took a turn recently when the Chicago Public Schools inspector general started looking at the Rev. Roosevelt Watkins, who is under scrutiny for paying people to attend hearings and speak on behalf of school closings.
Watkins said he has received money from Resolute. His organization also holds city school contracts. But Watkins said he didn't use public funds or the firm's money to pay the protesters. Goldner acknowledged giving money to Watkins and other groups, but declined to say to whom or how much.
Here is more about the paid protestors and how much they made to hold signs favoring the side of the education "reformers".
Paid protesters a new force in school closings debate Protesters say they were paid $20, $25 to attend hearingsThis is outrageous.
This mother, who lives in Englewood, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, has made $50 off the public hearings to close down failing schools this year. She’s been to two hearings and got paid $25 each time to get on a bus and go.
ENGLEWOOD WOMAN: It was in an envelope. It was a $20 and a $5.
The money was handed to protesters after the hearings, when the buses returned to the churches where they’d picked people up.
ENGLEWOOD WOMAN: The first time I got it outside of the church outside 41st and King Drive.
That address is home to the HOPE Organization, run by Pastor Roosevelt Watkins. He’s led clergy support for Chicago Public Schools’ longer day and now for school closings.
Read it all and see what public schools and their teachers are facing.
I think Rahm Emanuel has single-handedly done more harm to our party than most anyone in his stances with corporate entities.
