Governor Bruce Rauner was a speaker at the annual Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce Conference in East Peoria Wednesday. He asked the conference attendees to remember all he’s done for minority-owned businesses when they vote in November, citing a list of achievements for the advancement of black owned-business.
“We’ve done historic things to help black-owned businesses. We’ve cut the L-L-C fees costs. We’ve cut red tape in regulations. We’ve created a mentoring program statewide. We’ve created a financing program statewide and we’ve made sure that we are cutting back bureaucracy in procurement,” Rauner said.
But Rauner also said he is not considering sending the National Guard in response to the recent spike in Chicago gun violence. “The National Guard is not for neighborhood policing. For something like a riot of some issue like that, it might be appropriate. But never have [I] considered sending in the National Guard for this. That’s just a false rumor.”
Rauner says creating more economic opportunities and jobs for the black community will help reduce the violence. He says the unemployment rate for African American males in some parts of Chicago is 30-percent or more. Rauner says opportunities are necessary to help combat that sort of hopelessness and the violence it’s bred.
