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Jackson Endorses Garcia; Blasts Emanuel For School Closings, Lack Of Development

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With both Mayor Rahm Emanuel and challenger Jesus "Chuy" Garcia hoping to build more support among black voters, Garcia on Monday won the backing of some prominent African-American ministers, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, who blasted the mayor's priorities.

Jackson stood at the end of a trash-strewn vacant lot in Englewood, along with others supporting Garcia's bid for mayor. Jackson said they fault Emanuel for leaving much of the South Side and West Side undeveloped, and for closing 50 schools in mostly black and Latino neighborhoods.

"We lose 50 schools, and 50 drug stores, and 75 grocery stores; thousands of vacant homes and abandoned lots," he said.

Jackson said he and others – like former Cook County Commissioner Bobbie Steele, Rev. Paul Jakes, Rev. Marshall Hatch, and Rev. Ira Acree – were backing Garcia because he has stood with them on many issues, dating back to the days of the late Mayor Harold Washington.

Garcia, a current Cook County Commissioner, was a Chicago alderman during the Washington administration, and one of the late mayor's allies in the infamous "Council Wars."

"He has a consistent track record of service, and we trust him and believe that he will assume the burden of responsibility to work with us to reconstruct where we live," Jackson said.

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Garcia welcomed the endorsements, and pledged to invest in crumbling neighborhoods. He said he would help spur development in such communities by overhauling tax increment financing, by reducing the use of TIF districts, and focusing them only on projects that truly require government assistance to go forward.

He has accused Emanuel of using TIF revenue as a "slush fund" to reward wealthy allies and campaign donors.

"For one, we will stop giving taxpayer subsidies to the wealthiest in the city of Chicago. You don't need tax increment financing to do development in the city center," he said.

He pledged to clean up blighted areas typified by the vacant lot that served as a backdrop for Monday's endorsement.

"You need tools and resources in neighborhoods like this neighborhood to bring it back, to give people a sense of hope, a sense of the future, and by making the neighborhoods safer, as well as building good public schools in those neighborhoods," he said.

Garcia said he would unveil his full economic plan later this week.

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