By Bill Cameron, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) In an interview for WLS-AM’s “Connected to Chicago” program, Governor Rauner says a Chicago teachers strike would be a tragedy for the children, for their families and for taxpayers, but if there is one, Mayor Emanuel should be much tougher than he was last time.

“An elected official has to be able to withstand a strike and manage thru it. That’s their job! Otherwise, whatever the taxpayer-funded union wants, they get to dictate terms. That’s why at the state level I’ve said, I want to be reasonable, I want to get a fair contract with state employees and I’ve said that I hope no one strikes , but if they did, we know how to get thru it and manage the process. Rahm didn’t do that four or five years ago and that allowed a group against the taxpayers to overrun him,” said Rauner.

While taping “Connected to Chicago “for Sunday night at 7, the governor sounded sympathetic to one of the mayor’s ideas to fight street crime. It’s the one that would put repeat gun offenders in prison much longer.