A multibillion-dollar game of chicken is unfolding between Rahm Emanuel and Donald Trump.  The Better Government Association (BGA) of Chicago is an independent watchdog, the need for which should be obvious to anyone with basic familiarity with the ways of the Windy City.  Among other functions, it studies issues of importance to voters looking forward.  For instance: the potential cost of “sanctuary city” policies in the face of the proclaimed intention of the Trump administration to cut of some or all federal funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with ICE.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel might want to rethink his defiant attitude, because the City of Chicago is desperately dependent on federal funding for its social safety net.  Would Mayor Twinkletoes be willing to inflict pain on the city’s most helpless in order to protect illegal alien criminals?

Alejandra Cancino writes for the BGA:

The city of Chicago and sister agencies could lose at least $3.6 billion in federal aid next year if President-elect Donald Trump carries through with a threat to deny all funding to communities that refuse to help his efforts to deport undocumented residents, a BGA analysis shows.

Here is where the money is used in Chicago:

That said, the game of chicken now building between Trump and urban mayors has the potential to jeopardize resources for an array of critical services in Chicago from feeding low-income pregnant women and school-aged children to fixing roads, bridges and train stations. Federal funding also pays for hiring new police officers, retraining workers, as well housing low-income families and supplementing the costs of educating most children in the Chicago Public Schools.

Do you feel lucky, Mayor Emanuel?

Hat tip: Peter von Buol