CHICAGO — Gov. Bruce Rauner said jobs and economic opportunity, not the National Guard, will help fix Chicago's violence problems.
Chicago has seen more murders than New York and Los Angeles combined during a particularly bloody year. But the National Guard, who some have said should be brought in to quell violence, cannot fix the city's problems, Rauner told reporters Wednesday at a suburban event.
"The violence is terrible," Rauner said in a video posted by the Tribune. "The long-term answer is more economic opportunity in Chicago. There are not enough jobs.
"And [there should be] more education quality in Chicago. The schools, especially in low-income neighborhoods in the South Side [and] West Side, have not been invested in properly, have not been supported, and that has not given the educational opportunity to the young people to see a career for themselves. And as a result, they get drawn into gang violence."
Asked about bringing in the National Guard, the governor said such a move could "exacerbate" existing problems in the city. He's discussed that option with national and local leaders, he said, but "the National Guard right now wouldn't make sense."
"Some people have said bring in the National Guard," Rauner said. "No thoughtful leader thinks that's a good idea or would really provide a solution."
