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Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Paul Vallas: Two years in, Mayor Brandon Johnson's rhetoric doesn't match reality
Mayor Brandon Johnson's first two years in office can best be described as delusional. Even from a progressive perspective, there is a glaring disconnect between his rhetoric and reality. Johnson has declared his tenure the most accomplished of any mayor in Chicago history and claims the city is now a national model for building a worker-centered, safe and affordable city. But his proudest accomplishments amount to little more than a progressive Potemkin village. For example, he opened just three of 12 mental health facilities closed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. His reestablished Department of Environment is an office with a few staff members and no real authority or resources. Johnson's flagship initiative — a $1.25 billion bond program — is a continuation of the city practice of bonding for capital investments. His 'Green Social Housing' ordinance is a small low-interest loan program and no substitute for a serious affordable housing policy. These checkbox initiatives, among others, are designed more for optics than substance. Despite his rhetoric, Johnson has done little to confront the city's mounting problems. Instead, he resorts to playing the race card to explain the challenges he inherited and his own failures to address them. As Johnson completes his second year, what is his record? And what is the real state of the city? Finances Johnson or his administration has done nothing to address the financial storm engulfing the city, schools and public transit system — each faces historic deficits in the coming year. The city projects a budget shortfall exceeding $1 billion. The new teachers contract pushes Chicago Public Schools' deficit to more than $800 million, and the CTA faces a $600 million revenue shortfall. Meanwhile, the mayor's backing of a $1.5 billion contract with the Chicago Teachers Union makes it virtually impossible to balance either the city or CPS budget without major tax hikes. Taxes While the City Council blocked a property tax hike, the mayor's school board has increased property taxes each year. Voters resoundingly rejected Johnson's proposed increase in the real estate transfer tax, yet he continues to advocate for other campaign tax proposals, including a city income tax, a head tax on employers and a financial transaction tax. Chicago already leads major cities in property and sales taxes and fees, and our commercial property tax burden is among the highest in the nation. The new $1.5 billion CTU contract almost guarantees annual property tax hikes but adds no instructional time or accountability measures. The mayor's hand-picked school board has effectively reinstated social promotion and eliminated any meaningful accountability for underperforming students, schools or teachers. The contract also undermines successful public school alternatives for low-income families such as public charter and magnet schools. Police staffing remains 1,700 officers below pre-COVID-19 levels, in part due to the mayor's elimination of 833 positions. While homicides and shootings have declined nationally since the pandemic, Chicago has until this year ranked near the bottom of large cities in homicide reduction. Overall, violent crime remains above pre-pandemic levels and is likely underreported, given the decline in high-priority 911 responses since 2019. The mayor's economic policy has focused on growing the public sector and expanding subsidies through public-private partnerships, rather than fostering a business-friendly environment. Johnson fulfilled a promise to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers — a policy that imposes a costly, unfunded mandate on small and midsize businesses. Johnson and his administration have no coherent affordable housing strategy. The administration has failed to leverage tools such as tax abatements, reactivation of vacant properties or creation of opportunity zones to combat disinvestment or gentrification. Johnson's promise to 'cut the tape' has amounted to little more than bureaucratic reshuffling with no substantive outcomes. The CTA faces a huge deficit next year and needs to restore ridership to pre-COVID-19 levels to avoid deep service cuts. That requires that the CTA become significantly safer. Yet the mayor-controlled CTA continues to spend money on private, unarmed security. That money could increase the number of Chicago police officers assigned to the CTA by 500. Currently, the CTA has just over 100 police officers dedicated to transit — roughly the same as the mayor's own security detail. Johnson has fully embraced Chicago's sanctuary city status, largely refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement while offering aid to migrants, including emergency housing, medical care, legal services and de facto protection from immigration authorities. The city has spent more than $600 million on migrant services. Johnson has failed to advance a single piece of anti-corruption legislation. He has clashed with City Council ethics chair Ald. Matt Martin and Inspector General Deborah Witzburg, who accused his administration of building 'brick walls' against oversight and transparency. In two years, little of substance has been done to address Chicago's mounting challenges. Look to the mayor to continue refusing to take responsibility for anything — preferring to deflect, gaslight and race-bait instead. Paul Vallas is an adviser for the Illinois Policy Institute. He ran against Johnson for Chicago mayor in 2023 and was previously budget director for the city and CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Brandon Johnson on the record: The full Tribune interview as he hits 2 years in office
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sat down Wednesday for a wide-ranging interview with City Hall reporters Alice Yin and Jake Sheridan. Here is the full transcript of the interview, lightly edited for clarity: Q: Thank you so much for making the time, mayor. We're going to get started right away: What are the main ways you're proud of your second year? A: Well, I think it's a culmination of not just one year. But I'm just incredibly proud of the coalition that shifted the political dynamics in this city, where the control and the dominance had been concentrated into the hands of a few people. So, I'm proud that, as the most pro-worker city in America, we have been able to successfully ensure that workers are respected and seen, paid time off. I don't think it's a time to stop celebrating the fact that we abolished the subminimum wage, particularly at a time where cities are being forced to revert back to the painful days of not respecting workers. The $1.25 billion bond investment that has produced one of the most innovative approaches toward building more affordable homes with the Green Social Housing ordinance. We're also very proud that I promised that we would prioritize public safety in this city, and in the month of April was the fewest shootings as well as the fewest homicides since 1962. So between building a safe and an affordable big city, which is really unheard of outside of Chicago, I'm very proud that we have put ourselves in a position to be the leading example of how to center workers and build, again, a safe and affordable big city. Q: You've compared yourself before to Harold Washington. What do you think is the main way you two are different? A: Well, I don't think I've compared myself to Mayor Harold Washington. I think what I've said is that since Mayor Harold Washington, many of the things that we are pushing were either eliminated, eroded or, quite frankly, just dismantled. We are in a slightly different political context right now, where the way information spreads and moves, it doesn't have to be accurate in order for it to be news. That's just the political climate that we're in, because everybody believes that they get to report and break a story, right? So you have social media influencers now, right? We're just in a much different sort of communications apparatus. I believe what's most important though is that the coalition I've described, that was the coalition that made it possible for many of the transformative measures that were taken a generation ago. And it's requiring that same coalition to build a safe, affordable big city. I think we're all different because we're all uniquely designed for the particular time period in which we've been called to serve. I don't have to be anyone else in order to be effective. I just have to be myself. And that's what's different about me. I'm who I am. Q: You talked about some of the opposition you've faced. Do you think this time period has a Burke, a Vrdolyak? Who do you think those people are? A: Well, it's clear that there is an entire financial interest that is attempting to intimidate working people. This recent pack of millionaires who don't have a vision for Chicago, right? The only thing that they want is to regain control and power so that the interests of the ultra-wealthy in this city and this country can be maintained. That is the operation of the federal government right now, where billionaires have unfettered access to power. And their formation, where they are pointing their direction right at me, it's clearly not an attempt to make our city safer, because we're doing that. Whatever the motives are, it's not about building more affordable homes, because I'm doing that. It's not about investing in young people and mental, behavioral health, because I'm doing that. What I am ascertaining from a group of incredibly rich individuals is that they are the ones who are intimidated by the fact that we have a far more robust approach to how we govern in this city. And I'm not going to back down from millionaires and billionaires. As working people, we have to come together to ensure that we have a safe and affordable city. I will say this last point, though, is I've said from the very beginning that the democracy and government that we've inherited will not be the one that we pass on. So, there are far more voices that speak independently than we probably have ever had. But in the midst of all of that, we have still been able to build homes, to stand up for workers, to ensure that we're investing in public education. And so you had an era where there was rubber stamp and it was absolutely chaotic: massive school closings, shutting down mental health clinics, dismantling and destroying public housing, disrupting the financial apparatus and stability of our city. All of that chaos happened under rubber stamp. All of it. And what we've been able to do by opening up spaces where people can have real dissent, it's how we're able to move the city forward, and I'm humbled that we've been able to do that. Now, I do regret that I have not effectively communicated with the people of Chicago of the work that we've done. I have to put that same amount of effort that I put forth to get things done in this city, I have to put that same effort toward communicating with the people of Chicago, and I'm going to do a much better job of that moving forward. Q: To that point, you said notably last fall it's natural for people to feel 'uncomfortable' because, 'If I were behaving in status quo, things would seemingly feel steady, but it would be a steady path on destruction.' How much longer do you think Chicagoans can tolerate feeling uncomfortable, though, before they lose patience? A: I think the way in which I would answer that is that, here's a question that I've asked myself: How long do people have to wait in order for government to actually see them and show up for them? They don't have to wait anymore for that. They don't, because it's here. You saw that we were able to pass Green Social Housing, something that I ran on. And people have been waiting for this type of transformation for years in this city. I don't know if I would necessarily say that folks have been patient, but it certainly is a virtue. But think about how long we've waited for a mayor to actually believe in public education. We've had to wait decades for that, and now that you have someone who believes in public education, so much so that I send my own children to our public schools. The proof is that we were able to settle a contract where there are more critical investments for neighborhoods all across the city than we've seen in any other contract. Now, look, respectfully, I do understand the frustration, because of some of the crises that I inherited certainly had an impact on the pace of transformation. I share in that frustration. But it took years for the city of Chicago to be dismantled in a way where, certain parts of the city we're still excavating the rubbish and the ashes from the dismantling and disinvesting in our neighborhoods. And so I share in that frustration, the things that I have wanted to do, I have not been able to do them as fast as I would like. And moving into these next couple of years, it is proof positive that everything that I set out to do — we're going to hire more young people, we're going to hire more detectives, we're going to drive violence down in the city, we're going to stand up for working people, we're going to build more affordable homes — we've been able to do that. And we have to do a better job at effectively communicating, because what I did miscalculate was the extent in which those who oppose my vision, the extent to which they would go to and through to define me or to distort our work. It's like the lesson that I've been working through in Bible study, where Jesus warned of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod, that if you're not speaking emphatically about the work that you're doing, that people who oppose you, who do not believe in you, they're going to spread and rise dissent in order to undermine and dismiss the work that you have been doing. So something that I'm doing now with 'Lakeside Chats,' and going to senior homes, and talking to our high school students, and talking more to the business community, doing town hall meetings, all of that work. While I was working to stand up government, one of the things that I did miscalculate was my responsibility to make sure that we're standing up the very coalition that elected me. Q: Some of that dissent has come increasingly from progressives in the City Council. They've raised issues like transparency, the way you handle transit, ethics. What's your message to them? A: Well look, there's, again, no secret that there's been some degree of frustration with some members of the City Council. There's nothing surreptitious about my administration. But what I have to do a better job at is engaging City Council members more frequently and earlier. And we're doing that. Q: You have notably avoided detailing your September conversation with Pedro Martinez. What's the reasoning behind not wanting to get in front of his narrative? A: My father taught me something that was important. He said leaders should not seek — I'll try to say this as direct as I possibly can — that true leaders don't just simply seek praise. You seek results. That's how you're defined. And there's conversations that have happened in these walls for generations. There's something sacred about having conversations that are meant to be private. He's got a family. I have a family. Why would I speak of a private conversation and break that trust and confidence? Now, we obviously have our disagreements, but he's another human being. Q: But you did say his version of what happened is not true. So wouldn't you want to provide details on what actually happened to gain trust? A: To gain trust with who? Q: Well, if Chicagoans want to believe your statement that his version of events isn't true, wouldn't you want to back it up with what actually happened? A: It was a private conversation. There's something sacred about that. When I was asked directly, was it true or not, of course I had to speak the truth. I'm not going to go into details and break confidence and trust in the people who come to me in confidence, that somehow, if they share something with me, that Mayor Johnson will break those rules. Do you understand, I have multiple conversations with so many people all over the city, where people share things with me in confidence and they want to be able to work through those things. Just because someone breaks that confidence doesn't give me permission to do the same. Q: Why didn't you replace him in May 2023? A: I wanted to demonstrate that we could work with people. I've answered that question multiple times. I mean, I could have, but this was the nature of my approach, that I wanted to give people an opportunity to demonstrate that they can stand alongside me. Now, obviously that wasn't the case. It's a lesson learned and it was an error on my part to believe that someone giving me their word, that they would keep it. Q: Is it true that you two had an earlier mutual understanding that he would gracefully step aside if it ever came that you two disagreed? A: Everyone who serves this city and works under my direction have all made it very clear that if there ever came a point where such a thing could not exist, that they would gracefully move on. Q: As mayor of Chicago, you certainly have the authority to hire and fire who you choose. But why have so many firings been difficult or controversial when the time comes? A: It's a great question, Alice. It's a great question. It gives me something to think about. Q: Do you think the controversy is all external, or is this an area of being an executive that you think you could use improvement with? A: Improvement on firing people? Q: Yeah, there is a method, a strategy to doing it. There is a way to move about firings that can elicit or not elicit media attention or detractors from other areas of government. A: There is. Many people have not stayed here. There are folks who have been dismissed, and no one ever knows about it. Q: When it comes to hiring, we hear there have been some notable candidates rejecting top jobs — Kam Buckner, Clayton Harris, and this nationwide search for CTA has not appeared to generate results. Why has it been hard to attract talent? A: We just put forth two incredible names, Frank (Francisco Velez) and Mike (Michael McMurray). Frank is going to head up OEMC, and Mike is going to head up Aviation. Very talented individuals. We are breaking ground across the city building more affordable homes. Between Commissioners (Lissette) Castañeda and (Ciere) Boatright, these are incredibly talented individuals. When I appointed Superintendent (Larry) Snelling, there were many people who praised that decision. And Dr. (Olusimbo) Ige established a playbook for how the entire country would respond to congregate settings and outbreaks of diseases. Chief (Sendy) Soto is building out an homelessness operation that, as of date, there's not a single person who is on a waiting list looking for shelter, not a single family. That's just to name a few. The talent that we have amassed, you're not driving violent crime down in the city of Chicago, and at the same time investing in ways that we have seen that have clearly been unprecedented without talented people. Our administration is one of the most diverse administrations in the history of Chicago. Now I'm not sure this is what you were getting at, but 45% of my administration is Black. I think they're incredibly talented. 25% are Brown, incredibly talented. 8% Asian, highest you've probably seen ever, incredibly talented. 30% white, incredibly talented public servants. We're not transforming the city in the way in which we're doing it without talented people who deeply care and love this city. So I would argue, not only have we attracted some of the most talented people, but people do want to work for this administration, and those that we have selected have demonstrated their power, their love, their influence, and, yes, their talent. Q: Your chief of staff has been criticized for how she presided over HR issues, including how long she took to fire staffers, or her suggestion of peace circles for someone accused of harassment. How does that engender faith in her potentially being the next interim leader of our school district? A: We have worked internally incredibly hard to create a working environment that speaks to our values. I have not made a decision on who will lead the school district, but what I can say emphatically is that, as someone who has served on the Illinois State Board of Education, someone who was duly elected as a state senator and someone who has been chief of staff of an administration that is the most diverse, progressive, talented, loving people, it is a clear demonstration of her skill set. Are we perfect? We're human. We're human, and we continue to be humbled by this position, but it doesn't cause us to cower or fret or panic in the midst of controversy. My chief of staff, essentially, was the project manager that responded to a global crisis that no one in the country had an answer for, helped operationalize the chaos at the border, where there were 4,000 human beings sleeping on the floors in police districts. Someone had to help lead that. And then not only did we rectify that attack that we were under by the governor of Texas, we built a 'One System' initiative that opened us up to a 126% increase in shelter beds. It takes a pretty special person to be able to help pull that off. Q: Looking forward to the next budget, if you do propose a property tax hike for your next budget after the $300 million pitch last time got nixed, how would you be able to persuade alderman that this time, it's necessary? A: I put together this working group, because it's going to take all of us to respond to the financial malfeasance that for too long was the accepted form of how we do finances, financing and budgeting in the city of Chicago. We're taking a different approach. We're bringing people together, because that's what it's going to take in order for us to create economic security. And the business community, the philanthropic community, labor, community-based organizations, my office, all of us will participate and be part of coming up with solutions. And there's not just one solution. There are multiple solutions that I believe we have to not just explore, but work to communicate to the people of Chicago the 'why' as well as the 'what.' And we have started that process much earlier, meeting with respective caucuses within the City Council. We've already put potentially 40 revenue ideas on the table. And I fully anticipate a very robust, lively conversation around all of this. The expectation is that we all work hand in hand, stand shoulder to shoulder and show up for working people in the city. Q: What are your biggest priorities in the next year? A: I truly believe that we can have something that's unique. Right now, if you look at what's happening in other major cities, the average prices homes in New York and Los Angeles, we're talking $1.1 million, $800,000, $900,000. I want to build the safest, most affordable big city in America, and I'm going to continue to prioritize working people in this city to ensure that actually becomes the reality. Thank you both.
Chicago Tribune
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Mayor Brandon Johnson on the record: The full Tribune interview as he hits 2 years in office
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sat down Wednesday for a wide-ranging interview with City Hall reporters Alice Yin and Jake Sheridan. Here is the full transcript of the interview, lightly edited for clarity: Q: Thank you so much for making the time, mayor. We're going to get started right away: What are the main ways you're proud of your second year? A: Well, I think it's a culmination of not just one year. But I'm just incredibly proud of the coalition that shifted the political dynamics in this city, where the control and the dominance had been concentrated into the hands of a few people. So, I'm proud that, as the most pro-worker city in America, we have been able to successfully ensure that workers are respected and seen, paid time off. I don't think it's a time to stop celebrating the fact that we abolished the subminimum wage, particularly at a time where cities are being forced to revert back to the painful days of not respecting workers. The $1.25 billion bond investment that has produced one of the most innovative approaches toward building more affordable homes with the Green Social Housing ordinance. We're also very proud that I promised that we would prioritize public safety in this city, and in the month of April was the fewest shootings as well as the fewest homicides since 1962. So between building a safe and an affordable big city, which is really unheard of outside of Chicago, I'm very proud that we have put ourselves in a position to be the leading example of how to center workers and build, again, a safe and affordable big city. Q: You've compared yourself before to Harold Washington. What do you think is the main way you two are different? A: Well, I don't think I've compared myself to Mayor Harold Washington. I think what I've said is that since Mayor Harold Washington, many of the things that we are pushing were either eliminated, eroded or, quite frankly, just dismantled. We are in a slightly different political context right now, where the way information spreads and moves, it doesn't have to be accurate in order for it to be news. That's just the political climate that we're in, because everybody believes that they get to report and break a story, right? So you have social media influencers now, right? We're just in a much different sort of communications apparatus. I believe what's most important though is that the coalition I've described, that was the coalition that made it possible for many of the transformative measures that were taken a generation ago. And it's requiring that same coalition to build a safe, affordable big city. I think we're all different because we're all uniquely designed for the particular time period in which we've been called to serve. I don't have to be anyone else in order to be effective. I just have to be myself. And that's what's different about me. I'm who I am. Q: You talked about some of the opposition you've faced. Do you think this time period has a Burke, a Vrdolyak? Who do you think those people are? A: Well, it's clear that there is an entire financial interest that is attempting to intimidate working people. This recent pack of millionaires who don't have a vision for Chicago, right? The only thing that they want is to regain control and power so that the interests of the ultra-wealthy in this city and this country can be maintained. That is the operation of the federal government right now, where billionaires have unfettered access to power. And their formation, where they are pointing their direction right at me, it's clearly not an attempt to make our city safer, because we're doing that. Whatever the motives are, it's not about building more affordable homes, because I'm doing that. It's not about investing in young people and mental, behavioral health, because I'm doing that. What I am ascertaining from a group of incredibly rich individuals is that they are the ones who are intimidated by the fact that we have a far more robust approach to how we govern in this city. And I'm not going to back down from millionaires and billionaires. As working people, we have to come together to ensure that we have a safe and affordable city. I will say this last point, though, is I've said from the very beginning that the democracy and government that we've inherited will not be the one that we pass on. So, there are far more voices that speak independently than we probably have ever had. But in the midst of all of that, we have still been able to build homes, to stand up for workers, to ensure that we're investing in public education. And so you had an era where there was rubber stamp and it was absolutely chaotic: massive school closings, shutting down mental health clinics, dismantling and destroying public housing, disrupting the financial apparatus and stability of our city. All of that chaos happened under rubber stamp. All of it. And what we've been able to do by opening up spaces where people can have real dissent, it's how we're able to move the city forward, and I'm humbled that we've been able to do that. Now, I do regret that I have not effectively communicated with the people of Chicago of the work that we've done. I have to put that same amount of effort that I put forth to get things done in this city, I have to put that same effort toward communicating with the people of Chicago, and I'm going to do a much better job of that moving forward. Q: To that point, you said notably last fall it's natural for people to feel 'uncomfortable' because, 'If I were behaving in status quo, things would seemingly feel steady, but it would be a steady path on destruction.' How much longer do you think Chicagoans can tolerate feeling uncomfortable, though, before they lose patience? A: I think the way in which I would answer that is that, here's a question that I've asked myself: How long do people have to wait in order for government to actually see them and show up for them? They don't have to wait anymore for that. They don't, because it's here. You saw that we were able to pass Green Social Housing, something that I ran on. And people have been waiting for this type of transformation for years in this city. I don't know if I would necessarily say that folks have been patient, but it certainly is a virtue. But think about how long we've waited for a mayor to actually believe in public education. We've had to wait decades for that, and now that you have someone who believes in public education, so much so that I send my own children to our public schools. The proof is that we were able to settle a contract where there are more critical investments for neighborhoods all across the city than we've seen in any other contract. Now, look, respectfully, I do understand the frustration, because of some of the crises that I inherited certainly had an impact on the pace of transformation. I share in that frustration. But it took years for the city of Chicago to be dismantled in a way where, certain parts of the city we're still excavating the rubbish and the ashes from the dismantling and disinvesting in our neighborhoods. And so I share in that frustration, the things that I have wanted to do, I have not been able to do them as fast as I would like. And moving into these next couple of years, it is proof positive that everything that I set out to do — we're going to hire more young people, we're going to hire more detectives, we're going to drive violence down in the city, we're going to stand up for working people, we're going to build more affordable homes — we've been able to do that. And we have to do a better job at effectively communicating, because what I did miscalculate was the extent in which those who oppose my vision, the extent to which they would go to and through to define me or to distort our work. It's like the lesson that I've been working through in Bible study, where Jesus warned of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod, that if you're not speaking emphatically about the work that you're doing, that people who oppose you, who do not believe in you, they're going to spread and rise dissent in order to undermine and dismiss the work that you have been doing. So something that I'm doing now with 'Lakeside Chats,' and going to senior homes, and talking to our high school students, and talking more to the business community, doing town hall meetings, all of that work. While I was working to stand up government, one of the things that I did miscalculate was my responsibility to make sure that we're standing up the very coalition that elected me. Q: Some of that dissent has come increasingly from progressives in the City Council. They've raised issues like transparency, the way you handle transit, ethics. What's your message to them? A: Well look, there's, again, no secret that there's been some degree of frustration with some members of the City Council. There's nothing surreptitious about my administration. But what I have to do a better job at is engaging City Council members more frequently and earlier. And we're doing that. Q: You have notably avoided detailing your September conversation with Pedro Martinez. What's the reasoning behind not wanting to get in front of his narrative? A: My father taught me something that was important. He said leaders should not seek — I'll try to say this as direct as I possibly can — that true leaders don't just simply seek praise. You seek results. That's how you're defined. And there's conversations that have happened in these walls for generations. There's something sacred about having conversations that are meant to be private. He's got a family. I have a family. Why would I speak of a private conversation and break that trust and confidence? Now, we obviously have our disagreements, but he's another human being. Q: But you did say his version of what happened is not true. So wouldn't you want to provide details on what actually happened to gain trust? A: To gain trust with who? Q: Well, if Chicagoans want to believe your statement that his version of events isn't true, wouldn't you want to back it up with what actually happened? A: It was a private conversation. There's something sacred about that. When I was asked directly, was it true or not, of course I had to speak the truth. I'm not going to go into details and break confidence and trust in the people who come to me in confidence, that somehow, if they share something with me, that Mayor Johnson will break those rules. Do you understand, I have multiple conversations with so many people all over the city, where people share things with me in confidence and they want to be able to work through those things. Just because someone breaks that confidence doesn't give me permission to do the same. Q: Why didn't you replace him in May 2023? A: I wanted to demonstrate that we could work with people. I've answered that question multiple times. I mean, I could have, but this was the nature of my approach, that I wanted to give people an opportunity to demonstrate that they can stand alongside me. Now, obviously that wasn't the case. It's a lesson learned and it was an error on my part to believe that someone giving me their word, that they would keep it. Q: Is it true that you two had an earlier mutual understanding that he would gracefully step aside if it ever came that you two disagreed? A: Everyone who serves this city and works under my direction have all made it very clear that if there ever came a point where such a thing could not exist, that they would gracefully move on. Q: As mayor of Chicago, you certainly have the authority to hire and fire who you choose. But why have so many firings been difficult or controversial when the time comes? A: It's a great question, Alice. It's a great question. It gives me something to think about. Q: Do you think the controversy is all external, or is this an area of being an executive that you think you could use improvement with? A: Improvement on firing people? Q: Yeah, there is a method, a strategy to doing it. There is a way to move about firings that can elicit or not elicit media attention or detractors from other areas of government. A: There is. Many people have not stayed here. There are folks who have been dismissed, and no one ever knows about it. Q: When it comes to hiring, we hear there have been some notable candidates rejecting top jobs — Kam Buckner, Clayton Harris, and this nationwide search for CTA has not appeared to generate results. Why has it been hard to attract talent? A: We just put forth two incredible names, Frank (Francisco Velez) and Mike (Michael McMurray). Frank is going to head up OEMC, and Mike is going to head up Aviation. Very talented individuals. We are breaking ground across the city building more affordable homes. Between Commissioners (Lissette) Castañeda and (Ciere) Boatright, these are incredibly talented individuals. When I appointed Superintendent (Larry) Snelling, there were many people who praised that decision. And Dr. (Olusimbo) Ige established a playbook for how the entire country would respond to congregate settings and outbreaks of diseases. Chief (Sendy) Soto is building out an homelessness operation that, as of date, there's not a single person who is on a waiting list looking for shelter, not a single family. That's just to name a few. The talent that we have amassed, you're not driving violent crime down in the city of Chicago, and at the same time investing in ways that we have seen that have clearly been unprecedented without talented people. Our administration is one of the most diverse administrations in the history of Chicago. Now I'm not sure this is what you were getting at, but 45% of my administration is Black. I think they're incredibly talented. 25% are Brown, incredibly talented. 8% Asian, highest you've probably seen ever, incredibly talented. 30% white, incredibly talented public servants. We're not transforming the city in the way in which we're doing it without talented people who deeply care and love this city. So I would argue, not only have we attracted some of the most talented people, but people do want to work for this administration, and those that we have selected have demonstrated their power, their love, their influence, and, yes, their talent. Q: Your chief of staff has been criticized for how she presided over HR issues, including how long she took to fire staffers, or her suggestion of peace circles for someone accused of harassment. How does that engender faith in her potentially being the next interim leader of our school district? A: We have worked internally incredibly hard to create a working environment that speaks to our values. I have not made a decision on who will lead the school district, but what I can say emphatically is that, as someone who has served on the Illinois State Board of Education, someone who was duly elected as a state senator and someone who has been chief of staff of an administration that is the most diverse, progressive, talented, loving people, it is a clear demonstration of her skill set. Are we perfect? We're human. We're human, and we continue to be humbled by this position, but it doesn't cause us to cower or fret or panic in the midst of controversy. My chief of staff, essentially, was the project manager that responded to a global crisis that no one in the country had an answer for, helped operationalize the chaos at the border, where there were 4,000 human beings sleeping on the floors in police districts. Someone had to help lead that. And then not only did we rectify that attack that we were under by the governor of Texas, we built a 'One System' initiative that opened us up to a 126% increase in shelter beds. It takes a pretty special person to be able to help pull that off. Q: Looking forward to the next budget, if you do propose a property tax hike for your next budget after the $300 million pitch last time got nixed, how would you be able to persuade alderman that this time, it's necessary? A: I put together this working group, because it's going to take all of us to respond to the financial malfeasance that for too long was the accepted form of how we do finances, financing and budgeting in the city of Chicago. We're taking a different approach. We're bringing people together, because that's what it's going to take in order for us to create economic security. And the business community, the philanthropic community, labor, community-based organizations, my office, all of us will participate and be part of coming up with solutions. And there's not just one solution. There are multiple solutions that I believe we have to not just explore, but work to communicate to the people of Chicago the 'why' as well as the 'what.' And we have started that process much earlier, meeting with respective caucuses within the City Council. We've already put potentially 40 revenue ideas on the table. And I fully anticipate a very robust, lively conversation around all of this. The expectation is that we all work hand in hand, stand shoulder to shoulder and show up for working people in the city. Q: What are your biggest priorities in the next year? A: I truly believe that we can have something that's unique. Right now, if you look at what's happening in other major cities, the average prices homes in New York and Los Angeles, we're talking $1.1 million, $800,000, $900,000. I want to build the safest, most affordable big city in America, and I'm going to continue to prioritize working people in this city to ensure that actually becomes the reality. Thank you both.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Daywatch: Cook County housing authority facing potential multimillion-dollar budget shortfall
Good morning, Chicago. The Housing Authority of Cook County is facing a potential multimillion-dollar funding shortfall that could have broad repercussions throughout the real estate market as the struggling agency looks to cut costs, possibly leading to greater expenses for its housing voucher holders and a decline in the number of the people it serves. The agency attributes the shortfall to an increase in its voucher usage rate and rising rents, which eat into its limited dollars allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read the full story from the Tribune's Lizzie Kane. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including Illinois becoming one of the first states to protect medical records regarding autism, a plan to appoint Mayor Brandon Johnson's chief of staff as the interim head of CPS and Chicago Stars strike Mallory Swanson shares why she's been out so far this season. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged yesterday, brushing off President Donald Trump's demands to lower borrowing costs, and said that the risks of both higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen, an unusual combination that puts the central bank in a difficult spot. Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order yesterday that formally restricts the unauthorized collection of autism-related data by state agencies. Pritzker's order responds to federal efforts under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to create databases of personal information for those with autism 'without clear legal safeguards or accountability,' according to a news release from Pritzker's office. President Trump taps wellness influencer close to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for surgeon general Board members say Mayor Brandon Johnson's handpicked school board president Sean Harden is leading an effort to vote down a resolution that requires the next interim leader of Chicago Public Schools to have a superintendent licensure in order to install the mayor's chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, to serve in the temporary role. If approved, the appointment would be a major shift in Johnson's administration and elicit strong reaction from critics of the mayor and his strongest ally, the Chicago Teachers Union. Editorial: Brandon Johnson strong-arms Board of Ed to install his ill-qualified chief of staff The passage of the mayor's ambitious 'Green Social Housing' plan marks one of his first major legislative wins of the year, one he will certainly point out to his progressive base as evidence he is delivering on his agenda. The novel policy that will use a revolving pool of city cash to help finance housing construction could serve as an example for other locales seeking to build affordable homes amid waning federal support, even as some aldermen worried that it doesn't go nearly far enough. Understaffing, inconsistency in how to enforce rules and insufficient de-escalation training are just some of the issues staff at Harold Washington contend they are facing, some of which staff say are part of broader issues in the Chicago Public Library system. As a result, some staff say they are taking on a heavier-than-usual mental load as they struggle to attend to the needs of their patrons while fulfilling their duties and making the library a welcoming space. While waiting on a plume of smoke to rise from the old Wrigley Field scoreboard to announce whether a decision on Cade Horton had been made, Paul Sullivan has eight things to ponder after the Chicago Cubs' 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Why Ryan Pressly's underlying numbers are concerning — beyond Cubs closer's historically bad outing Photos: Cubs lose again to the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field Chicago Stars striker Mallory Swanson and her husband, Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, announced that they're expecting their first child. Mallory Swanson hasn't played this season after the Stars released a statement Jan. 27 that she wouldn't be participating in training camp for 'personal reasons.' In that same statement, Swanson thanked the National Women's Soccer League club and its fans 'for their understanding during this time.' Dear NFL schedule makers: We know at this point you're pretty deep into piecing together the 272-game roadmap for the 2025 regular season. But that shouldn't mean we can't offer suggestions ahead of the official schedule release. As it applies to the Chicago Bears specifically, we see a golden opportunity to make the schedule really sing, to sequence it in a way that creates maximum excitement, intrigue and theater. Judy Blume's 1975 novel 'Forever …,' about a New Jersey high schooler's first love — and first experiences with sex — is a book Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz initially encountered with a childhood friend who got her hands on a copy. They snuck off to read the more explicit portions, giggling about them afterwards; the boy has named his penis Ralph and, come on, you have to laugh! Blume has always been able to capture the inner lives of teenagers as they struggle to figure out how to move through the world in that awkward limbo between child and adult, and it makes sense that Mara Brock Akil (creator of the sitcom 'Girlfriends' and the drama 'Being Mary Jane') would want to rethink some of those themes for the 21st century with her TV adaptation for Netflix. No American theater professional has had a spring like David Cromer, the longtime Chicago theater director who opened two Broadway shows in New York in a matter of weeks, 'Good Night, and Good Luck' starring George Clooney and based on the 2005 movie, and the musical 'Dead Outlaw.' Both have been successes. Cromer was nominated for a Tony Award for his work on 'Dead Outlaw' and, last week, 'Good Night, and Good Luck' became the first play in the history of Broadway to gross more than $4 million in a single week. On Monday, Cromer opens yet another show, 'The Antiquities' at Chicago's Goodman Theatre.
Politico
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
A Springfield ‘publicity stunt'
Presented by Good Thursday morning, Illinois. Enjoy the sunshine and our Playbook. TOP TALKER Kristi Noem created a firestorm in Springfield on Wednesday by invoking the name of Emma Shafer to criticize the Pritzker administration on the issue of immigration. The attention-grabbing event backfired when the parents of Shafer, who was stabbed to death in her home, condemned the Department of Homeland Security secretary for advancing 'a cruel and heartless political agenda,' according to a statement sent via the governor's office. Standing with Noem were Republican legislators, members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus and families of victims of crimes allegedly committed by noncitizens. The point of the media event was to criticize Gov. JB Pritzker for following Illinois' sanctuary status law that limits local law enforcement's ability to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement officials. The law doesn't stop federal officials from doing their job. 'Where's the compassion for Emma who died on this street and her killer is still roaming free,' Noem said, criticizing that the suspect is still on the run for her murder. 'For two years, JB Pritzker has protected individuals like that so that he can stand up and say that he's a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state,' Noem said. Here's the video Pritzker responded, calling Noem's visit a 'Trump-Noem publicity stunt,' according to a statement. Noem's visit also drew scrutiny from Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, who wrote a letter to Noem requesting 'a full accounting' of her 'taxpayer funded travel' for the 26-minute media event. Here's her letter. RELATED Noem visit sets off a war of words with Illinois Democrats, illustrating the stark partisan divide over immigration, by the Tribune's Jeremy Gorner New study suggests insuring immigrants in Illinois gives hospitals a financial lift: 'The findings come as Illinois lawmakers negotiate a budget that cuts health insurance for more than 30,000 people without legal status,' by WBEZ's Kristen Schorsch. A Trump administration effort to deport immigrants to Libya would 'clearly violate' court order, judge says, by POLITICO's Myah Ward, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein THE BUZZ MAYOR's BIG WIN: The Chicago City Council approved Mayor Brandon Johnson's 'Green Social Housing' plan, a $135 million effort to boost affordable housing construction through low-interest city loans. The 30-18 vote marks one of Johnson's first major victories in accomplishing his progressive agenda — a talking point he will surely use in any future campaign event. 'At a time when federal funds for housing are uncertain, we continue to develop tools to make Chicago the safest and most affordable big city in America,' Johnson said in a statement after the vote. The plan sets up a revolving loan fund to help developers build more affordable units, with loans repaid in three to five years. The city expects to create around 120 affordable units annually. During the course of the debate about the plan, some Council members worried it doesn't go far enough or won't benefit underserved neighborhoods. Others raised concerns about oversight. 'Finance Committee Chair Pat Dowell (3rd) has been dead-set against mayor's plan because the financing structure — 70% of the units would be market rate and 30% would be affordable — means that the new housing would be built in 'affluent' neighborhoods — virtually bypassing, for at least a decade, 'marginalized' African-American communities that need the most help,' writes the Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. Johnson will likely point to the plan as evidence he is delivering on his agenda, the Tribune's Jake Sheridan reports. If you are Pat Dowell, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON At 7901 South Exchange Avenue at 10 a.m. for the Thrive Exchange topping off ceremony Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@ BUSINESS OF POLITICS — Congresswoman Lauren Underwood teased a potential run for Sen. Dick Durbin's seat: 'I don't have an answer today. ... I am certainly taking a look,' she said in a wide-ranging interview about immigration, Joe Biden and the 2024 election on CNN. The full interview is here. — Rachel Ruttenberg is running for the 9th District Illinois state Senate now held by state Sen. Laura Fine, who is making a bid for Congress. Ruttenberg, the former deputy chief of staff on policy for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, is deputy committeeperson for the Evanston Democratic Party. 'Our state and our communities face real obstacles, unlike any we have seen in our country's history,' she said in a statement announcing her bid. 'We must work toward making our communities more affordable, strengthening our schools and healthcare systems, and protecting our constitutional and civil rights.' — JB Pritzker, aka Coconutbigboy, is ready to be memed: 'The Illinois governor is subtly embracing his online persona as Genghis Khan,' by the Bulwark's Lauren Egan THE STATEWIDES — Illinois regains access to $77M in federal education funds following judge's order: 'Judge blocks Trump administration order cutting off access to pandemic relief money,' by Capitol News' Peter Hancock. — Beyond the bus: A group of advocates, parents and community leaders have launched STEER (Student Transportation & Education Equity Roundtable), which is dedicated to ensuring school kids have transportation beyond traditional school buses to get to school. The group kicked off its effort in Illinois, which has seen bus-driver shortages, routes that have been cut and accessibility barriers, according to organizers. The group is supporting a pilot program being considered in Springfield that would allow school districts to partner with third-party transportation providers. — Rideshare drivers from across the state gathered at the Howlett Secretary of State Building in Springfield on Wednesday to call on state lawmakers to support upcoming legislation that grants app-based drivers the right to collectively bargain under the union of their choice. — Illinois fixing physician shortage by changing foreign-trained doctor licensing, by Illinois Policy's Chris Coffey CHICAGO — There's a move to allow CPS chief to lead without required license — which would allow mayor's chief of staff to serve in the role: 'If approved, the appointment would be a major shift in Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration and elicit strong reaction from critics of the mayor and his strongest ally, the Chicago Teachers Union,' by the Tribune's Nell Salzman and Alice Yin. — Former CPS principal who admitted stealing $300K found dead ahead of sentencing, by the Sun-Times' Jon Seidel and Cindy Hernandez — Amid budget tensions, Council members push to bring some sunshine to city spending: 'Other big city governments have robust watchdogs, paid for by taxpayers, to analyze city budgets and financial deals. The City Council's anemic office could use some brawn, some alderpeople argue,' by Illinois Answers Project's Alex Nitkin. — APPOINTMENT: Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Francisco 'Frank' Velez to lead the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications, according to the mayor's office. HIGHER-ED — Congressional Republicans accused of political witch hunt in antisemitism hearing involving DePaul president: 'University president Robert Manuel faced three hours of heated questions, while a civil rights lawyer compared a Washington hearing Wednesday to a long-discredited anti-communism campaign from the Cold War era,' by WBEZ's Lisa Kurian Philip. ANOTHER TAKE: DePaul president apologizes for antisemitism on campus at congressional hearing, by the Tribune's Ikram Mohamed — Penny Pritzker is at the center of the fight over Harvard, by The Wall Street Journal COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS — Cook County housing authority facing potential multimillion-dollar budget shortfall as agencies brace for funding cuts: 'The agency attributes the shortfall to an increase in its voucher usage rate and rising rents, which eat into its limited dollars allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,' by the Tribune's Lizzie Kane. — Incoming Hinsdale leader Greg Hart has good words about the village's leadership over the years, by Patch's David Giuliani — New Lisle mayor shakes up village leadership with appointments, by the Daily Herald's Katlyn Smith — Geneva mayor, council members take oaths of office, by Shaw Local's Brenda Schory SPOTTED — QUANTUM FUN: The Lincoln Forum hosted an event earlier this week on all things quantum including the story behind Gov. JB Pritzker placing his bets and muscle behind making Illinois a global destination for the industry. The panel was moderated by P33's Brad Henderson and panelists included Pritzker chief of staff Anne Caprara, Illinois quantum and microelectronics Park CEO Harley Johnson, Intersect Chief Quantum Officer Preeti Chalsani and DCEO director Kristin Richards. Some 250 people attended, including Lincoln Forum's Pat Brady and Tracy Slutzkin, SPAAN Tech's Smita Shah, Clayco's Michael Fassnacht, Civic Federation's Joe Ferguson, Amazon's Julian Federle, C-Strategies' Becky Carroll, Powers and Sons' Kelly Powers, PsiQuantum's Mo Green, Clayco's Lisa Dziekan, One Future Illinois' Jonathan Swain, Canadian Consulate's Cory Olishansky and Metro Edge's Craig Huffman. Reader Digest We asked what movies you know by heart. Lissa Druss: 'Airplane.' Marty Green: 'Lots of good leadership quotes in 'Patton,' including 'I don't like paying for the same real estate twice.'' Lucas Hawley: 'The Big Lebowski.' Favorite line: 'You know man, that is just like your opinion!' Mark Heffington: 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' Bob Kieckhefer: 'National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation.' Favorite line: 'This bread puddin' is extra runny tonight!' by Cousin Eddie. Shayna Jaskolka: 'Wicked.' Charles Keller: 'Idiocracy.' Kevin Lampe: 'The Candidate.' Russell Lissau: 'Rounders.' Jim Lyons: 'Slap Shot.' Kathy Posner: 'The Jerk' with Steve Martin. Favorite line: 'The new phone book's here. The new phone book's here! I'm somebody now!' Timothy Powell: 'I can quote the entire script for Woody Allen's 'What's Up, Tiger Lily?'' Bill Roberts: ''The Godfather' including the line, 'leave the gun, take the cannoli.'' Mike Stephenson: 'Caddyshack.' Alison Pure-Slovin: 'Princess Bride.' Peter Skosey: ''Shrek,' from watching with my daughter over 20 years ago.' Timothy Thomas: ''Julius Caesar' (1953 version with Marlon Brando) and Scarface (Al Pacino version).' Peggy Tolleson: ''The Wizard of Oz.' There truly is no place like home!' Judith Weinstein: 'Elf.' Corrine Ann Williams: 'Titanic.' Notable line: 'You jump. I jump. Right?' Brent Zhorne: 'The Blues Brothers. Only seen the movie about 350 times.' Favorite lines: 'Are you the police? No ma'am. We're musicians.' NEXT QUESTION: If you had to run for office, what would your totally unserious campaign slogan be? THE NATIONAL TAKE — Trump says 'full and comprehensive' U.K. trade deal coming Thursday, by POLITICO's Matt Honeycombe-Foster — Republicans miffed with Trump's threats to ignore funding, by POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus TRANSITIONS — Adam Chilton has been appointed dean of the University of Chicago Law School effective July 1. He is the Howard G. Krane professor of law and the Walter Mander research scholar at the university's law school, according to the announcement. — Ray Hanania is retiring this week from the town of Cicero, where he's served as spokesman for the past 15 years. Bianca Yarborough is now communications director. — Richard Kienzler has rejoined the Littler law firm as a shareholder attorney in its Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Practice Group in Chicago. He was general counsel at RHM Staffing Solutions but before that worked at Littler. EVENTS — May 20: One Aim Illinois is bringing together advocates, survivors and community leaders in Springfield to advocate for gun-violence prevention legislation. Advocacy Day sign-up here — May 20: The Wally's Caucus is hosting a happy hour at Boones. The group is composed of anyone who likes the super-sized convenience store and gas station in Pontiac, and the event is sponsored by the Illinois Fuel & Retail Association. Details here TRIVIA WEDNESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Abdon Pallasch for correctly answering that Ernest Hemingway was born in the Oak Park neighborhood of Cicero Township, which later became the Village of Oak Park, allowing both towns the right to claim him. TODAY's QUESTION: When did the U.S. Population Center jump the Mississippi from Illinois to Missouri? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ald. Bill Conway, former state Sen. Heather Steans, former state Rep. Roger Eddy, Brookings Institution senior fellow MarySue Barrett, University of Chicago Associate VP of comms Jeremy Manier and restaurateur Ron Onesti -30-
