Bloody Chicago: Chicago's Graffiti Mayor Lori Lightfoot

[VIDEO] I'm starting to realize Lori Lightfoot elected Mayor of Chicago, Ill just last year really has a rough ride early in her first term. I recognized a tinge of thin skinned temperament from her in some respects as she referred to a police union official as a clown.

Vic Maggio of Maggio News has spent years in Chicago's neighborhoods tracking crime issues and he observes on the Eisenhower Expressway many instances of graffiti. In this time of civil unrest unfortunately graffiti is more prevalent. Some people don't see this as crime, but as expression. It was evidenced by a tweet I received a while back.

Graffiti is vandalism..... https://t.co/MEBuoZLWJ2

— The Sixth Ward (@TheSixthWard) August 2, 2020

I also want to note that there is an instance of graffiti on a highway sign over the Dan Ryan past 63rd southbound. This is not something I recall seeing before ever.

 I'm a long way from blaming Mayor Lightfoot for many of this issues, but she has a hell of a case to present for her re-election in 2023. Depending upon what happens by 2022, I wouldn't be too surprised if she decided she wasn't going to run again! 

The Mayor breaks up a gathering on the north lakefront this past weekend

This tweet from over the weekend from Mayor Lori Lightfoot showed up on Instapundit. And I see a number of tweets on twitter that took her well intended post in a bad way.

It's called a pandemic, people. This reckless behavior on Montrose Beach is what will cause us to shut down the parks and lakefront. Don't make us take steps backwards. pic.twitter.com/FHxeYfH7Wf

— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) August 8, 2020

CWB Chicago shared this image of the Mayor at Montrose Beach crashing the so-called party along with her photographer on fb

Furthermore Ed Driscoll at Instapundit noted: "Curiously, none of the articles this weekend by the Chicago Sun Times, ABC’s Chicago affiliate, CBS’s Chicago affiliate, and NBC’s Chicago affiliate mention the July protests or Lightfoot’s blessings."

I admitted to an out of state friend that I miss Rahm Emanuel. He was unpopular as time went on but some of what's been going on in the city it wouldn't have been tolerated with him as mayor. However, the crisis going on he wouldn't let go to waste.

In addition, 2nd City Cop has an interesting post if you go to the bottom of the post about the various machines that exists in Chicago. In a fit of perhaps disrespect they refer to the mayor as Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, perhaps the Mayor will only have one term. We have a while before '23.

Mayor Lightfoot addresses Chicago and extends CPS closure #COVID19

[VIDEO] Mayor Lori Lightfoot addresses Chicagoans on Thursday with regards to the coronavirus outbreak. She announced here that CPS schools will remain closed until April 20, 2020 in order to help slow the spread of the virus.

If you want to read a statement by CPS click here. Since Gov. Pritzker ordered all the state's schools closed last week CPS schools have become food distribution facilities for families with school age children. With that statement that policy will continue during the extension of the schools' closure during this very unprecedented period.

Springfield's response to the Chicago teacher's strike #twill

It's interesting to not only see some news about negotiation, especially about trying to negotiation issues that don't belong in a collective bargaining contract. However, the all powerful speaker of the state house of representatives is demonstrating that while he support CTU he won't attempt to advance any bills for them during this strike. Via Capitol Fax

Madigan defers consideration of CTU-backed bills until spring session https://t.co/fOlMBzNKzM

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) October 30, 2019

BTW, I do have to add I had no idea the mayor opposes an elected school board. It was noted in the post linked above.

Meanwhile today marks 10 days out of school for CPS students.

Chicago Teacher's strike updates

I haven't done a great job at keeping up with the strike so far on this blog. Classes have been cancelled all week for CPS students due to this impasse between the city and the teacher's union. Here are some items that might interest you from during the week via CapFax.

Tribune: Mayor says CTU ‘refusing to negotiate in good faith;' union calls city offer ‘half-baked’

The latest update about the talks between Chicago's teachers and the city. The final offer by the city was rejected by the teachers union. Ugh...

Capitol Fax: CTU wants to negotiate affordable housing issues

I'm sorry to have missed this from Wednesday. Chicago's teachers want to address the issue of affordable housing for CPS students and their families. Of course the city doesn't think contract negotiations were the right place to address this issue. Via Capitol Fax

CTU wants to negotiate affordable housing issues https://t.co/eeWL9tFAx1

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) October 9, 2019

Before the strike news...

[VIDEO] The video above is from this past saturday showing CTU paraprofessionals rallying at Rainbow Push claiming they don't make enough to comfortably live in the city.

Meanwhile as negotiations more forward ahead of the set October 17th deadline according to the Tribune:

The CTU has set an Oct. 17 deadline for CPS and teachers to reach a deal on a new contract. If not, they can go on strike, disrupting the school year for thousands of public school pupils across the city.

Lightfoot said she wants to reach an agreement that would prevent that from happening, but she’s concerned that the city has not received a detailed formal response to its proposal.

“We can’t bargain against ourselves,” Lightfoot said. “We need to have them at the table with a comprehensive counteroffer. … If we do that we can get there.”

The teachers union fired back on Twitter, saying: “We were showing urgency about a fair contract before the mayor was mayor. City Hall and CPS didn’t show urgency until 94% of our membership voted to strike.”

Sun-Times: Take the deal, CPS teachers. You’ve won

An editorial from the Sun-Times on Wednesday. I wonder what the results of that strike vote from CTU will be?

They should accept the latest contract offer from the Board of Education, a sweet deal that most Chicagoans would just love to get.

They should vote against authorizing a strike. Given our city’s dire financial condition, taxpayers wouldn’t rally around them.

And let’s not forget the 296,752 schoolchildren who’d be sitting at home learning nothing if the teachers walk out.

That’s a locked-in raise every year of 3% to 3.5%, more than what most workers are getting — if they’re getting raises at all.What employee, in any job, would turn down a 16% raise over five years?

Then add in the pay hikes to which teachers would be entitled based on seniority and level of education. With those “step” and “lane” raises, the average teacher would pull in almost $100,000 a year — up from about $79,000 now — by the end of the five-year contract.

But don’t stop there. Consider, as well, how little more teachers will be asked to contribute to their health care. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s negotiating team is asking CTU members to pay a modest 0.75% more over the entire five years.

Sun-Times: Chicago teachers set date for strike authorization vote

I still hope there is no strike but this is what the Sun-Times says:

The Chicago Teachers Union has set a date when members will take a strike vote, moving the city’s teachers another step closer to a potential work stoppage.

The unanimous vote taken at the CTU’s house of delegates meeting Wednesday evening sets the table for a Sept. 26 vote which will decide whether members authorize the union to strike.

The earliest the union would go on strike is Oct. 7.

The Chicago Teachers Union has set a date when members will take a strike vote, moving the city’s teachers another step closer to a potential work stoppage.

The unanimous vote taken at the CTU’s house of delegates meeting Wednesday evening sets the table for a Sept. 26 vote which will decide whether members authorize the union to strike.

The earliest the union would go on strike is Oct. 7.

Here's hoping for a good conclusion when both sides return to the bargaining table on Thursday (today?).

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You might have seen these handed out during the PM rush at 95th on Thursday. Presumably by members of @ctulocal1 #Chicagogram #flyers #education #chipubschools

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Jul 26, 2019 at 7:57pm PDT