Chicago politics #ChiMayor23

 

Two days ago we had an election. The sitting mayor of Chicago placed third in this election, she didn't make the run-off. Paul Vallas who was formerly the CEO of our public schools and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson failed to get to 50% of the vote and are in a run-off to take place on April 4, 2023.

Regardless we will have a new mayor on May 15, 2023.

Lightfoot proved to be abrasive and undiplomatic. She wasn't a politician and some may say she made all the rookie mistakes. She assumed she had the power thought not just a position or a title. She forgot that politics isn't subtraction it's addition. 

She couldn't help but alienate people on the Chicago City Council. Indeed she lost a city council endorsement or two in the lead up to the election. The worst one when an Alderman had shot himself accidently and she failed to even check out him - wow! And of course what many would cite is that she definitely lost the voters who helped her in a runoff four years ago.

What's shocking is that the Black wards of the city still voted for her. But then I understand 83% of Chicago voters wanted Lightfoot gone.

Chicago is a solidly Democrat city. A Republican would have a difficult time winning in this city. Voters seem to only want to vote for a Democrat. With the two in the runoff I see a choice between a more law and order candidate vs a very progressive candidate who may well offer more of the same from Lightfoot.

I wish I can predict where this mayoral race will go on April 4. Vallas got a plurality but then again that's no guarantee he'll win the runoff. What will happen in a month's time.

Can Paul Vallas or Brandon Johnson get the endorsement of the other candidates and will allow one of them to take the mayor's office? Will Gov. JB Pritzker get involved in this race? Will Chicago choose the faces of the Fraternal Order or Police or of the Chicago Teacher's Union?

As for Lightfoot well she's a lame duck. I won't say her voice means nothing - and especially now she's still mayor as we learned a police officer was killed in a domestic incident. Her police chief is leaving - all candidates in this race wanted to fire David Brown save for his boss Lightfoot.

I see an opportunity for a new direction, even a city so heavily Democratic. Our city could reverse most of trends seen in other cities in America. Solve our many social issues - especially the homeless. Hopefully we can get a handle on violent crime in ways that Lightfoot wasn't able to.

And perhaps Chicago voters will recognize that so-called "progressive" policies are destructive.

See you on April 4th!

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.

Coronavirus: Are we going in the right direction? #Pandemic

[VIDEO] Gov. JB Pritzker noted this yesterday in his usual daily press conferences regarding Illinois' response to coronavirus and now Mayor Lori Lightfoot is noting that Chicago is finally bending the curve with this coronavirus as you see abov. Hearing about both is great news though I realize it'll be some time before the world gets back to normal.

It's encouraging to hear that Gov. Pritzker might be talking about adjustments to his stay-at-home order which is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2020. I look forward to a gradual restart to the economy as I know some many people have suffered financially since there are a lot of people who aren't working. I would say let's gradually get back to normal.

Over at the CapFax the question of the day is whether or not it should be mandated by government that people should have to wear masks in public. I rather hope that we don't do anything that drastic and I already know it's already not very easy to wear a mask all day especially while working. At the same time we want to stop the spread of this virus.

While following the daily number of cases and fatalities with regards to coronavirus Ive mostly been following the information provided by the Illinois Dept. of Public Health. I don't always focus on whatever numbers provided by the Chicago Dept. of Public Health. I often focus on the daily numbers provided by the state. Indeed, check out this page to see all data provided by the city.

Mayor Lightfoot stated in the video above that during March 2020 cases were doubling every two or three days. According to this graph we've arrived at cases doubling every 12 days and its in part thanks to people staying at home.

The latest update by the Chicago Dept. of Public Health which was yesterday there are 9,666 confirmed cases of infections with 347 deaths. Throughout Illinois there are 23,247 cases of infection with 868 deaths and those numbers are also current as of yesterday April 14, 2020.

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?).

View this post on Instagram

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

Tribune: Mayor Rahm Emanuel floats port district land as Chicago casino location #Serving17

Even though Rahm Emanuel will only remain mayor until May 2019, he seems to be coming up with some proposals. He's still trying to use what's left of his political heft to come up with some ideas for the city:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday floated a port district site on the Far Southeast Side as the possible location for a Chicago casino, if state lawmakers finally grant the city the long-sought gambling palace.

In a meeting with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Emanuel noted his “love-hate” relationship with the idea of a casino but said if the city finally builds one it should be away from the Loop and McCormick Place. Instead, he said it should bring economic development to an area of the city that needs it, before floating an Illinois International Port District site near Pullman as “an example.”

The land, just off the 111th Street exit on the Bishop Ford Freeway, currently is home to the Harborside International golf course with some harbor operations and terminals nearby on Lake Calumet. The port district that owns the land is a joint city-state entity.

“If you go down to the port authority where the golf course is, there’s enough land there for both a hotel and a casino,” Emanuel said. “That would be a big boon economically to the Southeast Side of the city.”

Emanuel made the remarks on the same day he gave a speech to aldermen on his recommendations to address the city’s pension funding shortfalls moving forward. The mayor’s plan included revenue from a proposed Chicago casino as part of the answer.

Personally I'm with this, who says a proposed casino has to be in or near downtown Chicago. Put one in a neighborhood that's struggling. In this case Pullman, and then again hopefully there are other proposals.

However, to be honest it seems like forever that there's been discussions of a Chicago casino that seems to have a tendency to fall through. So perhaps deciding on a site or finally building one will still take years. Wait and see I suppose.

h/t to state Sen. Elgie Sims FB page hence why I used the #Serving17 hashtag.

 

Capitol Fax: Sun-Times begins to hold candidates’ feet to the fire #ChiMayor19

The CapFax does a quick round-up of items for the mayor's race covering the Sun-Time's report and 19 mayoral candidate's response to what they'd do about Tax Increment Financing district. Also looking at the planks of the mayoral candidates. Finally Elon Musk's hyperloop express service to O'Hare Airport.

Sun-Times begins to hold candidates’ feet to the fire https://t.co/GaKTTI5q09

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) December 10, 2018

Petition filing is now over #Ward09 #ChgoMayor2019

If you want to see a list of all mayoral candidates and all aldermanic candidates a spreadsheet from The Daily Line. I would encourage you to get a subscription to The Daily Line formerly known as Aldertrack.

We start here with the 21 candidates running for mayor in addition to city clerk and treasurer


And here are the candidates for alderman in all 50 wards. And for the two wards we want to cover in 2019, here's a list of candidate for both wards 6 & 9.


Ward 9

• Anthony Beale - Incumbent Alderman
• Cleopatra R. Watson
• Marcia Brown-Williams
• Essie Hall
• Rachel Williams
• Paul Collins

Of course since we're in Chicago, the candidates for alderman and mayor will begin to thin out as campaigns go through petitions. Classic way of knocking a candidate off the ballot is to find something wrong with the petitions.


We have a huge list for mayor and for 9th ward alderman, a rather short list so who knows if they may thin out. As always we'll keep an eye out.

Rahm Emanuel is out....

[VIDEO] Earlier in the day he was meeting students at a CPS school before announcing at a press conference that he won't seek a third term. He is out of the 2019 race, and this is something that I didn't see coming. I can only imagine what other political insiders think.

Here are two posts from The Sixth Ward about this development.

• Capitol Fax: Mayor Emanuel won’t seek reelection
•  2019 mayor's race without Rahm Emanuel...

Is there anyone running for mayor who would be great to replace Rahm Emanuel?

I also needed to share this CapFax post from yesterday. It shows a lot of speculation as to why he wouldn't pull the trigger.

CBS Chicago: Mayor, Top Cop Lament Bloody Weekend In Chicago

[VIDEO] Yes many people in this city affected by gun violence are tired of it. Will another march affecting the transportation infrastructure bring more attention to solve the issue of this violence?

The Mayor and Police Superintendent had a press conference this morning discussing the violence. When seeing this, I thought the mayors was close to tears...

Whole Foods Market distribution facility open in Pullman

This all occurred yesterday including the bread breaking which is what they do when they open new stores. For example they did the same thing upon opening the Whole Foods store at 63rd/Halsted. This is from the Mayor's ig page.

A post shared by Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@chicagosmayor) on Jan 8, 2018 at 1:50pm PST

And also Elgie Sims - state representative of the 34th District for Illinois - was also in on the action and also posted a college of pics on his ig page also.

"Strategic gentrication"

Before writing about the story below, what I hope to post about later may be semi-related to this. The new distribution center for Whole Foods is now open for business and what will be posted later are ig posts & tweets related to this significant event. I believe this to be a great boost to the south side Pullman neighborhood where the center will be located.

That said, the post to be continued below is about a charge made last week by a gubernatorial candidate of "strategic gentrification". Of which to be fair there are those who are alleging this with the Whole Foods store that is currently open in Englewood at 63rd Street & Halsted. That said the question could be asked is Whole Foods Market a catalyst for change in a depressed neighborhood offering jobs and better food for an area or is it just part of a strategy of gentrification. You be the judge after you listen to Democrat gubernatorial candidate Christ Kennedy below - he seeks to unseat Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner who is seeking re-election

[VIDEO] The comments of Chris Kennedy - who's running in this year's Democratic primary for Governor and a nephew of the 35th President John F. Kennedy - made some comments that got people talking last week. He thinks that there is "stragetic gentrification" going on in Black communities and his evidence are closed schools and social services facilities. Needless to say as he accused Mayor Emanuel of knowing about this the mayor bristled under the suggestion.

Via Tribune:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday called Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy’s claim that the mayor is making Chicago “whiter” and wealthier a “hallucinatory” insult.

Emanuel said he’s “looking forward to ideas, not insults” in his first public comments since Kennedy on Wednesday accused him of leading a "strategic gentrification plan” forcing African-American residents out of the city.

“It is easy to cast blame and point fingers,” the mayor said. “Where are the ideas? Where are the solutions, real solutions to real challenges that make those challenges opportunities?”

Emanuel also quoted a Chicago Tribune editorial that was critical of Kennedy’s comments. “As the Chicago Tribune referred to it today as imaginary, hallucinatory,” he said. “I hope nobody ever describes any of my ideas that way.”
...
Emanuel on Friday said he was troubled by the city’s black population decline and said the factors behind the drop can’t be explained in brief television news segments. “Of course it troubles me, which is why we’re making an investment in the neighborhoods across the city of Chicago. That’s a longer discussion, that’s going to take longer than standing here and get snipped and cut up later when it gets produced,” he said.

Support among African-American Chicagoans remains a potential political weakness for Emanuel as he gears up for a 2019 re-election run.

Over at Capitol Fax an excerpt of a Kennedy press release:

Statement from Rebecca Evans, spokeswoman for Chris Kennedy:

Unlike JB Pritzker, who continues to remain silent to protect the political establishment, Chris Kennedy has the political courage to speak truth to power. He will stand up to anyone regardless of party, position or influence if it means standing up for justice, equality and opportunity for everyone in Illinois.

Chris Kennedy isn’t hiding behind $17 million worth of scripted TV ads. He will use his voice to stand up for what is right even if it’s calling out inconvenient truths that are hurting people of color in Chicago.

He has said from the start of this campaign that he wants to dismantle the structural inequities that exist in our government. He has put forward real solutions and plans on how we can do it. We must allow an elected school board, stop closing public schools, put an end to the discriminatory property tax racket, and fully address the civil rights violations described in the Department of Justice’s report on the Chicago Police Department.

Ah so two Democrats are at odds here. Rahm Emanuel isn't too thrilled with Kennedy's comments and it seems the campaign is going along with it.

Chicago IG blasts city over crime strategy

[VIDEO] The video above brought to mind the senseless murder of another school teacher on 79th Street in Chatham back in 2014. I wish I could tell you there was an op/ed after her shooting back then as we hear about in this FOX News Channel report after the death of another school teacher.

Here's a link to this op/ed from Chicago's inspector general Joe Ferguson:

Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, in characteristically heartfelt fashion, recently asked why this shooting was different. A part-time Chicago Public Schools employee died a few days later, shot while sitting on her front porch, another innocent victim. It pierced the news cycle and then faded. Mary asked why the Rogers Park murder carried a jolt that the ceaseless stream of others have not.

Because it was an unintended wound to privilege – my privilege.

A white teacher was cut down in a place and under circumstances we do not associate with such occurrences. It stood out as not normal, even in a city in which we have internalized and compartmentalized the soul-grinding carnage on our streets as utterly normal. It is, in fact, a daily, at times hourly, occurrence in other parts of Chicago.

The children in those parts of our city never get to see the world as good, and are relentlessly exposed to brutal violence and the threat of violence such as to have them grow up in modified states of traumatic stress. This is not normal, either. If Chicago’s gun-murder rate was the same as New York’s, our annual murder tally would be 150 — about one-fifth of last year’s total and less than a quarter of this year’s likely total.

Can this be turned around? Hell, yes. Can it be turned around tomorrow? Hell, no.

Will Joe Ferguson step up to the plate to face Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2019? Will the city's violence be a cornerstone of his campaign? Read the whole thing!

Also allow me to note that Emanuel has stated that he plans to run for re-election in 2019.