Dear Chicago,
From Canadian wildfires to the political dumpster fire that is Chicago politics, this has definitely been a week!
This has been a very productive & chaotic week at City Hall. The City Council passed my ordinance to create a hiring preference for Gold Star & Gold Badge Families. Officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty should not just be memorialized at roll calls but also honored by lifting up their family survivors as a continuing token of our thanks for their sacrifice.
Additionally, my resolution requiring Council & Council Committee meetings to be shared in a downloadable format passed City Council. Until now, you can watch but never save clips of either. Now you will be able to download a certified video from the City Clerk’s website free of charge.
But these wins were against the backdrop of stupidity from the 5th Floor. In an effort to cast blame and doubt on the Budget Coalition, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced $130 Million shortfall in the budget passed by City Council over his objections. During Budget Committee midyear updates, we learned something outrageous: the $131 Million shortfall was created entirely by the Johnson Administration’s refusal to implement the revenue streams City Council supported: debt sales, augmented reality, municipal advertising, and video gaming terminals. Those revenue buckets all share the same thing – ZERO dollars earned or collected.
As we saw with Johnson’s “search” for new gunshot detection technology, City Hall bureaucrats worked hard to do nothing for as long as possible. This is not simply ineptitude; it is a dereliction of duty by the Mayor of the City of Chicago.
The Common Sense Caucus of fifteen aldermen continues to fight back at every turn. But what is worrisome is the political climate we find ourselves in too. We still do not know if the mayor is seeking reelection. Elections often temper decisions. Retirement brings out the craziness across the political spectrum. Time will tell.
