Chicago Megathread: With CTU on strike, Lightfoot lays out her budget

[Mr. Illini]

Is this purporting that the painters are progressive because they endorsed Susana Mendoza?

Don't be a dummy. The plumbers union (and their close relationship with the Daleys) is the reason Chicago has more lead service lines than any other city in the country. Paul Vallas is Paul Vallas. Nothing to do with the painters, they're fairly benign.

Anyway, today Lightfoot said she will retain police superintendent Eddie Johnson, saying she refuses to "pander to the crowds that want him gone.” "The crowds" want Johnson gone because of his history of justifying police misconduct. She also said she opposes the proposal for a new police academy (the $95 million contract just passed City Council today) because she wants a much larger police academy similar to NYC's $750 million center, which would also be used to train state-level officers. She also said she wants more training locations, proposing to turn 38 of the schools Rahm closed into police training facilities.

Wow, love this!  

Why are you a Democrat again? I would expect you’d be more at home with the blue fascists that protect you position than be a Democrat, at least nationally?

I support Democrats that believe in a system of law and order, just as the majority of Chicagoans do.  The people who are actually affected be violence, and don't live in a Hyde Park bubble, take these issues seriously.  This is why Lori is now shifting and why every mayor has in the past.  Cute slogans about punishing the police can only get you so far - its not your city.

It’s my city and I’m not with you.

And I know the neighborhood that you live in is even more of a bubble than HP

[Donerail]

This race got muddied real fast. Lightfoot got busted for accepting cash from a‘Dark Money’ group. Who is the actual progressive in this race?

Walking home today, I saw a Preckwinkle sign in the window of a local beauty salon. Saw a Lightfoot sign in the window of a new development where units start for $2800 a month.

[PSOL]

Is this purporting that the painters are progressive because they endorsed Susana Mendoza?

Don't be a dummy. The plumbers union (and their close relationship with the Daleys) is the reason Chicago has more lead service lines than any other city in the country. Paul Vallas is Paul Vallas. Nothing to do with the painters, they're fairly benign.

Anyway, today Lightfoot said she will retain police superintendent Eddie Johnson, saying she refuses to "pander to the crowds that want him gone.” "The crowds" want Johnson gone because of his history of justifying police misconduct. She also said she opposes the proposal for a new police academy (the $95 million contract just passed City Council today) because she wants a much larger police academy similar to NYC's $750 million center, which would also be used to train state-level officers. She also said she wants more training locations, proposing to turn 38 of the schools Rahm closed into police training facilities.

Wow, love this! 

Why are you a Democrat again? I would expect you’d be more at home with the blue fascists that protect you position than be a Democrat, at least nationally?

I support Democrats that believe in a system of law and order, just as the majority of Chicagoans do.  The people who are actually affected be violence, and don't live in a Hyde Park bubble, take these issues seriously.  This is why Lori is now shifting and why every mayor has in the past.  Cute slogans about punishing the police can only get you so far - its not your city.

The Academy isn’t going to impact jobs, education, nor infrastructure that the community knows fights crime. Instead money is wasted for something that the locals don’t want and know won’t be a positive for their community, just more money for contractors and those employed by patronage.

[Mr. Illini]

sjoyce certainly isn't wrong about conservatives in the city supporting Lightfoot.

Ald Matt O'Shea (19th) endorses Lightfoot; ally Jerry Joyce expected to do the same

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/19th-ward-committeeman-alderman-matt-oshea-lightfoot-endorse-chicago-mayor-election-2019/

The 19th ward has famously high turnout in elections and O'Shea is extremely popular there. In 2015, Rahm saw a double digit increase in support in the ward between the primary and O'Shea's endorsement prior to the runoff.

O'Shea is no Napolitano/Sposato, though. Lightfoot welcomed his support, unlike the others.

[Mr. Illini]

I have to say, I don’t know what Preckwinkle is doing to try and win this race.

In the primary, we know that Lightfoot’s base was the north lakefront and near northwest side, and we know that Preckwinkle’s base was on the south lakefront.

Since then, Lightfoot has netted consequential endorsements from Willie Wilson (who won a majority of the black wards on the south and west sides), LLC and Gery Chico (popular in the Latinx community and won those wards against Rahm), and O’Shea/Joyce (who represents/won the WWC wards). That’s pretty much the entire city save the 4 or so wards Preckwinkle won on the south lakefront.

Toni’s not going to win with just Hyde Park, Bronzeville, and Kenwood. She’s got to start making some serious moves if she wants a shot.

[Mr. Illini]

Our Revolution Chicago endorses Lightfoot

https://twitter.com/ourrevilchicago/status/1106610517039333381?s=21

Wonder how sjoyce will spin this one

[Donerail]

Our Revolution Chicago endorses Lightfoot

https://twitter.com/ourrevilchicago/status/1106610517039333381?s=21

Wonder how sjoyce will spin this one

they're a group of irrelevant cranks?

[Mr. Illini]

Tribune endorses Lightfoot

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-lori-lightfoot-endorsement-chicago-mayor-20190314-story.html

Of course it’s never over til Election Day, but one can’t help but feel like the window is closing for Toni, barring an Obama endorsement or something equivalent in magnitude.

[PSOL]

100,000 member-strong union endorses Toni Preckwinkle for mayor

[Mr. Illini]

Hearing some progressives push Melissa Conyears Ervin for Treasurer because “if the Trib would endorse Ameya, that means the financial industry isn’t worried about him as Treasurer.”

Classic self-owning Chicago left. Vote for the machine candidate because of a shred of doubt over the clear progressive choice.

[Green Line]

I fully suppory Melissa Conyears Ervin, even before the Trib endorsed her.  She’s not a politician - no website, no campaign.  Pawar has been running for office since he was born.

[Bidenworth2020]

I was really rooting for a Wilson v. Daley race, that would have been lots of fun lol. This race is pretty boring tbh.

[Sestak]

I fully suppory Melissa Conyears Ervin, even before the Trib endorsed her.  She’s not a politician - no website, no campaign.  Pawar has been running for office since he was born.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[Mr. Illini]

I fully suppory Melissa Conyears Ervin, even before the Trib endorsed her.  She’s not a politician - no website, no campaign.  Pawar has been running for office since he was born.

Um...the Trib endorsed Pawar...

[Donerail]

is one of Rahm's aldermen really "the clear progressive choice"?

[Mr. Illini]

is one of Rahm's aldermen really "the clear progressive choice"?

Lol are you really going to vote against both of the candidates at the top of the ticket that you voted for in the first round?

Pawar has opposed Rahm on countless issues of consequence. Are you just saying “Rahm’s alderman” because he lives in the ward?

At some point you’re just being contrarian for the sake of it. This city would be lucky to have Ameya as treasurer.

[Donerail]

is one of Rahm's aldermen really "the clear progressive choice"?

Pawar has opposed Rahm on countless issues of consequence. Are you just saying “Rahm’s alderman” because he lives in the ward?

lmao no he hasn't. he talks a good game -- which puts him ahead of conyears-ervin, who hasn't bothered to try -- but there's no reason to believe he's chicago next great progressive leader

[Mr. Illini]

On a somewhat related note...

Best vote I ever took. Chicago politics was good for once. Too bad Toni wasn’t with me.

I’m sure sjoyce would turn on him in favor of Berrios because “what progressive things has Fritz ever done?”

https://news.wttw.com/2019/03/12/cook-county-assessor-fritz-kaegi-pushes-more-reform?fbclid=IwAR1CaOLM3xCZfoZS-aKph1SMyCXTq0BEx0-MlQNWgaqyifrsyoo79P2njIg

[Donerail]

lmao, the election has broken your brain. sad!

for the record, i made calls and voted for fritz. he is an oak park resident who did some sort of bank thing before running for office. nice background that, unlike certain other candidates, did not involve being one of rahm's most reliable votes on city council. or being a cop.

anyway, voted today for toni, pawar, and hairston -- that last one solely because she does not believe hurricanes are caused by gay marriage

[Continential]

that last one solely because she does not believe hurricanes are caused by gay marriage/quote]


Yikes

[Mr. Illini]

lmao, the election has broken your brain. sad!

for the record, i made calls and voted for fritz. he is an oak park resident who did some sort of bank thing before running for office. nice background that, unlike certain other candidates, did not involve being one of rahm's most reliable votes on city council. or being a cop.

anyway, voted today for toni, pawar, and hairston -- that last one solely because she does not believe hurricanes are caused by gay marriage

Actually, some progressives did turn on Fritz because he was a “wealthy banker” before running for assessor.

This election really has broken my brain, though. I’d almost have rather had Daley in the runoff so it wouldn’t have been a bunch of progressive infighting. I can’t take it. Was a little tipsy when I posted that earlier, though.

[Donerail]

Actually, some progressives did turn on Fritz because he was a “wealthy banker” before running for assessor.

This election really has broken my brain, though. I’d almost have rather had Daley in the runoff so it wouldn’t have been a bunch of progressive infighting. I can’t take it. Was a little tipsy when I posted that earlier, though.

I saw a handful, but very few -- think that attack fell flat with most. Helps that he did some sort of "investment assessing" work, which comes off as technical and morally neutral.

And yeah, April 2 can't come soon enough. Still, today's a holiday!

[Mr. Illini]

Chuy Garcia to endorse Lightfoot

https://twitter.com/maryannahernnbc/status/1107254479525695490?s=21

That is a huge one.

[LoneStarDem]

Chuy Garcia to endorse Lightfoot

https://twitter.com/maryannahernnbc/status/1107254479525695490?s=21

That is a huge one.

Big question is whether Lightfoot wins in massive landslide  ?

[Donerail]

I was talking to a few friends on election night, and said that Chuy (more than Mendoza or Chico) would be the real kingmaker, as neither of the runoff candidates had any significant inroads in the Mexican community. I also mentioned that Chuy had gone to Toni before the runoff in 2015, to ask for her endorsement -- thinking that if she endorsed him, he'd peel off just enough black votes to beat Rahm (probably correct). She said no. Chuy, of course, now had an opportunity to avenge that by knifing Preckwinkle in the runoff, and it seems he is taking advantage of that.

Big question is whether Lightfoot wins in massive landslide  ?

Think it's a fairly obvious "yes" at this point, which is why you see pols scrambling to endorse the next mayor