Chicago mayoral election showdown is here

Tuesday is Chicago’s municipal election day, and at the top of the ticket is the run for mayor, and this top job is in the minds of most voters, especially with the incumbent Lori Lightfoot facing a field of eight other candidates, and while many polls have zigged and zagged depending on the day, most residents are feeling that with this many candidates there is the definite possibility of a runoff election in April; and as dictated by law, if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff is automatically triggered.

Lightfoot has become wildly unpopular with many residents in her weakened efforts to battle crime, with criticism from both conservatives and progressives, whether it was dealing with the pandemic and covid restrictions (closing gyms, and other recreational facilities) earned her the enmity of some business owners, who eventually flouted mask rules and capacity limitations,

She has received the most criticism towards the increase in violent crime, that included street robberies, car jackings, and most of all, regular violence on the city’s famous El trains, the Red Line, in particular, where robberies, stabbings, beatings and other violent forms of assault became the norm.

Lightfoot’s hand picked police department chief David Brown, has been criticized for a lackluster response since his early days when the city dealt with protestors that tagged onto the peaceful demonstrations, and posh Michigan Avenue stores were looted, often in full sight of the police and television cameras.

Crime has become the central issue for most voters and there is frustration from many quarters, not only on the uneven response, but, as Live Free Chicago noted, the clearance rate for solving crimes by police is 21.7 percent in Black neighborhoods, and 45.6 percent in white areas.

Chicago public schools have also raised ire, and concern, by many who see decreased enrollment but greater demands for money, and in some cases new school buildings.

The mayor from her early days in office has battled the powerful Chicago Teachers Union, in what could be frankly seen as a mortal combat, and in fact one recent school superintdent quit, in virtual disgust at her dealings with CTU.

These two issues have become paramount in the minds of voters along with twinned issues of  police accountability, with the most glaring news of a policeman who was part of the Jan.6th Capitol insurrection, as a member of the now infamous Proud Boys, but who was only given a suspension by Brown; and joined by reports that both elementary and high school students not being able to read, or do math, at grade levels.

Lightfoots closest rival is Paul Vallas, a former CPS head, who some say “messed” up the schools, only to flee the city. He has garnered significant support from the Fraternal Order of Police, and he is running on a strict law and order platform, but his association with that organization and especially John Catanzarra, a former chief who has made questionable comments that some listeners associated with racism, while others praised him a voice for the police, and many residents, wrongfully have said that the mayor wants to defund the police, but in fact has given them the highest raise of many of her predecessors, but this seems as the saying says, all is fair in love and war, and this seems to be war.

Vallas has made questionable remarks in the past, many recorded, on whether he is truly a Democrat, or a Republican, with past statements saying he would run as a Republican in this blue city, after a previous loss as mayor.

As the only white candidate in a long segregated city, he has also earned the support of traditional white ethnic communities such as the Irish, Polish and German, and the somewhat relatively unknown, but powerful Greek American community, of which he is a member.

This pits him against the Black communities as they have faced a long history of police brutality under former Chicago Police Department Commander John Burch, who coordinated tortures of Black male prisoners, and the later shooting of Laquan McDonald in 2014, by CDP officer Jason Van Dyke.

Race is never far from the surface in American life, and running against a Black woman, as the only white candidate, makes many Black voters wary and his statements about taking the city back caused Lightfoot to say that he was “blowing the ultimate dog whistle, saying: “Take our city back, meaning what? To what time? And take our city back from whom?”

She also referenced Republican Bernie Epton who ran against Harold Washington, the city’s first Black mayor, in 1983, in a volatile racially tinged election, on a slogan of: “Vote for Epton before it is too late.”

Progressives have railed against his anti abortion stance, which he says is personal, and based on his Greek Orthodox faith, and previous statements about the teaching of Black history, that he conflates with Critical Race Theory, which is not taught in elementary and high schools. 

Next up as a top contender is former Cook County Commissioner, and member of Congress, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, whose late entry into the race caused some consternation among local political observers.

While long considered the favorite of the CTU they abandoned their support, and while he did gain support from other elected officials, such as Jan Schakowsy,and Mike Quigley, both members of Congress, and some local trade unions including Teamsters 705, and 727, but the plum endorsement evaporated, and critics said he seemed more like Lightfoot, the death knell for the undecided which are currently 19 percent.

Veteran political speechwriter Jason DeSanto told local PBS station, WTTW, that in addition to late TV ads, and a weakened position that he “had a muddled message,” and that his strong base of support was among the Latino community, “But he really has not done a very good job of expanding beyond that base and really articulating a clear message as to what he stands for with respect to other communities.”

His early repeated references to working with Harold Washington have all but disappeared after a press release questioned the relationship, without specifically naming Garcia.

Surging in the polls is Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, whose youth and creative positions on crime, police accountability, and education (as a former teacher) has galvanized Black voters and has resulted in Lightfoot saying that she is the only candidate of choice for Black residents, and has accused, Johnson, falsely, of wanting to defund the police.

What he wants to do is take some of the money from the police budget to harness violence prevention and social services to the South and West sides. And, he has spoken of his lived experiences, as a Black man living on the West Side, facing the issues that many of his constituents have.

Blacks make up 29 percent of the total population of Chicago.

David Axelrod, political analyst, who propelled Barack Obama to the presidency has told the Sun Times that Lightfoot has a “steep, steep hill to climb” and that the two top contenders could be Vallas and Johnson, and that the latter coming from the position of being an unknown would be a significant push aided by his “big personality.”

A recent poll by M3 Strategies had Vallas at 32 percent, and Johnson at 18 percent and growing, but that is changing, but beyond the polls the confluence of crime, and weakened public education are primary and who can show they have the grasp of those vital issues is the winner.

48th Ward candidates present a united front

With the exodus of nearly one third of  Chicago Alderman, candidates for vacancies are racing across the political landscape to try and secure roles that many thought of, but assumed were not going to be open, even on a far horizon. One of those was the 48th Ward where Harry Osterman was in power since, and before that it was his mother Kathy Osterman, whose power saved the Chicago Armory where the event was held from demolition, and its later use by the Chicago Park District.

Ten candidates appeared at last Saturday’s forum displaying a wide range of skill sets, professional roles, and education, and displaying a string sense of collegiality in a format designed to distinguish themselves for the voter, and, in this case, the turnout was massive, quickly becoming standing room only, and the mostly white crowd, visibly roused, gave the forum the air of a pep rally, especially the supporters of Joe Dunne, who turned out in legions, but not to be outdone by the equally vocal Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth supporters.

The current list is Joe Dunne, Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, Larry Svabek, Nassir Faulkner, Brian J. Haag, Andre Peloquin, Andy Peters, Isaac Freilich Jones, Roxanne Volkmann, and Nick Ward

Organizers focused on three key areas of interest for the ward which encompasses Edgewater, Uptown, and parts of Andersonville: Economic Development, Public Safety and Transportation.

This was near catnip for several of the candidates, who own, or have owned area businesses, and who have often felt the loss of foot traffic as vacant building after vacant building has erupted, especially on Bryn Mawr Avenue.

There was widespread agreement that tax breaks given to property owners with vacant storefronts should be capped, something that Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has proposed beginning in January of 2023.

Among them were Isaac Freilich Jones, Brian Haag, Roxanne Volkmann, and Leni Manaa Hoppenworth, in agreement along with Nassir Faulkner and Nick Ward.

A long standing issue this was first seen in the South Shore neighborhood as a solution to perceived urban blight that not only as an eyesore but also as a disencouragement to new business development.

Two years ago Block Club Chicago reported that, “To ensure the tax relief change is cemented long term, chamber of commerce and business leaders have proposed a county ordinance to cap the frequency a property can receive the vacancy tax break at three times every 10 years. If passed, it would go into effect in January 2023.”

These long term tax breaks have allowed owners of vacant properties to deliberately allow them to endlessly remain vacant, an apparent reference to the Bryn Mawr corridor.

Conjoined to this was the issue of public safety, as a lack of business, equals a lack of foot traffic and can be seen as a drawing card for violent encounters.

Not on the agenda, but favored by all ten of the candidates, both in their opening speeches, andlater in the session was the lack of affordable housing, and they all saw this as an impediment to not only commercial growth but also the viability of the neighborhood and that Chicago Housing Authority should be tasked with building more, and targeted to not selling land for recreational use.

Of particular note was Manaa Hoppenworth who noted that not only should there be housing but also supportive services to increase opportunities for all.

Dunne seconded that and noted his prior work as an affordable housing developer, and Ward also added that any of these buildings had to be ADA accessible.

There was some suggestion that affordable housing might solve some of the crime in the neighborhood, but while there is a possible correlation, no bright line has been established, but certainly increasing livability, and affordability is a combination that would contribute to the growth of the neighborhood, as well as increase business and economic development across a wider swath than the Sheridan condo corridor.

Specifically Jones suggested to great applause that Chicago adopt the “Bring Chicago Home” ordinance in which a portion of a one time real estate transfer tax on high end properties, those in excess of $1 million would be used to combat homelessness, a problem for the ward, as it is city wide.

He was supported in this by Ward, and Manaa Hoppenworth, who also wants the process “streamlined, making it quicker and easier for people seeking affordable housing to find a home that fits their needs,” noted her website.

In fact, even with the three specific topic areas that the organizers chose are very much part of city wide efforts to lift Chicago from the many challenges it faces from crime to homelessness, to lack of affordable housing, and maintaining a viable economic life.

Local business owner of "The Green Element”, Haag suggested having more Single Room Occupancy hotels, but in the last decade, most of those, at least on the North Side, have been swallowed whole by developers as market rate micro studios, eliminating what was once a safety valve for low income workers.

The elephant in the room, visibly present, was the rising crime that the city has seen overall, but has also affected the 48th ward with carjackings, muggings, assaults,and CTA incidents.

Suggestions centered mainly on the addition of a traditional beat patrol, whether on foot, or in car, was not clear, but, while there was applause, it seemed that most present felt there should be traditional foot patrol, including Volkman whose son was assaulted, and robbed.

Peloquin noted that he would work with police, but also, and perhaps not, acknowledged by those attendees that the Chicago Police Department has suffered drastic loss among its rank; in fact a recent loss of over 1,000 was heard among some in the local media, but that number has not been verified.

With a wide background of education, business acumen, and passion for the development of the neighborhood it was clear that most present could not have an easy time determining who stood out the most, with the impressive variety presented before them.

Concerns over Jesus 'Chuy" Garcia mayoral candidacy

Last week’s announcement that Jesus “Chuy” Garcia would be the 10th mayoral candidate for the 2024 Chicago mayoral campaign brought a  lot of people together at Navy Pier for the news, but the candidate himself took no questions from the media.

As we have noted it’s going to be a slugfest with a crowded field from all corners of the city, from the young to the old, from the wealthy to the poor, and somewhere in between. 

Garcia has been in this game before, in 2015, when he was a candidate, running against Rahm Emanuel, and whose last minute endorsement of then candidate Lori Lightfoot, propelled her candidacy and she won the election, Now, with an “anyone but Lightfoot” mantra, older faces are as welcome as new ones, and Garcia, recently re-elected to Congress has a hand in the fire of bruising Chicago politics, where character assassination and dirt digging are only the beginning. 

Garcia's avuncular profile might avoid him some of the most serious blows, but he has some baggage, mainly that he endorsed the recently sullied former Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan, whose pay to play with a local utility company has Garcia tagged by some as part of the machine.

In 2018, the Sun-Times reported that “Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia on Friday issued a glowing review of Mike Madigan as chair of the state Democratic Party — saying he is the “clear choice” and “will turn a statewide majority into progressive action.”

“The progressive stamp of approval comes just days before the 36 state central committeemen and committeewomen prepare to vote for the party chair on Monday in Springfield.”

And it’s not the first time the two have had each other’s backs. Garcia in 2016 endorsed Madigan over a heavily-funded opponent. Garcia, who was named a Bernie Sanders national delegate, appeared in mailers endorsing Madigan.”

Garcia also said, at the time, in the Sun-Times piece, "As a progressive Democrat, it is my intention to support a state party chair who will work with me to advance our most fundamental goals,” Garcia said in a statement released on Friday. “… I will support a chair, who, above all, knows that our goal as a Democratic Party and as a progressive movement must be to build a broad coalition that can deliver this change. Michael Madigan is the clear choice.”

Garcia said Madigan “will turn a statewide majority into progressive action” — and is helping to put a $15 minimum wage on the governor’s desk, fighting to make the wealthy “pay their fair share” and is working to help support a women’s right to choose, among other efforts.

Garcia said Madigan “puts first the interests of the people of Illinois and the progressive principles of the Democratic party.”

While he said that the Madigan endorsement was more of a political move, not a spiritual one, time will tell if voters will accept that assertion, if not irony.

Garcia has also heralded his association with the late Harold Washington, but an advocacy organization sent out a  statement, without naming him, that the bond was not as tight as portrayed, and since then Garcia has tamped that down.

The date chosen for the announcement was also timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Washington’s announcement that he would seek the mayor's office.

WTTW reported in a nostalgic vein, said that “García’s election to the Chicago City Council 1986 helped Washington end the so-called Council Wars, and prevent a group of white alderpeople led by now-indicted Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward) from blocking the mayor’s initiatives and appointments. Washington died in 1987.”

They also noted that “García has served in government at nearly all levels during his nearly half-century career in Illinois politics, including in the General Assembly, Cook County Board and U.S. House of Representatives. García, first elected in 2018 to represent Illinois’ 4th Congressional District, was reelected Tuesday — and it is unclear whether Democrats will continue to control the House.”

One issue that local press has mentioned is his association with city progressives in the council who while somewhat fractious, but not broken, needs mending, and Garcia who in the past has distanced himself from them, will have to work hard to harness their support and votes. But, he has also branded himself as a coalition builder, so this will be a test of these abilities.

He also will have to face the powerful Chicago Teachers Union who on Monday issued support for Brandon Johnson and also, that same day, got the endorsement from the Service Employees International Union, SEIU, giving an edge over Garcia, who some say waited to long to run, and others say that it might throw Johnson’s campaign into chaos; but, time will tell for the latter.

“Johnson welcomed García to the race in a statement that did not mention him by name, and said he looked forward to spirited and engaging discussion among all candidates about the future of our city,” said WTTW.

Race is an issue, and in a town that is often dominated by race, Garcia's Mexican American ancestry gained significant support afterwards but also shows the gains that Latinos have gained city and state wide influence that makes his candidacy notable.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials released in June, ahead of the midterms that there were more than 353,000 Latino ballots in the election.

Chicago has a sizable Mexican population, and one that has grown even further in political influence, and votes, and NALEO has noted that the ballot increase represents a 62.2% increase since 2014.

They are also younger voters with an 18-24 year population “comprising 15 percent of registered Latinos, compared to 7 percent of non-Latinos, Similarly, 25 percent of Latino registered voters are 25-34-year-olds, compared to 16 percent of non-Latinos.”

This gives Garcia an edge, but he may be seen as too old for the youngest of voters, but ethnicity might win them over.

Demographics also show, according to their figures, that  while there was a population decrease in the city from 2010 and 2020, “the state’s Latino population grew from 2 million, to 2.3 million, increasing 15 percent. By comparison, the state's non-Latino population decreased by 3.0 percent,” NALEO added.

The Washington association can be used to attract the Black vote, but with existing divisions and many members of both groups competing for the same jobs, and with differing cultural markers, including religion, that may not be enough.

The current mayor, Lori Lightfoot shot back a sharp retort:, “In a statement, Lightfoot's campaign spokesperson Christina Freundlich called García a "career politician" and accused him of "prioritizing his own ambitions" during a time of crisis for Chicago, rather than providing "the tough, principled leadership our city needs.”

"Mr. García spent months dithering on whether to get in this race, saying publicly he’d only run if Democrats lost the House," Freundlich said. "Now, a mere 36 hours after voters reelected him to Congress, and as Republicans prepare to use their new slim majority to strip away our rights, Mr. García is abandoning ship."

The plot thickens when we pull back the camera and see that “Johnson is backed by all of the groups that have been working for nearly a year to unite behind one candidate to challenge Lightfoot.

Splitting a coalition makes it all the more challenging for Johnson, but he has said, “I am both honored and humbled by the broad-based, multiracial and multigenerational support that I continue to receive for my candidacy, "and also that, "My vision remains clear: The people and families of Chicago demand change, and I am the one candidate who can deliver on a safe, equitable and inclusive future for us all.”

Safety is the watchword with drive by shootings, gang violence, car jackings, retail robberies and muggings a near daily occurrence. Adding to the mix is the safety of Chicago’s famous El trains who have become scenes of violent crimes, robberies and beatings as perpetrators rob passengers of smartphones, purses, and anything of value, not just at night but in rush hour, as well.

Garcia offered no specifics on how he would tackle Chicago’s burgeoning crime.

Time is of the essence and being in Congress and running for mayor can be time consuming, and can one short the other?

Local CBS News reported that ,“Volunteers were openly collecting petitions to get Garcia's name on the city ballot in February and passing out pins with his mustache. What's circulating now is how Garcia can run his Chicago race from Washington D.C.?

"He has to just be here as much as possible," said Suzanne Chod, North Central College political science professor.

"I imagine he's going to be in D.C. a lot less than he would otherwise," added Brian Gaines, a political science professor at the University of Illinois.

CBS 2 tapped political science professors Brian Gaines and Suzanne Chod for some perspective.

"The calendar for his current job is actually really good for him to be able to do two things at once," said Chod, who counts 12 legislative days left on the 2022 congressional schedule.

She estimates about two and a half weeks worth of work next year before Chicago voters head to the polls.

"So the timing works really well for this, because on days he has to vote or days he's supposed to be doing committee work, it's only 30 days."

Timing is everything and this time with expectations that the GOP will take the House, that might be, or not be, the best of times, and even the most optimistic tone can change.

North Side homeless encampment angers residents

On the far North Side of Chicago, a homeless camp of nearly 30 unhoused people have camped out in Touhy Park, angering residents and frustrating Ald. Maria Hadden as she struggles to find a balance between compassion for a group of mostly Blacks, although exact figures are unknown.

Chicago, like many large urban cities, struggles to deal with a burgeoning homeless problem, born from job loss, divorce, spousal abuse and other factors, that seem to be largely ignored by some residents who have mischaracterized the entire group as drug users and abusers, with “lazy bums” being the kindest description.

The resident protests have culminated in accusations of vehicular violence by a local community newspaper columnist, who railed against the perception that she is a racist, suggesting ,to some, that race may be more of a factor than indicated.

There was also a fake 5-day notice with Hadden’s name as signator, that were placed in the belongings of the campers, and posted on the signs in and around the park according to Block Club Chicago, in an apparent effort to dislodge them.

It also stated that they would be housed in an elegant downtown hotel, the Four Seasons indefinitely till Hadden found them “appropriate housing.”

The proposed server was Bill Morton, president of the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce and a candidate in the upcoming aldermanic election against Hadden.

Sarah Lim, a DePaul university student, claims responsible for the fake notices and says that she and Morton have worked together “on previous political efforts.”

Lim also claims the stunt was designed to drive people to her website for discussion.

Hadden went to the park to tell park residents that the notices were fake, and later stated that many were in tears on hearing the truth.

A recent community meeting convened by Hadden, on Zoom, last Monday, seemed to be more of a referendum on Hadden, than providing solutions to a problem that has ebbed and flowed with some earlier success at housing 64 previous tent dwellers at the park.

Some at that meeting were virulent in their protest to have the police enforce the 11:00 p.m. curfew, and complained of soiled clothing and hypodermic needles littering the area near the park,despite the fact that other residents told us that drug use and sales, had been a long term problem plaguing the neighborhood for decades, especially along Howard Avenue.

In the seemingly effort to enforce resident safety and programing, fieldhouse activities were transferred to nearby Pottawatomie Park, but the phrase, “no good deed goes unpunished” applies here, with residents up in arms over the temporary transfer.

To separate fact from perception we contacted Hadden’s office and reached Leslie Perkins, her chief of staff, to answer some questions about the encampment:

DG: Would you say pending any more partnerships with agencies, the Park District, etc. that keeping the encampment is a temporary measure, albeit unwanted, till a more "permanent" solution is found?

LP: “Our office is scheduling a meeting with the Department of Family Support Services and the Park District to discuss how we can depopulate the park before cold weather sets in. We're faced with an unfortunate reality in Chicago that our shelters are at 98% capacity and that we don't have enough units for people who are unhoused. We have initiated talks with these departments and the Mayor's office to see if we can explore emergency funding to shelter people.” 

DG: What are the approximate ages and races of the tent dwellers? Are their families present, with children?

“To my knowledge, there are no children in the encampment at Touhy Park. I don't have a breakdown of the demographics of the individuals there. We have seen a rotation of people come through the park as people are connected to units and as people become newly unhoused. That being said, statistics have shown that Black men experience homelessness at higher rates than other demographics in the US.” 

DG:Since there are, as well-established high market rate apartments in RP, as well as the city, what assessments are being made to provide even a temporary setup, such as the High Ridge Y. To expand, many are probably not ready for shelter housing, due to drug and/or alcohol use, low, or no income, poor credit history, etc.. So, what can be done, outside of the main objective of affordable housing, and as you know this is an issue for everyone in Chicago?

“The temporary shelters for migrants was made possible with federal emergency funding. Our office has initiated talks with the Office of Budget Management, the Mayor's Office, and DFSS to see if those funds would be available for our homelessness crisis as well. In addition, our office recently wrapped up a community process for North Side Housing to open a men's shelter with 72 beds at Clark and Birchwood. Our community overwhelmingly supported their proposal, with more than 70% of respondents saying they were in favor of the shelter opening at this location 

Our office is also the lead sponsor on the Bring Chicago Home resolution, which would establish a dedicated revenue stream to combatting homelessness. Finally, the city and our partners are committed to a housing first approach to combating homelessness. This means that you work to get someone into stable housing and then provide them with the wraparound services they need, be it mental health care or substance abuse care, to remain in housing. This creates fewer barriers to getting into a unit.” 

DG:It seems that many of the residents are concluding that ALL of the camp residents are drug addicts.

“Our office doesn't have figures on the number of people struggling with substance abuse. That said, there are several factors that can lead to an individual to experience homelessness, and singling out one issue reduces the complexity and nuance of driving factors of homelessness. Unfortunately, our city - along with municipalities across the country - is in the middle of a homelessness crisis.” 

DG:It’s apparent that across the city, there have been many homeless camps over the last several years: underneath the viaduct at Montrose Avenue, near the Kimball and Lawrence underpass, and on the grounds of the Graeme Stewart school in Uptown, and this is only a partial list, so even for a casual observer, the problem can be seen, and Perkins expanded on some of the reasons how people become homeless.

“The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless just issued its 2020 report on homelessness in the city. From 2019 to 2020, we've seen a 12.6% increase in people experiencing homelessness. In 2019, Charles Schwab conducted a survey on savings and found that 59% of respondents at that time were just one paycheck away from experiencing homelessness. And that was in 2019 before the pandemic hit, which brought with it a whole new set of financial challenges for people. Many lost their jobs and fell behind on rent. While rent relief was made available, the demand for funds far exceeded their availability.”

“Now, people are facing skyrocketing costs of living. In Chicago, the average rent for a 750-square-foot apartment is now more than $2,200/month. That's on top of paying more at the gas pump and grocery store due to historic inflation. People are getting squeezed from every direction financially, and it's driving rates of homelessness. Our office has 3-5 people a week come in who are experiencing homelessness for the first time. Our staff is helping people call for housing assessments with the Coordinated Entry System. This isn't something that we saw as much in 2019. And the Economic Roundtable projects that chronic homelessness will only grow by 49% over the next four years in the US if we don't do something to intervene, which is why we're fighting for a dedicated revenue stream for homelessness prevention.” 

DG:Sanitary conditions were brought up repeatedly in the Zoom meeting and especially in the chat area, so are the cleanups, and the porta potties cleaned daily of what is not needed for "living"?

LP:“The port-a-potties are cleaned weekly. We advocated as well for extra staff to help the supervisor clean up the park every day.” 

DG: You seem to have a good relationship with the Parks Dept, can you say the same about the police? (there seemed to be suggestions in chat that you don't) If not, do you see this as an impediment, with this issue, and future ones?

LP:“Our office has a great relationship with Commander Brennan and the 24th District. We communicate with them regularly and bring concerns to their attention when they come through our office. Alderwoman Hadden has regular checks-in with the commander, and we have a staff member who attends every CAPS meeting in our ward. We will continue to work with them on all concerns that come through our office.”

DG: Do you have a deadline --- you mentioned winter as a possible marker -- for a solution?

“Our office would like to see people in units before extremely cold weather sets in. We are going to be meeting with our other city officials in the coming weeks to discuss how we can come up with a plan to depopulate the parks”. 

DG: You referred to federal dollars to help, is this from the mayor's budget or something specific to your aldermanic budget.

LP:“Since the aldermanic discretionary budget is bonded, there are strict restrictions on how it can be spent. This means that money only be spent on capital infrastructure projects, such as street resurfacing. The corporate fund has more flexibility and includes funding for homelessness. As we enter budget season, we will be making this a priority issue. We also would like to see a dedicated revenue stream by passing our Bring Chicago Home resolution."

Chicago has entered a crisis phase, of sorts when it comes to the racial divide, and economic challenges, sorting solutions can be problematic, and how decisions are made on who can do the heavy lifting, has proven to be an enormous task; and, with the combined efforts of who makes decisions, how they are made, and when, makes the task of equity even harder.

New South Side school angers many, pleases many

It’s no secret that Chicago is one of the nation’s most segregated cities and the division between North and South sides, while often geographically distinct, are also politically and even psychologically different. These divisions can also become blurred by economic and political power, those who hold it, and those that don’t.

One of the starkest difference is in education, with a system that is mostly financed by taxes, and (where many  students often don’t attend their neighborhood schools), the quest for secondary education has hit a new high with the pending creation of a Near South Side high school, at 24th and State, on the site of a former public housing facility, that has generated support from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public School superintendent Pedro Martinez, which has made it a reality despite recommendations that it threatens to siphon off monies needed for Black schools in the area.

Mayor Lightfoot

These early warnings aside, supporters say that the new housing can be built elsewhere, and local residents and city hall observers are wondering what has caused this much support for a project that is projected to cost $120 million dollars.

Area residents also remember the 50 schools closed by former mayor Rahm Emanuel whose hamfisted closures brought a huge protest, but that, in the end, was to no avail: and, many remain vacant, while others, mostly on the North Side, have been converted to luxury condominiums.

WBEZ, in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times, reported that earlier, “a team of senior officials at Chicago Public Schools privately wanted leaders that the project could undermine those schools and ultimately hurt Black Students.”

Most parents and community activists say that it’s not difficult to see that the new school will have new technology, science labs and performing arts spaces that the old ones lack, and those existing would  be underfunded by CPS, and could be shuttered, further nibbling away at what Emanuel left undone.

These divisions, and past actions, wedded to the present, do not bode well for South Side schools, threatening the future of their mostly Black students.

Some of these same schools are also often under-enrolled by 34 percent less; with Wendell Phillips alone holding a previous year’s enrollment of only 8 percent to capacity, and some fear that this may be the city’s response to solve the issue of under enrollment.

An important aspect: There has been a critical population of Asian American students in the Chinatown area that are willing to travel miles to attend the Thomas Kelly College Prep school, rather than attend nearby Black schools such as Wendell Phillips Academy that are closer to Chinatown, and nearby neighborhoods.

Fueled by fears of violence, unjustified, at best, according to reports, but perception has won out, and Kelly now holds 11 percent of those Asian students. 

Those fears are often combined with a perceived lack of quality in the Black schools, even though there are recent graduates that have been accepted, many on full scholarship, to quality public colleges and universities.

The Sun-Times and WBEZ reporters summed it, by saying, “the new boundaries for the proposed 1,200 student neighborhood school at 24tha and State street captures Chinatown, South Loop, Bridgeport, Douglas and parts of the Near West Side - which include some affluent areas with significant white and Asian populations,” whose residents “have long complained they don’t have a viable neighborhoods to school to send their children to, largely a rejection of mostly Black high schools their kids could attend.”

There has also been a significant increase in the political power of Asian Americans in Chicago and now, “Formerly splintered into multiple wards, Greater Chinatown residents will now be represented by one Alderperson in Chicago’s first Asian American majority ward.”

Grace Lee is the new alderperson, and in her announcement, Lightfoot said, "“Nicole Lee has spent her life expanding and amplifying 11th ward issues and voices,”and “Her dedication to empowering communities and building coalitions is evident in her career and in her involvement in a variety of community organizations. She is the right choice to make sure 11th ward residents are fully represented on the Chicago City Council.”

The response has been overwhelming, and “We are thrilled that City Council has created Chicago’s first Asian American majority ward following months of advocacy by community leaders,” said Grace Pai, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. for a Better Chinese American Community, Pui Tak Center, and Chinese American Service League.”

“I think representation is really important,” said David Wu, executive director of the Pui Tak Center, who’s also the board president of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community that’s been working toward this establishing the ward. “Really you need someone to push as hard to make sure that the wide diversity of Asian Americans, especially those who are newer immigrants, can gain access to services.”

As author Natasha Warikoo wrote in “Race at the Top”: “white and Asian parents alike will do anything to help their children get to the top of the achievement pile.”

Chicagoland police face a summer of discontent

 

It’s been a controversial summer for Chicagoland police as they face intensive scrutiny for controversial behaviors, firings and shootings, and controlling crime across the metropolitan area, especially on Chicago's fabled El trains, and the firing of Robert Boik, Chicago Police Department, executive director of constitutional policing and reform, which sent shockwaves through the law enforcement community.

The late July detention and beating of a young Palestinian American boy seemed to be the catalyst for yet another charge of police brutality by police in Palos Hills, Illinois as they stopped a car without a front license plate and the aroma of cannabis. While one of the teens cooperated with the search, another 17-year-old Hadi Abuatelah, by Oak Lawn police, allegedly beat him ten times on his shoulders, and also a fractured pelvis and intracranial bleeding among other injuries.

Police have not released the body camera film, but a passerby recorded the incident on her cell phone, in a one minute footage, that also prompted cries of outrage against excessive force on the teen who appeared to weigh 120 pounds. 

Newsweek reported that the police claim there was no bodycam video, and since the recording only shows the beating, there remain many unanswered questions.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Chicago has joined with Abuatelah's family and has “filed a civil rights lawsuit against the officers and the village, alleging police used excessive force and the officers and department engaged in “racially motivated conspiracy” to deprive the teen of his civil rights,” reported Suburbanchicagoland.com.

An assault gun was found at the scene and there was suspicion that the teen had it in his accessories bag, slung over his shoulder.  One report described the weapon as “a Raven Arms P2 25 25 Caliber Semi Automatic weapon with three rounds of ammunition and a THC Vape cartridge which he later admitted to smoking.”

According to the police statements.after he was captured, Abuatelah tried to keep the bag throughout the incident,

"Regardless of the alleged infraction that led to the arrest, the video clearly shows a restrained teenager in submission, not resisting, being brutally beaten by three officers without justification," Council on American Islamic Relations Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab said.

Oaklawn police say that they are conducting their own internal investigation.

According to The New York Times, “Zaid Abdallah, the boy’s lawyer, said that Hadi was a passenger in the vehicle. The lawyer said he did not know what the traffic stop was about or why Hadi had decided to flee.”

Oak Lawn police Chief Daniel Vittorio claimed the officers “feared Abuatelah was reaching for a weapon, and used management ways to launch the teen’s arms.”

 

“You have him subdued,” he said. “If he broke the law, we have a process for that in America. You arrest the person. He goes to bond court. He goes to his preliminary hearing. He goes to trial court. This is the process. The process is not smash his head into the pavement.”

“Regardless of the alleged infraction that led to the arrest, the video clearly shows a restrained teenager in submission, not resisting, being brutally beaten by three officers without justification,” Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, said in a statement. “The issue here is excessive force and police brutality. Something we are seeing again and again and again.”

There are also claims that the teen was tased.

Claims of ongoing racism in this community have acerbated reactions, with the largest community of Palestinians and Palestinian Americans in the country, displaced from the West Bank after Israeli occupation.

In a statement from the AAAN, they said, “In addition to the demand that the three Oak Lawn police officers be fired, the AAAN has also been pressing Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx nonstop for over two weeks to drop the charges against Hadi and instead charge the officers who viciously beat him.”

The next court date is Aug. 25.

Internally, a dust up between CPD Chief David Brown and Robert Boik, erupted after the latter insisted on the terms of the Consent Decree with the Federal government that was made in the twilight of the Obama Administration.

Boik had learned that there were 46 officers that had to be sent back to patrol duties, instead of the required in-service training mandated by the terms of the decree, reported The Chicago Tribune.

“In Boik’s email, which was obtained by the Tribune, he said that if those individuals were moved to patrol, there would be 21 fewer instructors at the academy and the department would no longer be able to offer an eight-hour gender-based violence course to officers this year.”

Furthermore, “The decision would also result in 10 fewer people in the crisis intervention training program, which would diminish the program by about 30%, according to the email. Putting these individuals on patrol would also put a minimum of 8% of the department’s current consent-decree compliance at risk.

“Beyond the consent decree requirement to train our frontline officers, we have a fundamental obligation to ensure all our officers are provided with equal tools to do their jobs in the field. With the proposed cuts, every single officer will fall short of 40 hours of training this year,” Boik wrote in the email.”

The back and forth continued with Brown wanting to address city wide violence and Boik countering that his “email suggested that his staff would be moving to districts all over the city and “therefore will likely have minimal impact on patrol capacity for any one district.”

Praise and disappointment, at the decision, overflowed local media with the Tribune saying, “Arne Duncan, a managing partner of Emerson Collective and the founder of violence prevention organization Chicago CRED, wrote in a statement: “Bob Boik was fired for blowing the whistle and telling the truth — that he has no support and that the administration is not serious about police reform. Trust between the police and community is already far too low, and losing him is a big step in the wrong direction. That is dangerous for our city, for the community and for our police officers.”

There seems to be a pattern arising, and “Chad Williams, the former civilian commanding officer of the Police Department’s audit division, resigned in 2021 after emailing Mayor Lori Lightfoot to say he had been proud to lead the unit but had become disillusioned and was resigning his post.

“Unfortunately, my disappointment with the inability of this department’s top leadership to even feign interest in pursuing reform in a meaningful manner has made it impossible for me to remain involved,” Williams wrote in the email, as previously reported by the Tribune. “

Of the most pressing problems for Chicago is crime, rampant crime with carjacking's, robbery, theft and personal assault. Mayor Lightfoot, placed on the hot seat, has said that there have been improvements and that murders and shootings are down,16 and 18 percent, at the close of the 32nd week of 2022, yet some including Wirepoints and WBBM suggest that those numbers fail to include the baseline year of 2019, just before the Covid pandemic and the murder of George Floyd, the reaction of illegitimate protestors, and those that tagged along to loot and rob.

If that is taken into account, they say, then the numbers look worse, 31 and 33 percent respectively, yet that aside, the public perception that the city is not safe is dominant across the dinner tables and boardrooms of the city, and some companies have left the city such as Ken Griffin’s Citadel to Miami.

WBBM reported that “Lightfoot said her administration’s efforts are bearing fruit, including an 18% drop in homicides over last year.

“But when told many residents still don’t feel safe, she fired back:

“The perception, if it’s not accurately reported by the media, will continue to fuel a feeling that the entire city isn’t safe,” Lightfoot said. “It is important for our residents to know that we have a plan that we have implemented that is showing progress. And it’s critical that the media report that.”

She conceded that a lack of accountability for people who commit gun crimes has also led to more perpetrators feeling bolder about using violence”

The problem is that the plan has not been seen. And, on the city’s iconic El subway system, especially the Red Line, crime is rampant and there have been well documented reports in the media of people with bloodied faces, and passengers fending off gangs with their own weapons, and knives, often resulting in loss of life on both sides.

The police force assigned to the CTA has been reduced and there are concerns in some quarters of over policing that might result in racial profiling, but the volunteer force, and hired guards with dogs, have been mainly used to remove the unhoused, as they seek shelter on trains and buses.

Police have pointed to low ridership, due to Coviid, as being less of a deterrent to crime, but statistics cited are often inconsistent, and the use of the crime database was called, “tricky for all but the most hardcore data nerds to use, said Wirepoints.

There have been long standing issues with crime on CTA trains, for years, but now it has also spread to buses, where last summer, a man riding in broad daylight on a bus, in the River North area, (a gentrified neighborhood), was stabbed by a woman, later determined to be mentally ill.

In May, the situation intensified to the point where Sen. Dick Durbin (D) of Illinois and US Rep Jesus “Chuy” Garcia wrote a letter to the CTA, and they said, in part:

“While we appreciate the efforts that both the CTA and Chicago Police Department recently have made to increase passenger and employee safety on trains and buses throughout the CTA’s network, more needs to be done to protect CTA’s frontline workers and passengers given the alarming increase in crime on the CTA system,”

A local station, ABC 7, reported their response, "saying the safety and security of CTA customers and employees is its number one priority,” that many viewers felt was inadequate, as well as evasive.

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