All right. As if there wasn't enough controversy today, our brother Sine is wearing a tan suit.
It's okay, though. You look wonderful.
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for being here.
I am joined today by our chairs, Irvin, Dahl, and Harris.
We also have Alders. Ramirez-Rosa Hall, Ramirez-Fuentes and Robinson are here.
We have everyone.
We have our budget director, Annette Guzman, city comptroller, Chase Winkle, CFO, Joe Jarowski,
and a corporation council could be joining us shortly as well, Mary Richardson-Laurie.
As I stated at the beginning of the council today,
I am and remain committed to being the collaborator-in-chief during this newer budget process.
I appreciate the members of the city council who are working hard and partnering with me
and my team to secure a balanced budget that works for all of Chicago.
At its core, we must ensure that our budget has progressive revenue sources,
and we must uphold our obligations to pensioners, workers, and the people of Chicago.
Our budget is proof of our values, and I will negotiate the details of this budget,
but I will not negotiate my values.
Too many past budgets have left the people of Chicago behind, and I'm determined to chart a new course.
I look forward to continuing engagement with City Council to pass a balanced budget that will express our values in investing in people.
And with that, I'm happy to take your questions.
Everyone, for the sake of time, one question, please.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
Good afternoon.
As you negotiate the future of this budget, I know that you said in your address a few weeks ago that you don't want to cut vital city services.
How are you approaching the prospect of potential expenditure cuts while ensuring that vital city services are cut?
Well, first of all, thank you for that question.
We've already made expenditure cuts.
In fact, last year we saved the taxpayers for this year's budget, $200 million.
There's a $300 million savings.
Look, it's very clear that our revenue and our expenses are out of whack.
That's why we are committed to fighting for progressive revenue.
Look, it's not just me and the city council.
No one in the city of Chicago wants us to cut services.
No, I don't hear anyone say, you know, Mayor Johnson, I don't know,
the alders certainly don't have phone calls where people are saying, please, cut services.
We need less services in Chicago.
No one is crying for that. And so that's why my budget process in this new collaborative approach
that the people of Chicago are getting a nice taste of. We cannot afford to go backwards and
cut services to people of Chicago who rely upon them. Hi, Mayor. Hi. Do you expect there to still
be some property tax increase in your budget? And if so, what numbers are you looking at?
Yeah, well, look, here's the here's what's most important here. There's structural damage that
It has been made to our budget over the course of just decades of not paying enough into our pension system.
We have put forth a vision where we respond to the structural damage, we don't cut services, and we're investing in people.
And that's what people want.
People want to make sure that we continue to see this trend of a decline in violence in the city of Chicago.
Homicides are down, shootings are down.
As we put 200 more detectives on payroll here in Chicago, those are great investments that people understand that they rely upon.
But we also have to make sure that if we're going to invest more in the future, we have to address the structural damage that needs desperate repair.
This collaborative approach with my finance and budget team, with budgeteers and all of the alders that are willingly participating in this new process,
I know that they're committed to making sure that our working families are certainly protected,
but we're also making sure we're speaking to the future of responding to the debt and the deficit.
Unfortunately, we just didn't do enough in the past.
We didn't see that from previous administrations.
Mayor, what is your response to Attorney General Raul in his letter that he has grave concerns
that some of the proposed cuts in CPD would threaten progress on the consent decree?
Well, look, I'm very much, if there's anyone who remains committed to making sure that we have constitutional policing,
it's certainly me and the folks who are standing alongside of me.
It's why we made a commitment to hire more detectives.
That's part of making sure the consent decree is materialized and realized.
Solving crime is important.
We're already seeing an increase in solving crime.
I believe you can almost quote me on this.
I think it's 48% of homicides or violent crime has been solved in the city in this last year.
So we're seeing a trend that's the highest violent crime solvency that we've seen since 2015, I believe.
So we're going to continue to have a conversation about the services that are vital to ensure that the Constitution of Policing continues to become realized through the consent decree.
Mayor, I
You said the $300 million was a proposal, and that's just what it was.
What about, let's talk about the 50-0 vote, that vehement response to it.
Can you comment on that, please?
Yes.
So there's a legislative process where a proposal was made,
and the legislative branch has the ability to vote yes or no for something.
This is not the complete dynamic, right?
There's an entire portion of this entire process that's still critical in this moment.
We're not cutting services.
We've made that very clear.
We have found efficiencies.
But we've also made critical investments to youth employment.
I know there are some folks who may not see the value of as many young people that we're trying to hire,
but I can tell you Alder Jesse Fuentes certainly understands why we can't give up on young people.
Same thing with behavior and mental health.
We are expanding those services across the city.
The first mayor since mayor here in Washington not to reduce public services as it relates to mental and behavioral health.
We're building more affordable homes, 3,400, building more.
You may have saw earlier today on the west side of Chicago the leadership of Chairman Irvin,
where there's more investments in our community colleges, a new campus on the west side of Chicago
that's going to continue to develop the next workforce, particularly in health care.
So all of this is coming together at a very critical time.
This is a healthy process.
This is something that my administration can handle.
I'm not intimidated by voices from individuals who are city leaders in their own respect.
So this is a good thing for Chicago.
It's a new process.
People will learn to adjust to it as we continue to move forward.
Thank you for taking the question, Mayor.
Given that the property tax increase has been voted down, what other areas will you and your team look at?
The ARPA funding has been brought up, the supplemental pension payments,
and is there any thought to dipping into the reserves?
Well, here's what I can tell you, and our CFO and I, we talk about this on a regular basis, about these one-time scoops.
You know, it's every time there's a one-time scoop of dollars that go towards filling a budget gap, we keep finding ourselves in the same predicament.
We have chartered a new course in Chicago.
Look, ARPA was designed and meant to respond to what the pandemic essentially illuminated.
Everybody up here knew that these disparities were gross and these inequities were unconscionable and, quite frankly, racist.
And we have worked hard to make sure that the opera dollars actually are invested into the communities that have long been ignored and neglected.
I think the final note is that this collaborative approach allows for the type of robust debate that you are experiencing right now in Chicago
to begin to have those type of conversations about, again,
how do we finally respond and repair the structural damage that has been laid at our feet?
We're not going to kick the can down the road.
And so even with the characterization, as Jarowski and I talk about this, of it being supplemental,
this is just the right number.
You know, once upon a time, the city was only putting half of what the recommended appropriation called for.
And so responding to our constitutional responsibility while also making sure that we're repairing the damage so that we can save taxpayers $3 billion over the course of the next five years to continue to make the critical investments in economic development and housing, that's what this administration is committed to doing.
Well, again, this is, again, an open process that people will continue to debate, but we're not going to use the same dynamics and trickery that has, you know, unfortunately placed that obligation in our front door.
As I said, look, my daughter's going to vote for me in about eight years.
She's going to get a chance to do that.
She's 10.
I don't want her to go into that voting booth saying, Dad, you could have done something when I was in fifth grade.
And now I'm about to graduate from high school, and we're still stuck in the same situation.
So for my daughter Brayton and all the other 10-year-olds that are out there, when they get to vote for me in 2031, is that right, 35, something like that.
Clearly, I'm a social studies teacher.
You get my point.
When she votes for me, we won't have the same damage that we are experiencing right now.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
Good afternoon.
One of the other people we spoke to this afternoon said that the city's budget has swelled over the past four years, that the budget is just too big.
So there's a lot of middle management, a lot of fat that can be trimmed.
Made the suggestion of perhaps one furlough day per person per pay period.
Is that something you're open to?
To cut services?
No, we're not committed to cutting services.
Which day do you think Chicagoans want police officers not to be on the job or streets and sanitation?
Like, which day do we pick to make sure that firefighters and EMTs are no longer available on that day?
Which day?
So if it's not property taxes, it's not furlough days, where does the money come from?
Well, look, this is why – so let me just say this.
Where the money should come from is the ultra-rich in this state.
Look, we fought for that.
Here's what's awesome, too, about the people who are –
You know, the Black Caucus, Latin A Caucus have had trips to Springfield as a collective.
It's the first time I believe that type of organizing is happening.
And so we're just going first in Chicago.
You know, be very clear, the state of Illinois, $3.1 billion projection.
The state of Maryland, $2.7 billion projection deficit.
This is a problem that exists all over the country.
The city of Chicago, we're just bold enough to say, look, we'll go first.
We'll have the robust conversation.
We'll work through, make sure that we're not cutting services because the people of Chicago do not want to cut services.
I can guarantee you that.
There's not one person in this city that is lining up to say we need to cut services.
But we also have to make sure that we find progressive revenue moving forward.
There are options that are on the table that we will look at locally.
But the ultimate goal is to make sure that we're working with our state reps, our state senators, our governor, our county commissioner, our county board president.
All of us require progressive revenue in this moment.
And we can no longer afford ultra-rich big corporations to continue to get away with not paying their fair share.
So to be clear, no furlough days?
How many questions do you get?
Just a follow-up.
Okay, that's not a follow-up.
That's literally the same question, but thank you.
Hi, Mayor.
Hi.
So the elders that we've talked to said in their service in city council, not once has there been a tax proposal that has universally been shot down by every single person at once.
Why do you think that happened today?
Well, look, am I aware of the drama that has existed in city government?
Absolutely.
It has been traumatic for people.
So traumatic that it provoked me to run.
And the people who are standing up here with me have that same motivation.
It's to actually get it right.
Now, I know we're committed to repairing the structural damage.
We're committed to that.
We're committed to making sure that we're investing in people and not cutting services.
And so to have an opportunity where you don't have this dictatorial style where you take it all at once, you have these little private conversations, maybe some, you know, maybe more out loud, but you have these conversations behind closed doors.
You do some, you know, finagling and then you come out with a proposal.
Everybody stands and either says yes or no.
This is far more robust.
This is what Chicago wants.
We're going to pass a balanced budget that doesn't cut services and invest in people.
This is just a newer process that people get to adjust to.
As the First Lady always reminds me, she says, you know, Brandon, you inspire people.
So where people have been shut off the process, they're being included into the process earlier.
And I can tell you there are individuals up here who have been a part of this process longer than I've been an elected official.
And they can tell you this is unprecedented.
Now, everybody's motivations, we can't get into the hearts of man or women.
However, what I can say is that our treasure and our heart will be aligned.
That's what the Scripture said, and we're going to make sure that we carry that out.
Mayor, good afternoon. Are you looking at exploring other taxes, the immune tax, liquor tax,
and for residents who may not have an appetite for that, who say that will simply just make it more unaffordable to live in this city?
Look, that's a really good question. I appreciate the frame of that.
Whether it's a property tax or any other tax, people will be impacted. They will be.
What we're working to do is to mitigate further harm.
And the harm is the structural damage that we have to address in this moment.
And everybody here is committed to responding to the structural damage.
We're also committed to making sure that we're not cutting services and investing in people.
But, again, I can't emphasize this enough,
that the transformation that really needs to take place right now in this country
is that we have to have state government and federal government work to ensure
that those who are ultra-rich in this state, in this country, have to pay their fair share.
They continue to get away with not living up to the hopes and the promises and aspirations
of what it means to be a nation, one nation, indivisible, right?
Literally fighting for justice for all.
That's the goal in all of this.
So we will continue to have this robust conversation, and I'm confident that we'll be able to land it.
Hey, Mayor.
Now for something completely different.
will you attend or will you honor the family's wishes regarding officer enrique martinez's
funeral on monday they've apparently asked that you not attend well look again i i want to express
my deep and profound condolences to the martinez family officer enrique martinez served this city
with tremendous honor and value and we will continue to honor his life and his legacy
We're also going to make sure that we ensure that we do everything in our power to keep families safe
and Officer Martinez pay the ultimate sacrifice.
That's what's most important here, is that we honor Officer Martinez and the family.
Well, will you honor that request by the family not to attend the funeral?
Well, again, here's how you actually show honor, is that we actually pay respect and give the family our deepest condolences.
and I will continue to do that.
Hi, Mayor.
So earlier this week you said your property tax increase proposal was a way to grab people's attention.
Some elders have been a bit critical saying,
obviously now it sounds like there's a collaborative process and a negotiating process underway.
Some elders said there should have been more of that before you proposed your budget,
so today's vote may have been avoided.
Yeah, there was more of that, right?
Like I said, there's a brand new process here that people are adjusting to.
I don't believe we've ever had the system of budget tiers the way that we've configured.
Again, multiple community meetings.
There have been conversations over the past year about these challenges that we are facing as a city.
Now, what I believe you're hearing from some aldermans, right, because this is a small group,
what you're hearing from some alders is that for too long,
the fifth floor has just been reticent to these type of conversations
because these alders are not saying that I'm not collaborative.
They're just saying start earlier.
Well, we've had budget forecasts, and our budget director can speak to this.
There are certain elements of this conversation that requires other steps
and other, I guess, within the timeline, certain elements to be able to land
before you can have the type of substantive debate that we're having now.
So to our budget director, do you just mind just walking people through, like,
what that process entails from the time we made this projection last year to all the steps that we are taking?
So for some people, it may be that they just got to class late.
Sometimes that happens.
But the good thing about me as mayor of the city of Chicago, I don't make people truant.
They might be tardy, but they can still participate.
Director Guzman.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
So since the time that we made the forecast last year, you know,
we made a very concerted effort to not only begin our budget engagement process earlier than we've ever done.
We started really in January and really kicked it off in March,
talking with stakeholder groups, residents, about what their priorities were.
We also invited a group of alders to the budget office and to meet with me in particular to provide their ideas.
for this budget, revenue as well as expenditure priorities.
And so we have been working since earlier this summer on hearing from alders about those ideas.
And I just think that, you know, in the course of this year, you know,
some kinks will be worked out as to how we formulate their ideas
and provide feedback on what is possible and what's not possible.
But we have been in constant conversation with members of city council about this budget.
And just one other note, too, because I think it's important that we acknowledge that our subcommittee chair, Alderman Will Hall, is here, an entire subcommittee dedicated to revenue.
I don't know. Look, our finance chair is here as well. I don't know if we've had a subcommittee on revenue before. We may have.
You know, someone can just look through the archives, but I can't think of that in recent history.
And the Alderman Hall here has been asked earlier about a particular revenue idea, speaks to that early engagement.
Hi, Mayor.
Hey.
I've got a question from our ed team.
We are hearing that the Board of Education VP Gardner is blocking Pedro Martinez from giving a presentation about acero closures at the board meeting today.
Did you or anyone in your administration advise her to do this,
and is this not counterintuitive to what you said about CPS leadership needing to make a contingency plan?
So the ultimate responsibility of the board is to work with the CPS leadership.
I'm not aware of this blockage that you're speaking of, you know,
and there's no particular directive outside of making sure that we invest in children and not close schools.
Like, I just want people to stay focused for a second here.
Stay focused, right?
We're talking about this will be the largest school closings in the history of Chicago
in the Latin A community, after families have gone through this already.
Do you understand the type of anxiety?
Let me rephrase that.
Many families experience a great deal of anxiety and trauma
as a result of this charter operator responding to its bondholders and not families.
These wards are impacted by these decisions.
that I made a commitment to invest in children.
I'm going to transform this school district, and I'm going to do it collectively.
That's what's most important here right now,
is to ensure that the children of this city receive a high-quality education,
and they don't have to be or feel.
I feel blamed for the failures of the interests of corporations and bondholders.
Hey, Mayor. Back here.
You've said, even since the property taxes has become a non-starter,
that you would still not support layoffs or furloughs in this budget, right?
Are there other spending cuts that you would support eliminating?
I think you have 753 vacancies that you're eliminating.
Go further than that.
eliminate programs that are on deck.
Are there spending cuts you could support?
Well, look, clearly I have.
How much so far?
$300 million?
So it's clearly a yes, because we've already expressed $300 million worth of cuts.
So we have, hold on, I got you, Justin, relax, man.
You was one of the people who came in late today, by the way.
You better be glad they let you in the room.
No, I'm teasing.
$300 million, $200 million in this year's budget.
Look, the expenses and revenue, they're off.
Partly it's because we have a shrinking tax base.
You know, we tax sales, not services.
And it's elements like that that continue to separate what people are hoping for versus what we actually can deliver on.
Now, somehow we've managed not only to find savings, but make the critical investments that are important to people that everyone on this standing beside me agree on.
And so if you're asking me if we want to cut services, no, we don't want to have to cut services.
Why? Because the people of Chicago do not want us to cut services.
Look, we know these are difficult and challenging times.
We're not going to get through this by using the same tactics of the past that have not proven to be effective.
Now, here's the encouraging thing, though. I am collaborating with people with all.
We're going to talk to every single holder because it's going to take all of us.
Your Honor. What's going on today?
In public comment, it was mentioned that someone hoped that President Trump addressed you.
How would you address him? And if he offered to be a collaborator in chief, would you receive his extended hand?
Well, first of all, you know, it's really difficult, quite frankly, to understand the, I guess, the mindset of someone like the former president, president-elect, that would be willing to eliminate the Department of Education.
it's really tough to even just
understand why he would do that
public education at the expense of the state after all is a negro idea
the words of W.E.B. Du Bois
and so he doesn't believe in science
in any formation and so there's real environmental issues
that we have, we restore the Department of the Environment
You know, I don't even really know what his full position is, you know, on really growing business and our economy.
You know, when he is, you know, insisting on, you know, tariffs that would ultimately cripple local economies like ours, especially because this is a global economy.
Right. So his behavior, particularly around even the economics, is not going to help make sure that the people of Chicago can afford to buy groceries.
I mean, these are very dangerous threats. And then, of course, you know, his blatant, you know, characterization of the Department of Justice, as well as the way new arrivals are and immigrants are being treated is just it's just sickening.
Look, I'll say this. Lastly, as as a black man, why would I cooperate with with agents that are looking to terrorize people?
You know, and so I just here's what I'm recommending to the president.
This is what I recommend to him, that the city of Chicago is the greatest city in the world.
He has an opportunity to actually figure out how to unite this country.
There are working people in this city that are afraid, scared.
Could someone be that comfortable knowing that he is causing that type of fear and terror?
That can't come from government leadership.
That looks a lot like some of the things that I would teach when I was a social studies teacher.
And it looks like a really nasty form of government that would isolate people.
It's that type of mindset that not only enslaved people, but it sent people to gas chambers.
So we're going to defend people.
We're going to make sure that we're protecting families in this city.
So he can help with that.
Get out the way.
Hey, Mayor.
Hey.
Mayor, you've been careful to not say what revenue-raising ideas you're pushing for right now.
You also acknowledged earlier that Chicagoans don't trust City Hall with money for good reason.
What do you say to Chicagoans who are thinking,
if the mayor wants to fill this new $300 million gap with other taxes and fees,
I want to know what those taxes and fees are so I can make my voice heard on them?
Yeah, well, they're making their voice heard on them.
There's like there's no secret to the different ideas that are available.
You only can tax so many things in Chicago.
There's not like a new tax in this particular moment that that that people are either have not heard of or just hearing about.
I mean, what I would also say is not just city government.
They've had disdain towards all levels of government.
It's not unique to Chicago and neither is this deficit.
And so what the people of Chicago can count on is that I've given my word to stay true to my values,
making sure that we're not cutting services, making sure that we are responding to the structural damage that I inherited,
while also making critical investments.
And so, look, ultimately we need a progressive income tax in the state of Illinois,
one of only 11 states who don't have that.
We've got to continue to fight for it.
I believe Craig Delamore asked me this question in a different way earlier this week.
We have receipts now.
We've built a single shelter system.
We promised people that we would do it.
Even though Bring Chicago Home didn't pass, we still figured out how to do it.
We said we're going to build more affordable homes.
We're doing that.
We said we're going to invest in young people.
We said that we will build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, and we're doing that.
Two consecutive years in a row where violent crime continues to drop.
Since I've been in office, credit score has gone up, our credit rating has gone up.
Now, look, we have to continue to prove to the people of Chicago that they can trust us in this moment.
And that's why we've created this new process so that they actually can build more trust in government.
It's in trust in our education system, trust in our police department, trust in our public health department, trust in our transportation system.
It's building trust across the board.
Now, again, we are not afraid of that challenge.
And that's what the people of Chicago are embracing right now, and I'm looking forward to full engagement or fuller engagement as we move forward.
Thank you.
Hi, Mayor.
How are you today?
I'm doing – you know what?
This is something special today, but I'm doing fine.
Thanks for asking.
No problem.
So I'm hearing from some alders that are now considering a closer examination of CPD's budget to identify potential savings.
Do you support reducing CPD's budget?
Why or why not?
Well, they took a 3% cut like everybody else, right, Director Guzman?
Look, it's not – I believe we have to examine everything closer.
And it's about time, right?
We provided this opportunity last year.
We're growing this out this year.
And all of the alders that are standing beside me today have led courageously to open up a process that's more collaborative, and I am here for it.
Mayor Johnson, your approval rating is at an historic low.
Chicagoans are saying that you're a worse mayor than Lori Lightfoot, if you can believe it.
Your property tax proposal, a $300 million property tax increase, just got shot down 50 to 1.
That's got to be a record.
primarily because Chicagoans felt that this any tax increase that you propose is simply a migrant tax,
that that money is going to pay for migrants almost to the penny.
Considering your rhetoric, even here today, comparing Donald Trump to Hitler,
and do you really believe that Donald Trump...
You better hurry up and ask the question, otherwise your arm is going to get real tired. Hurry up.
No, I'm good.
Well, we're not, so hurry up.
Right. Well, Mayor Johnson, consider your rhetoric towards Donald Trump.
His his borders are home and has already said about to get that mic pass.
You've got to ask the question, sir. You're wasting people's time.
Well, you know, just ask the questions. People. And OK, so check this out.
If you don't ask your question, we're going to move on to somebody else.
You're interrupting. My question is what you haven't asked. It's difficult.
Can we move on to the next person? Nefsa Hyatt. Thank you.
They're saying that they're going to double down on sanctuary cities like Chicago due to your rhetoric.
You're a billion dollars.
Okay, I've had enough of this.
You have to learn how to articulate yourself and ask an articulate question.
Here's how we're going to balance our budget.
Thank you, I've heard your question.
You know what, let's take this mic from this person here.
Go ahead, Craig.
Here's a better way in which you can frame this.
Are you are you going to ensure that the behavior that you continue to conduct with, are you going to ensure that you're going to stop it?
So you're asking me not even a question. You're going on a monologue.
Craig, can you ask the next question? Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor. It is a good afternoon.
So Alderman Hall, right back there, has proposed regulating and taxing hemp products that are for sale around parts of the city.
How do you feel about that proposal?
Some people in Springfield want to ban it entirely.
Well, look, first of all, I commend the leadership of Alderman Will Hall as a brand-new alderman.
He came in here and he took on a challenge, and he has great tutelage right now, too,
working with our finance chair to ensure that we're having a robust conversation about revenue.
Here's what I can say, is that there are a lot of ideas that are being proposed and presented.
I'm taking all of those ideas seriously, and I appreciate what Alderman Will Hall,
as the chair of this subcommittee and his leadership, doing something new in the city.
It takes a lot of courage and thoughtfulness to engage with such, I don't know, tenacity, quite frankly, and love.
You know, so we're going to continue to look at it.
You know, I think it's pretty neat coming from a pastor, too, by the way.
I have a question.
Mr. Mayor, a lot of your administration so far has dealt with concessions.
and the alders seem to be at the point now
where they're saying it's no longer about what you want
it's about what they and their constituents want
so what kind of concessions are you willing to make
to get your budget through
and alderpersons, Dow and Hall
can also weigh on this as well
if they want to, look this is a collaborative process
And it's a new process, and it's one that has brought strong, very robust debate in the city.
And, look, we've already demonstrated where we can make efficiencies.
We're doing that.
But cuts to services is something that, in a dramatic way, would set our city back.
We're going to respond to the structural damage that we inherited once and for all.
And we're going to continue to make sure that we're making critical investments
and not, you know, cutting services that people in Chicago rely on.
Hi, Mayor.
Hi.
You initially said, you know, the $300 million property tax increase was a sobering
but responsible and difficult decision to make.
Now, do you think that it would be irresponsible to not raise property taxes at all,
even at the rate of inflation?
And, you know, given your ongoing negotiations, your conversations with counsel,
do you think that there's an appetite for a smaller increase?
Well done.
That's a great question.
Yes, and that was sharp because you got two of them in there.
That was smart.
I was always those honors students.
Look, what would be irresponsible if we were to not address the structure of damage?
That would be irresponsible, so we're not going to do that.
What would be irresponsible would be to cut services that people rely upon that people deserve, quite frankly.
That would be irresponsible.
What is responsible is to create a balanced budget that responds to the structural damage
while not having to cut services while also investing in people.
That is the responsibility that all of us take seriously.
Now, we have brought people in, more people into the process than what previous administrations have done,
and I'm very proud of that.
I say, look, there's more than enough room for everyone.
That's what I've said, that the fifth floor is big enough for all of us.
That's what this moment is about.
So the second half of your question about what does responsible budgeting look like and what does it reflect,
it reflects taking in the different ideas that ultimately will lead to a balanced budget that protects our values.
And finally, this fight for...
Revenue is not a fight that that that ends in Chicago. Right now, here's one thing that I can say is that the people of Chicago deserve a body of government that's willing to fight for them. That's what's up here today. I mean, look, I'll just name it. Do you see the different ideological frame that is standing on this? This this up here right now? That's that's how serious we are.
This is not about someone's ideology or, you know, maybe for some people there's some sort of, you know, personal pleasure that they get out of chaos.
But we're going to continue to bring calm to this moment.
I am so proud to have strong leaders like Chairwoman Harris and Chairwoman Dowell and Chairman Irvin.
These individuals have been a part of these battles before.
We have brand new leaders like Fuentes and Hall and then, you know, you know, Alderman Carlos Ramirez Rosa and his strong position and advocacy for the people of Chicago, working people.
You know, we have the 12th war that is is now transformed with a with a true bright leader and Julia Ramirez.
I mean, look, we're talking about black, brown, white, Asian, you know, working people actually getting a real voice.
And that's an exciting time for the people of Chicago.
Thank you all very much.
Appreciate you all.
Thank you all.
Thank you.
Thank you.