Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here.
Over the last three years, we've talked a lot about building a stronger Chicago.
And today we're seeing what happens when that vision becomes a reality.
Chicago's comeback isn't something that we're waiting for.
It's actually happening.
You can see it in our neighborhoods, and you can certainly see it downtown.
You can see it in the businesses that are choosing to invest here,
the families choosing to build their lives here,
and the visitors choosing Chicago from all over the world.
And that's because we've made a very simple commitment.
Invest in Chicago.
Invest in our people.
And make sure that growth reaches every community.
You can see that momentum on the Magnificent Mile.
Not long ago, the conversation was about empty storefronts and uncertainty.
Today, vacancy rates have fallen significantly from their pandemic highs.
New businesses are opening their doors, new attractions are welcoming visitors,
and one of the most iconic streets in the country is coming back to life.
That didn't happen by chance, but it happened because we refused to accept decline as our future.
And that comeback is happening across downtown.
A recent study by the Chicago Loop Alliance found that more than 1.7 million visitors came to the Loop in the first quarter, generating $485 million in economic impact.
That's a 15% increase from the same period last year.
The Loop also remains a hub for creativity and innovation.
with its creativity economy generating $50 billion annually and supporting more than 213,000 jobs,
according to a report by the Arts Alliance Illinois.
Three years ago, we launched six office-to-residential conversion projects on LaSalle Street.
Today, that effort has expanded to 25 projects across downtown.
That's more projects than the last 20 years combined.
Just last week, another conversion was announced at the Leahy Building in River North, bringing 70 more new homes in our city.
Half of these projects are already permitted and under construction.
Think about what that means.
Buildings that once sat empty are becoming homes.
Streets that quieted after the workday are becoming neighborhoods where people live, shop, and eat and support small businesses.
Altogether, those projects represent nearly 3,900 new homes and $1.8 billion in investment.
We're not simply filling vacant buildings.
We are creating the kind of downtown that will remain vibrant for generations to come.
because when downtown succeeds, Chicago succeeds.
A stronger downtown means more jobs, more opportunity, more economic activity,
and more resources that we can then reinvest into neighborhoods across our city.
And that's exactly what we are doing today.
Last November, we produced the first Central Area Plan in 20 years
that projects downtown to grow by 100,000 new residents,
161,000 new jobs, and 12,000 additional overnight visitors by 2045, based on historic trends.
This winter, we announced a winning proposal for the city-owned property next to Pritzker Park on State Street in the Loop,
the site of Elwood Blue's old apartment, which is planned for a $160 million tower with 300 mixed-income apartments.
We also announced $800,000 for storefront improvement projects along State Street in the loop, reinforcing its role as the spine of downtown.
The groundbreaking for the 22,000-seat Chicago Fire FC Stadium in March represents the city's first new outdoor stadium in Chicago in 35 years and the first ever soccer stadium.
And whether it's LaSalle Street, State Street, or commercial corridors on the south and west sides, our approach is the same.
We're unlocking investment, encouraging private partners to believe in the future.
believe in Chicago and making sure that growth creates lasting public value.
Earlier this year, we saw another powerful vote of confidence
when Water Tower Place announced a $170 million redevelopment.
These investments tell the world that Chicagoans are very clear about something,
is what we've always known, that Chicago is open for business, but we are not for sale.
We're building an economy that works for working people
and one that creates opportunity without leaving communities behind.
And it's not just businesses choosing Chicago.
The next generation is choosing Chicago, too.
Chicago was recently ranked among the top five cities in the nation for recent college graduates.
We're investing in young people through our Chicago youth works.
We're on track to again meet our projections in hiring young people for summer jobs.
Youth employment is critical, and we have reached our landmark investment for four consecutive years
because every young person deserves the opportunity to build skills, gain experience, and see a future for themselves in our city.
And because we're making these investments, people want to be here and visit here.
Last year, Chicago welcomed 56.8 million visitors who spent a record $21.5 billion in our local economy.
That means more customers for neighborhood restaurants, more business for our hotels, more jobs, more opportunity.
And that momentum is continuing this year.
Through June, hotel room demand is growing at more than twice the national pace, and Chicago hotel tax revenue is already up more than 10 percent from last year.
At the Taste of Chicago, we welcome more than 300,000 people to Grant Park, with over 80 vendors showcasing the best of Chicago's diverse food scene.
Nearly 40% of this year's vendors were new, creating opportunities for small businesses and strengthening our local economy.
And that growth means more revenue that we can reinvest in housing, community safety, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization.
These investments are making Chicago a destination once again.
That momentum doesn't stop when visitors arrive.
It begins the moment that they land.
Today, O'Hare International Airport is once again the busiest airport in the world by takeoffs and landings.
That's something every Chicagoan can be proud of.
It speaks to our city's strength as a global center of commerce, innovation, and opportunity.
This work keeps Chicago connected to the world, and the world is certainly responding.
This summer is expected to be the busiest in O'Hare's history.
Airlines are adding more flights each year.
New international destinations continue to choose Chicago.
That demonstrates confidence.
That's true confidence.
Confidence in our airport, confidence in our workforce, confidence in our city.
And now it's our responsibility to keep building on that success.
And that's why we recently finalized an agreement to bring the new Concourse D to Chicago travelers.
We're doing it on time and under budget.
It's a $1.4 billion investment that will create more than 3,800 construction jobs and 19 new gates.
It's the first major phase of the ORD Next Modernization Program, helping prepare O'Hare for the next generation of travelers.
And we're doing it responsibly.
And thanks to the support of our airline partners, this project is funded through airport-generated revenue, not local or state tax dollars.
And that's exactly how government should work.
When growth creates new revenue, we reinvest in ways that allow our city to continue to grow.
We're creating a cycle of opportunity, and we're doing the same thing at Midway Airport.
Last week, we approved agreements that will unlock at least $150 million in private investment to modernize Midway.
New hangars, better facilities, improved infrastructure, hundreds of permanent jobs.
Those investments also improve runway safety and ensure that when these agreements come to an end, those upgraded facilities belong to the people of Chicago.
And that's the model that we're building.
We leverage private investment, we protect taxpayers, and we create jobs.
And we build public assets that serve generations to come.
And that's what Chicago's comeback looks like.
It looks like cranes in the sky, storefronts opening their doors,
families moving into new homes, businesses choosing Chicago,
hotels welcoming more guests than they have in years,
and travelers who are filling our airports.
And a city that's proving every single day that when we invest in people,
Chicago's best days are always ahead of us.
Thank you all for your indulgence.
With that, I'm happy to answer any of your questions.
Afternoon.
Two questions each, and we're going to go down the line, please.
Go first.
Hi, Mayor.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
So last week during the budget hearing,
your administration was noncommittal on making the full,
the second half of the advanced pension payment.
Why the, I guess, hedging on that?
and can you now say whether or not the city will make that full payment?
Well, there are still some circumstances that are beyond our control,
one of which is that the delay that we are experiencing with Cook County,
and until that is absolutely resolved, you know,
I have to make a prudent decision to make sure that all of our options are still available to us.
There is a resolution or legislation introduced today by some in the City Council Coalition
calling for that payment to be made in full by October 31st.
Will you fight against that ordinance in September, I guess, to keep your options open?
What do you say to the city council?
They did put that into the budget, and you're now saying it may not be prudent to make that payment.
What I'm saying is that obviously there are circumstances that I don't have control over,
And I think it's incumbent upon city council to continue to work with my administration to ensure that we are making responsible decisions that benefit taxpayers.
Now, what would have been helpful if the same coalition that moved on a budget that has now created a $90 million shortfall,
if they were as prudent as what they are suggesting in this moment, we would not be in this particular predicament that we're in today.
So that's why it's helpful for the people of Chicago to know that there's a city council that's working with me, right?
Because, look, if you see and look with an objective eye, if all of the proposals that I put forward,
particularly as it relates to revenue and having a budget that speaks to the interest of working people
and not the interest of corporations and the ultra-rich, those budget projections are overperforming.
We're not in this predicament if we don't have city council that is more aligned with the interests of corporations
than they are with the interests of working people.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
Good afternoon.
Last week, your budget director mentioned that the city has until about the end of August to deal with that $90 million shortfall.
Do you expect to bring the city council back in August at any point to deal with potential options?
As far as an official council meeting?
Yeah.
I don't know if an official council meeting is necessary there.
We do need participation, though, right?
And that participation, I believe the people of Chicago would appreciate as well.
Look, we had two options.
We could challenge these big corporations to put more skin in the game and pay their fair share,
or we could once again provocate the burden on working people.
The city council decided to provocate working people.
in defense of corporate interests.
That was the wrong thing to do.
There is a way in which we can make good on, I believe, the promise to protect working people,
but that's going to require some cooperation from members of city council.
I believe that they're amenable to the type of ideas that have proven to be effective that I put forward.
They'll get another opportunity to remain engaged with my administration to get it right.
Do you see this number being thrown around the 2,000 city job layoffs as a potential solution to the gap,
as something that could come to pass, or are you looking at other options to avoid that?
And what are some of those options?
Well, what that number does, it actually crystallizes what I warn people of.
Remember, I was in this very seat months ago saying that their projections were,
were
uh
Exaggerated. They were. We actually put forth a more modest conservative projection, and our projections are overperforming. I believe that's the responsible way to move out, to move a budget.
And look, the number that we're talking about is essentially the exact number that we would have raised through a corporate head tax.
I mean, this challenge is solved by going towards the areas of revenue streams that are performing the best.
And those are revenue streams of those who have more means.
Right. I mean, these are the same corporations that received the largest tax break in the history of the world.
So it was not unreasonable for the people of Chicago to expect city council to protect working people.
That was not an unreasonable expectation. It certainly was a disappointment that they didn't do it.
And of course, we don't want layoffs. I'm going to do my part to come up with solutions.
We need city council to join in the effort to protect working people, because that's what people across the country are calling for.
Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor.
The owners of Save-A-Lot say they're going to close several stores on the south and west side this Saturday without intervention.
Does the city plan to intervene and potentially save a lot of stores?
Very cute.
Thank you.
You know, look, we're going to work with all parties involved to make sure that there's, you know, access to grocery.
Obviously, our investments that we put forward to create these spaces in the first place
speaks to my commitment to expanding access to fresh food.
So we'll continue to work with all the parties to ensure that access to fresh food
and groceries is available to the people in the city.
So you think Saturday is not going to be the end of them?
I'm going to continue to work hard.
That's what the people of Chicago expect from me.
Other folks have to demonstrate a commitment as well,
but I'm certainly committed to finding ways in which we can ensure that groceries still exist
in neighborhoods that have historically not had access to fresh food.
Okay, last week you told me that your administration is definitely doing something
to bring down the prices charged by contractors to remove toxic lead lines.
But I had the mic taken away before you could answer what you were doing.
I'd like to give you the opportunity now.
Well, as I said before, look, federal intervention is really what's required here.
There's a unique situation that we have in Chicago.
It's why funds for our city were different than funds in other cities.
It's why our city was given a longer ramp, right, to be able to resolve this.
One of the things that we have seen is that, you know, permission needs to be granted by homeowners to be able to access the lead pipes.
That has caused some delay. We see an opportunity to cut costs by replacing the lead service lines as a whole, so block by block versus individual spaces.
Right now, there's still some struggle there to complete that, and again, it does require some cooperation from the homeowners, but those are things that we're working through.
The ability to be able to do this work in larger swaths will help us save resources.
But, again, our situation is far more unique than any other place in the country.
Hi, Mayor.
Hi.
Just on Friday, CPD updated its policy that will allow them to investigate federal agents carrying out immigration raids.
Have you reviewed that revised policy, and do you believe that it complies with the spirit, if not the letter, of your ICE on notice executive order and will allow future potential incidents to be investigated in ways that what we saw during Operation Midway Blitz was not?
Well, first of all, the Midway Blitz has been an absolute disaster and nightmare for the people of Chicago.
The terror that was caused during that operation, the level of trauma, but also the economic impact has been quite severe.
That's why you saw today that members of city council accepted at least, I believe,
the most relevant ballot referenda question around receiving reparations for communities that experienced that hardship.
And whether that was on the west side of Chicago or a black man being placed in an illegal chokehold or long guns being stuck into the faces of women and children.
Zip tied and thrown in vehicles, kidnapped, shot at, I mean, police officers, tear gas, right?
And so the updated policy in the spirit of my executive order,
there's stronger alignment to create a pathway for accountability.
The hope and the expectation is that people come forward, share their story,
and if the baseline for a violation has occurred,
The expectation is that those cases will be referred to the state's attorney,
and there she'll have an opportunity to move forward with prosecution.
Speaking of those ballot questions, we saw sort of your administration's inability to get the city council
behind that question about the millionaire's tax.
Was that sort of political fight that we saw in the city council both earlier today and last week
an indication that you've lost control of a majority of the Chicago City Council?
You know, this idea that, you know, I'm responsible to control 50 human beings,
you know, even as a former public school teacher,
CPS did not have that expectation of me when I taught middle school, right?
The idea of controlling human beings, you know, I don't find that to be democratic, right?
What I can say, it does speak to the fact that the city council is out of touch with the people of Chicago,
and, quite frankly, the people of the country, where affordability and challenging the ultra-rich to pay their fair share in taxes
is the prevailing form of expectation, and for the city council to not meet that expectation,
they have lost control, quite frankly, of the narrative, right?
And that's something that's incredibly disappointing.
But keep in mind, these are some of the same city council members that, you know, voted to sick debt collectors on working people and poor people, right?
These are the same city council members that, you know, do not believe that you should have a just cause before you, you know, remove a resident from the city of Chicago.
These are the same members who don't want to eliminate junk fees, making it harder for people to afford to live here.
Same people who, you know, don't believe that there should be fair notice when it comes to renters' rights.
Literally rolling back every single right and hard-fought policy that working people have fought for.
And we're talking about, you know, a policy that was put in place by Mayor here in Washington.
So you have individuals who have lost the plot of taxing the rich, protecting renters.
These are the same people that are following a direction from an individual that believed in closing schools, shuttering mental health clinics, covering up the murder of a boy.
Right. And so, look, it's it's this would be the time to get right with the working people of this city and the out of control proclivity of this president and his desire to protect the ultra wealthy in this country.
City Council in Chicago has an opportunity to stand up to that tyranny, and that's a disappointment.
However, I have not lost control.
I haven't, and I won't, and I have not lost the plot, and the people of Chicago deserve to have their voices heard.
I'm going to continue to push, along with Speaker Welch, to ensure that we have a millionaire's tax
and other progressive revenue to ensure that our public assets are being properly funded and supported.
Thank you.
Hi, Mr. Mayor.
Hi.
Christopher Swett with Graystack.
You sustained a point of order today removing Alderman Siccio Lopez's item for missing a filing deadline.
Will you commit to ruling the same way on notice challenges against items that you support?
Could you restate that question again? Say it one more time.
The Alderman Sickcho Lopez brought an item that apparently missed a filing deadline.
It did. And he understood that.
Sure. Would you rule the same way on challenges for items that you might support?
I would not miss a deadline.
So I don't know if that's applicable because simply, you know, we make our deadlines.
I would not have submitted something if or submit anything that would be out of order.
In terms of my ruling, you know, I work to administer rulings that are equitable and just across the board.
Now, I know that's a newer concept in this city.
You know, I can't speak to other administrations, for instance, that have put forth rules as well as opinions that harm working people.
But, you know, in that particular situation, Alderman Sigcho Lopez is fully aware that he missed a deadline, but he'll get another another opportunity to to to produce it.
Awesome. Thank you. And also just my last question.
My understanding is that the voters will now decide whether the council needs its own lawyer on the same ballot that they'll decide on you potentially.
Should they vote? Yes. On on what?
On whether the council needs to separate.
Okay, you're talking about on me, yeah.
There's nobody on the ballot yet, so I just want to be very clear.
I will say, though, the people of Chicago have already proven that they'll vote yes on me if you're just looking for past prologue.
But in terms of do they need their own council, I mean, here's what I believe should have been indicated in the actual language.
It doesn't give the context that the state of Illinois has to offer up that authority.
So here's my perspective, that if you're going to ask that type of question,
the voters should be fully aware of how that process works and how it can come about.
So people are voting on, potentially voting on an item that doesn't specifically or explicitly lay out what they're actually voting on.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
Good afternoon.
Mayor Johnson, it's nice to see you again.
I met you briefly last week when I asked about the possibility of an interview with you for my high school politics research.
I was wondering where I knew you from.
I'm like, who is this guy that's younger than Jake Sheridan?
Thank you.
I mean, I know you're a busy person, but I asked you last week about the possibility of an interview with you for my high school politics research.
You said we'll work on that, and since I've been speaking with your press team about arranging it, for those in the room, my name is Gleb.
I'm 17 years old, probably the only 17-year-old in this room.
I'm a Chicago resident and a global politics student.
As part of my research, I am studying why public perceptions of crime often differ from official crime statistics.
Many Chicagoans remain concerned about teen takeovers and the violence, vandalism, and public safety issues that accompany them.
Last year, a 14-year-old was fatally shot during one of these gatherings.
And just days ago, a Chicago SWAT officer was shot during a police operation.
Better urban ask your question.
They're going to interrupt you.
Yeah, yeah, which you commented publicly on.
Incidents like these can strongly shape public perceptions of safety.
And my question is, what specific steps is your administration taking to address teen takeovers
and strengthen public confidence and public safety across Chicago?
Yeah, well, you just ruined your chance to get an interview.
No, I'm teasing.
No, that's a great question.
No, no, you're good.
That's a great question.
You know, look, community safety, that is still my top priority.
And I think just to your commentary, look, the city of Chicago has been under a dark cloud for some time, right, prior to my arrival.
You know, I can tell you that when I was your age, you know, homicides in Chicago were 800, 900 per year.
It's just absolute awful.
In just 2022, I believe, it's 800 people.
Now, we cut it in half, right?
The fewest amount of homicides in 60 years.
No one's patting herself on the back, right?
But I offer up that context that violence is not just the,
safety is not just the absence of violence.
It's the presence of.
And so the reason why some of that perception is still permeating is because though we have reduced violence,
the $2 billion that we've invested on the west side of Chicago, the $2.6 billion that we invested on the south side of Chicago,
that is still catching up, right?
And people are beginning to experience it, but there's still some work to do.
As far as, you know, large gatherings, what you may have noticed is that over the course of the last couple of weeks, we haven't seen them.
Now, I believe that it could be a direct correlation between youth employment and opportunity.
For instance, young people have access to YMCAs for free.
We're creating and activating spaces for young people to hang out that they, young people themselves, put together.
And again, our youth employment, we continue to break records hiring more young people than anyone else.
Now, of course, we have to hold people accountable when they're reckless, and we've done that.
We've made arrests, right?
But arresting alone and policing alone is not going to solve it.
And here's how I know.
There were more police officers in the 90s when I was 17 and more people in prison, and you had more homicides.
So there's not a correlation between more policing and arrests in jails and safety, right?
There's actual research that you could, if you decide, to go and see that for yourself.
And so, again, accountability certainly plays an important part, which that's why I've called on parents repeatedly to show up for our children.
I'm showing up for mine.
I'm showing up for everybody else's as well.
You know, by this time next week, I'm having an emotional moment.
I will be dropping my son off to eastern Illinois, my eldest.
And every morning he comes in and he gives me the countdown of how many days that he has left under my roof, very humbling.
But parents have to step up.
Adults have to step up.
Don't put that on just one politician, or two for that matter.
It's going to take all of us.
All right.
You got another question?
Yeah, I promise I'll be quick.
Last question.
To follow up, I've also been looking at how public transportation affects perceptions of public safety.
Many Chicagoans cite concerns about CTA cleanliness, delays, graffiti, and serious incidents on some occasions,
such as an attack on Bethany McGee aboard a Blue Line train who was set on fire by Lawrence Reed, who had 72 priors.
At the same time, the city is investing roughly $500 million into the Clark and Lake Station reconstruction.
How does your administration plan to improve safety, cleanliness, and reliability across the entire CTA system while rebuilding public confidence in public transit?
Yeah, look, public transportation is important to the growth of our city.
And, you know, the extension of the red line going south, securing those funds to open up opportunities for people past 95th,
that's something that people have been waiting for for 50 years in this city.
We got it done.
We've obviously completed north side stops, four of them, I believe.
We're going to cut the ribbon in Austin, in my neighborhood, at the Austin stop there on the west side.
So we're going to continue to make those capital improvements, working in partnership with the sheriff, working in partnership with labor,
working in partnership with community-based organizations to respond to some of those challenges that you just described.
Now, what we've seen, look, that's my theme music, when it's time for me to stop talking, that's what Paris does.
It's like when you get the Grammy, somebody just starts playing music behind you.
So I will hurry up.
Thank you very much, Paris.
But, you know, look, we've already seen a reduction, I believe, 30% of violence on CTA.
It's a lot more work for us to do, but let's just keep in mind where we were and where we are now.
Are we where we were when I first started?
No, we're better off.
Are we done with progress?
No, we're not.
We're going to keep doing everything in our part to make sure that public transportation is reliable, accessible, affordable, and safe.
All right. Thank you. You're welcome.
I did not mean to do that. I just don't know how to hit mute on here.
Anyway, but if it worked, it worked. No, I'm kidding.
So, you know, you talked about investment in the city and the progress that's been made.
As you know, the critics to the PRO ordinance believe that it'll stifle investment in new housing,
that it would disincentivize new development in housing, thereby driving up the prices on the housing that already exists.
It would disincentivize landlords to rent out units, especially because of that relocation fee.
So I wonder if you could respond to that criticism, and is there wiggle room on that relocation fee?
Well, look, I've said this from the time that I've assumed this office.
negotiating details
yes, my values
no, I'm going to hold to my values
because that's
the expectation that Chicago has
that we protect our values
over half the city, they're renters
so what's disconcerting
here and what quite frankly
is probably the most disturbing
aspect of it, is as I said
earlier, they're rolling back the progress
that was made under Mayor
Washington
for crying out loud
To not have, you know, reasonable notice, that's unconscionable.
When you think about who the renters are in this city, we're talking about seniors who are on fixed income.
We're talking about working people, right, who are just trying to make the ends meet long enough until they're able to be in a position to purchase a home.
I know that feeling.
You know, I was not always a homeowner.
And having stable, affordable rent at a time in which I was living in Humboldt Park, I'm going to sound like that dude in a minute.
I had a two-bedroom apartment in Humble Park with a wall.
Washer and dryer for six hundred and seventy five dollars.
I know. And in those days of that type of affordability, it's it's that's upsetting that it's that disruptive for working people in this city.
So no fair notice, no just cause, keeping junk fees.
Now, mind you, these are the same people that warned us that if we tax the rich, that economic development wouldn't happen.
But yet here we are, the 1901 project, Foundry Park, right?
That set of lands set desolate for decades.
And now we have private developers that are building homes, creating a brand new community.
The 1901 project, a brand new hospital on the south side of Chicago, a brand new stadium,
the first stadium being built in 35 years, the first soccer stadium ever being built in the city of Chicago.
And you want to talk to me about the idea of development in this city?
There's no mayor in modern history that can say that they oversaw the city at a time in which economic development is up and crime is down.
Name one. You won't be able to.
And so what we're saying is the same individuals in the interest that have crafted the F.A.I.R.
The same individuals that crafted that ordinance are the same individuals that were responsible for an administration that covered up the murder of Laquan McDonald.
the same administration that shut down schools, the same administration that shut down mental health clinics,
and you want the people of Chicago to trust that, I dare not.
And then my second question for you, do you commit to the CCPSA process for a new superintendent?
Will you commit to choosing from the three finalists for superintendent that they choose,
or will you not commit to that if you don't like the finalists?
Well, that's the process.
So if you're asking me if I'll commit to the process, yes,
which includes if they send me three people that I don't believe live up to the expectation
of what the people of Chicago want, which, of course, me selecting Superintendent Snelling,
him believing in CVI, him believing in youth employment, him believing in treatment over trauma,
we have to have someone who is committed to the full force of government showing up to keep people safe.
If anything absent, it's a it's a it's a setback to where we were to the gentleman's point.
Again, when he was 17, when I was 17, it was absolutely nightmare in Chicago.
Right. And so the process allows for three individuals to make it to a point of interaction with me.
And then I will have the opportunity and the authority to select one of them or to send them back to start another process.
But, you know, I think it's too early to make, you know, too many projections.
But as far as the process is concerned, I'm always down for the process.
Point of personal privilege.
You ought to get them started.
Here we go.
No, no, no.
No, go ahead and give your stand-up routine, Craig.
Go ahead.
When I was 17, I was serving in the Navy in the Persian Gulf, okay, just for reference purposes.
All right, all right.
Thank you.
Okay.
So just want to follow up on the referendum debate and everything today.
The council flexing its political muscle put on the February ballot the three items that they wanted,
blocking the millionaire tax.
Some while they're suggesting to me this could be a foretaste of a very challenging budget season for you.
Are you prepared to have to compromise even more this season than last?
Whether you compromise or not, you didn't get your budget the way you wanted it.
Well, I mean, 98% of it, we got it.
I mean, you know what I'm saying?
And so the only point of contention was essentially the last 1.6, let's just round up, the last 2% of the budget,
which, of course, now we're short $90 million.
Had they just accepted the last 2% of what I proposed, we wouldn't be in this predicament.
You know, as far as forecasting what's going to happen tomorrow in the future, I try not to do that.
I usually leave that to my, I don't know, my commitment to sports, right?
I might project and forecast the future of the Cubs and the Sox, but in terms of the political winds, they shift quite a bit.
Here's what I do know. The people of Chicago overwhelmingly want to demonstrate their commitment to having progressive revenue.
I do think that the corporate interest that flexed, if we just use your term, that's the same corporate interest that flexed the $90 million of debt collection on working people.
That's the same interest, of course, that Donald Trump is protecting.
It literally is the same interest that gave the justification for closing schools.
And now it's proved positive, what we've always said, that closing schools creates...
Unsafe communities where schools were closed, there's more violence.
It's the same interest that said shut down public and mental health facilities, right?
I mean, these individuals are not necessarily like hiding from their their interests.
I just believe that it's imperative in this moment that the people of Chicago flex their will, right?
Because that's really where the ultimate flex has to come from, from the people of Chicago.
Now, I have the wind at my back because I believe that it's important that I fulfill promises that I made.
and we're doing that. In the meantime, of course I'm going to continue to work with city council
to put forth a budget that's balanced, that allows us to continue to have the economic growth
that we are experiencing in Chicago right now, a budget that allows us to continue to experience
a reduction in violence. The budget that I put forth will allow us to continue to build more
affordable homes. All the expansions that we want to see in the city of Chicago, but here's the part
that I just want to ensure that
people are clear about. When the will of the people is ignored
by the people who are supposed to
speak to the will of the people, the real
breakdown is in that democratic
value. Like, look,
there are things that I believe that we have to do as a city
that sometimes the will of the people may not be there
and it's incumbent upon us to help move folks
but when the people of Chicago are already clear about what needs to happen
to create safe and affordable communities
and that democratic structure breaks down
because you have the interests of the few
that dictate what the many get to have
that's a failure in our democracy
but the hope is that the people rise up, express their voices
and make them emphatically clear
to ensure that we have a city that really responds to the interests of working people.
Do you have any concerns going forward that as you continue to bash the council
that has opposed some of your efforts, that it could turn out to be very counterproductive,
especially given the fact that the recent University of Chicago poll
showed that most people don't want to see you run again and disapprove of your job rating?
That might suggest that you're the one who doesn't have the plot of the city, and perhaps they do.
All right.
All right. Go ahead, Alice. To what?
Well, is bashing the council like this?
Give me your definition of bashing.
Everything you've said in the last 15 minutes about the council.
The council not standing up for working people is bashing to you?
Come on, guys. Listen here. If defending working people is considering bashing, but somehow evicting a senior from a home,
If challenging the city council to push for a millionaire's tax is bashing,
but not ensuring that our children and our schools are fully funded.
I mean, listen, even for someone who is reasonable as you are,
you cannot compare the damage that is happening to people because of the interest of corporations
with my critique of city council being out of touch with working people.
Now, of course, again, let's just name it.
You all have been citing polls for ages.
The same outlets that said that when I was polling at 2.2 percent, that Brandon Johnson would never become mayor of Chicago.
Now, listen, you can like work in the hyperbolic space.
the same folks of course
who are driving a narrative
that my leadership would have led to a massive
exodus in the police force, that it would have caused blood in the streets
those are the same interests of course that misled the people
then, it didn't work, those are the same people who are commissioning these polls
that look man, the number that matters the most is how many lives
we're going to save. The numbers that matter the most is how many more
affordable units. The number that matters the most are how many people
making appointments at our mental health clinics. The number that matters
the most of how many people are calling our alternate response to
911 so that they can get humane care and not necessarily
a police response. The number that matters the most is that we're
building more affordable homes, even downtown. The numbers that matter the most
are the number of cranes, the number of jobs, the number of opportunities that we are recreating for people.
And so if anyone wants to talk numbers, talk about the 31,119 young people
that have summer jobs because of my administration.
Let's talk about the largest TIF surplus in the history of this city
to ensure that our schools are fully funded.
Let's talk about the numbers, the fact that in Roseland we had a 100% reduction in homicide.
Those are black lives and brown lives that we're saving.
Let's talk about the $7 million that we initiated through SEIU health care to give raises to black and brown women who are child care workers.
Let's talk about those numbers.
And listen, you can get an interview, you can get an interview, you can get an interview, you can get an interview to talk about those numbers.
That's what the people of Chicago deserve.
This nonsense about who's polling, who's running, who's not running.
There's not a single name on the ballot for February right now.
Not a single name.
So anybody who announces until they get on the ballot, it doesn't matter.
But what matters most is to ensure that working people in this city, that they know they have a champion.
And regardless of how people talk about me, how they try to mischaracterize me,
I've stood up to the most tyrannical administration that we have seen in a generation.
When people were afraid to call it what it was, which was genocide, I called it that.
When people were afraid to call for a ceasefire, I stood up and said we need to call for a ceasefire.
When people were running away from responding to a migrant mission and decided not to actually do anything about it,
I stood up, even though it may not have been popular.
So if the ideal of me being popular determines how well I govern, well, clearly it isn't.
Because whether people like it or not, or those same interests who want to take this city back from us, like it or not,
I'm going to make sure that we build the safest, most affordable big city in America.
And until somebody come and get me, I'm here.
That means you're running again?
Good afternoon, Mayor.
Sounds like ABC News is endorsing my candidacy.
Yes or no?
Go ahead.
To follow up on the Save-A-Lot question, is the outcome of these yellow banana store closures an example of why you pitched a city-owned grocery store?
And can you update us on whether that project is still in the works when we might see it?
Yeah, look, I think what the spirit of the city-owned grocery store is really centered around
how do we ensure that neighborhoods have access to fresh food, to fresh grocery.
We made an investment with 40 acres on the west side of Chicago is a good example.
Advocates, because this is, I think, a really healthy question, Alice,
because people, you know, suggest that somehow that if it's not my way,
then I'm not willing to capitulate.
The reason why we moved away from a city-owned grocery store is because we heard from smaller chains.
And they said, look, you know, Mayor, we can actually help accomplish that by creating public and private partnerships, right?
That there are other ways in which we can create access.
So thank you for raising that.
In terms of the situation, the circumstance that we're under now,
I'm going to continue to work with all of the stakeholders to ensure that these neighborhoods have access to fresh food and grocery.
Look, it's going to require everyone to participate, right?
It's not just my act alone, but I'm certainly willing to do my part.
And do you support the pledge backed by 12 elders for their colleagues to reject all future contributions from 11 corporations and one PAC that is tied to ICE?
And should mayoral candidates in the upcoming cycle do the same?
Wait, what's the PAC?
It's the Illinois Hotel Association.
And then say the question one more time.
Do you support the pledge backed by 12 Alders for their colleagues to reject all future contributions from 11 corporations
and that PAC that have contracts tied to ICE?
Look, I get the spirit of that request, and, you know, I certainly, you know, you know where my resources come from,
you know, working people, labor, you know, any corporation that has ties to ICE.
I think that people should, yeah, I think people, you know, should reject those contributions.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
Just a note, I believe the store on 107th and Halsted in East Morgan Park is already closed,
so it's gone from closing to closed in some cases.
Anyway, given the compounded exhaustion with the escalating youth mob actions across Chicago lately, two weeks apart in Canaryville, people want to know what are you going to do it naturally,
shaka khan do and all sickness and addiction law enforcement before you're compelled to call
uh to erica badu call tyrone and tell him come on help you get your overly dr spocking mess okay
all right come on man i'm using your words you said you do it naturally so i mean shaka khan and
erica badu combined i mean did you have well separate well separate you said you do it naturally
And they're saying that if you don't get it together, get it together on these teams.
Hold on.
That's also NDI re-song, get it together.
Okay.
So you've got India, Erica, and Shaka all in one question.
Well, whatever, they want you to get it together before you have to call.
All right, listen, well, okay, Mark.
And please don't run from the question.
I'm not, listen, I was just waiting for you to offer up, you know,
maybe that you set before the cauldron again.
Okay.
All right, but.
Well, this does come from a cauldron of sources, so.
Okay.
You said it, you said it, I didn't.
Look, first of all, as I've always stated, that community safety and keeping people safe, that's my top priority, right?
So that hasn't changed.
And again, this notion that our city is just being overran, you know, by 14-year-olds,
as much as there's been some disconcerting gatherings, let's not paint a picture that's not accurate.
As I said to the gentleman earlier, over the last few weeks,
I believe there's a direct correlation between creating opportunity and seeing a dramatic decline in those type of gatherings.
Now, look, we arrest people, we cite them, we use dispersal order to break up large gatherings if we believe that there is an imminent threat.
And I know how disruptive these gatherings have been.
I do.
You know, I live in the neighborhoods, right?
I go to church in the neighborhoods, right?
So I hear about this when they do happen, and I'm talking to mayors around the country and even mayors around the globe that have had similar circumstances.
There's not one size that's going to fit for everyone.
It just doesn't work that way.
And so as much as we're working hard to hold people accountable, placing the sole responsibility on the behavior of children on government, that's not a comprehensive approach.
That's why we are giving parents options.
Get a YMCA card.
Come out to the parks for recreation.
Get a summer job.
These are all the ways in which we're providing opportunity and holding people accountable.
So, again, I don't want you to think that I'm dismissing the cauldron
in whatever it is that you're hearing or experiencing.
I'm saying, though, look at what we have done.
And that work will continue, and I'm calling on all parents, adults, business leaders,
for all of us to come together to show up for our young people, because I certainly am.
Okay.
All right.
Well, at today's press conference, the Canaryville people said that something's got to give,
and if something doesn't happen, they'll make it give in the streets and at the...
Well, I hope we don't resort to anything like that.
Your second question?
So anyway, so while you're pressing for the electorate to have a voice by referendum on taxing the rich,
they want to know when they're going to enjoy the same opportunity to voice their preference on sanctuary choice and reform.
Look, there's a long history of our city being a sanctuary city.
And when Mayor Washington put it in place,
We did not want to give the responsibility to local police department of what federal agents have the responsibility to enact.
There's a clear distinction between local law enforcement and federal agents.
Our local police department should not dub as federal agents.
They shouldn't.
There's enough police power that exists at every level of government for everyone to be satisfied.
There's more than enough, in fact.
And in fact, it's also proven that if the local community, if they don't feel safe interacting with local law enforcement, it impacts our overall safety.
In fact, during Midway Blitz, one of the reasons why we're calling for full reimbursement from the cost is because where ICE was most present is where we saw a greater increase in violence.
Look, you all, you can ask me these questions in hyperbole, or you can actually look at the data, draw conclusions from that data, and then come with some questions around those conclusions based upon the data.
Like this idea to cover my administration or news through hyperbole and emotion, that's a disservice for working people.
I'm the first to raise my hand to be held accountable.
I thrive off of it.
I'm a middle child.
I mean, we look forward to that level of accountability, right?
And hold me accountable to the substance, not the salacious.
Because it doesn't serve the purpose of democracy.
Cover it, certainly, but cover it based upon conclusions and data that exist.
And I believe that when we do that, we all do better.
All right, thank you all very much.
You've been there.