Update this week. Good morning and thank you all again for being here. Today I'm going to provide you with an update on our progress to build the safest, most affordable big city in America, starting with community safety.
Chicago saw the least violent Memorial Day weekend in 16 years.
Compared to last year, we saw a 22% decline in violent crime,
a 71% decline in homicides, and 43% decline in shooting incidents.
Again, I want to thank our men and women who serve in our Chicago Police Department.
Profound appreciation for their leadership.
All of our first responders.
Of course, also our violence intervention workers play an incredible role in building safer communities.
And, of course, all of our community-based organizations who worked hard that particular weekend to keep Chicagoans and our visitors safe.
When we look at the month of May, as a whole, we had a 23 percent decrease in violent crime,
a 38% decline in homicides, 43% decline in shootings, and 31% decline in robberies.
These are all comparative numbers to last year.
Our year-to-date numbers are consistent, and they remain consistent, as you can see from the slide.
Now, these numbers are encouraging, but we are continuing to evaluate and refine our strategies throughout the summer to continue to drive crime and violence down as a whole.
This is just the beginning of our work to reduce violence.
We do have a long way to go to get to where we want to be as a city.
As I've indicated, my goal is to build the safest, most affordable big city in America.
Unfortunately, we did, however, see a mass shooting incident this weekend in Auburn, Gresham.
We are working with the community, and that includes, of course, Father Michael Flager,
which I do thank him for his years of service and commitment to not just this particular community,
but the city as a whole.
and we're going to continue to work with all local leaders to continue to build a collaborative response to this tragic incident.
But in response to this shooting, we are standing up the Emergency Assistance Center.
This will be at 1210 West 78th Place.
That's going to be tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m.
The purpose of the Emergency Assistance Center is to provide support for victims.
Of that incident, witnesses and community members who are obviously in a tremendous amount of pain right now.
We are grateful for the partnership of CPD and St. Sabina in this effort,
and the work to relieve trauma and prevent further incidents of violence is our ultimate goal.
we're also relaunching
just as a way to continue to demonstrate our commitment
to transforming our communities
our Take Back the Block series
where we will bring the full weight of city government
directly to the areas most impacted by crime and violence
our approach from the beginning has always been to build
a safer city block by block
and the Take Back the Block initiative continues
this effort
And that is what we mean by essentially the full force of government, where we bring parks, libraries, fire, aviation, from CPD working to solve crimes, to DSS keeping our streets clean, to DFSS engaging our young people.
It really takes every single part of our government and community to build a safer city.
Our infrastructure departments, we make repairs, we clean and show up in our neighborhoods with a clean and green operation.
We collaborate across departments to solve problems wherever they occur.
And this is really the embodiment of city government being directed towards the people.
But it's not just city government.
Take Back the Block is an invitation to community organizations, block groups, associations, and clubs to work with us to take back their communities.
It's going to take all of us to ensure that our communities are absolutely safe.
Our first Take Back the Block is actually going to be this Friday.
And we expect six activations in total throughout this summer.
We will deploy these efforts strategically to the areas where we are seeing spikes in crime and violence.
So thank you for that.
Now, just briefly, I'll close with just some other initiatives,
but I want to take a moment to talk about the economic initiatives that we put forth in May.
Again, the goal is to ensure that Chicago becomes the safest, most affordable big city in America.
And so we've touched on safety already, but the crux of building a more affordable city
and bringing down the cost of housing, that is really the effort.
And the main driver of the cost of working people is just it's becoming increasingly more difficult to afford homes.
And so to that end, we've made some significant progress.
So we passed a green social housing policy, very excited about that,
giving the city a sustainable financial tool to build housing that meets green standards.
We celebrated the topping off of the Thrive Exchange, which is a mixed-use, mixed-income housing development in South Shore.
We reclaimed vacant space and broke ground on the 99-unit mixed-income Cabrini Green project on the near north side.
We also broke ground on the Ave, affordable housing and commercial development project in Humboldt Park.
In Austin, that's the neighborhood, of course, that my wife and I were raising our kids in.
We cut the ribbon on a transformative streetscape improvement project on Chicago's Avenue known as the Soul City West.
Humble Park Passive Living is another mixed income, mixed use housing development in Humble Park.
And in South Chicago, we just broke ground on the Sacred Apartments Affordable Housing Project.
Very excited about that, particularly for that community, which is in proximity to the PsyQuantum campus.
So there's an entire apparatus that's being established in a region of the city that has been neglected for decades.
So when we take a look at May overall, we became the largest city in the United States to create a social housing fund.
We broke ground on 335 units of housing and over 6,000 square feet of commercial and retail space representing more than $267 million of investment to our people and our neighborhoods.
This is the growth that speaks to equity across the city from the north to the south and, of course, to the west sides of Chicago.
And so as we are now in the month of June, we are celebrating Pride Month,
so happy Pride to the entire city of Chicago.
And I want to reiterate our commitment to creating safe, thriving, inclusive communities for all of Chicagoans,
no matter who you love or how you wish to identify.
We are interviewing.
We will begin our interviewing process for the city's first director of LGBTQ plus affairs.
This position will ensure that the city is connected with and serving the LGBTQ plus community.
Per the executive order that I signed last year, the Transfemicide Working Group is convening as well.
Community meetings over the next couple of months.
And, of course, we are continuing to celebrate pride in a safe way all month long.
June is also National Immigrant Heritage Month,
and we will continue to express our deep appreciation for our immigrant communities,
for their contributions that they make to our great and global city through the You Belong campaign.
We joined 30 cities, including New York, Boston, New Orleans, among others,
to ensure that Chicago remains a welcoming city for people from all over the world.
With that, I'm happy, of course, to answer any of your questions.
Okay, so we'll do one.
And we are joined by Deputy Mayors Beatrice Ponce de Leon, Gary and Gatewood,
and then our Chief Operations Officer, John Robinson, and Chief of Staff, Christina Passione's eyes.
All right, we're going to do one question, one follow-up.
Heather, we'll start here, and we'll snake around.
Hi, Mayor. How are you?
I'm doing wonderful. Thank you.
I want to ask you about the failure of the transit bill this weekend in Springfield.
Are you concerned that this could lead to widespread shutdowns of the CTA's bus and rail lines?
And are you concerned about what this will mean to Chicagoans who rely on the CTA to get to work and school?
Well, as you know, this has been, you know, an effort that has been going on for some time.
And our position in Chicago, the position that I've stated is very clear, with ridership continuing to go up.
300 million riders just last year alone between our buses and trains.
To your question, there is absolute need for
reliable, affordable, expansive services
through our public transportation system here. The red line expansion is
something that we've been working to secure for decades now.
We have that extending well out to 130th.
So, you know, look, I know that this is a complex issue.
I have expressed with a tremendous amount of urgency that we have to continue to make sure that all of our stakeholders are at the table.
This is obviously a statewide effort and initiative to make sure that public transportation works for the entire state.
Our region, of course, comprises of 87 percent of the overall economic infusion for the state.
So what happens in this next phase, and I'm encouraged by some of the work that has gone forward, but what happens in this next phase, we have to ensure that the resources are there to give more confidence that as we continue to build a safe, affordable city, that the public way can be moved with expediency with a properly funded transportation system.
So, again, I know it got through the Senate.
There's been some hangups in some particular areas.
But, you know, I'm going to always remain hopeful and confident that we can get a deal done that works for the people of Chicago.
Do you favor that deal, including a surcharge on Uber rides or deliveries?
That seemed to be sort of where things fell apart this weekend.
Look, I think the conversation around revenue and how we pay for it is something that has to be a broader conversation outside of the one that's being discussed.
You know, the real big issue that we have in this country, and it's happening right here in the state of Illinois as well, is that you all know my position.
The ultra-rich continue to get away with not having to put more skin in the game.
So we do have to have substantive conversations around revenue streams that challenges the rich in this state to to to step up in a way that does not continue to place the burden on working people.
Good morning, Mayor. Good morning. Yeah. What urgency would you like to send to CTA riders and lawmakers alike about the transit cliff?
Like, do you want to reassure people the sky isn't falling just yet or turn up the heat and say, you know, people need to take this more seriously?
Look, first of all, let me just say that there are a number of legislators that we've been in conversations with for several months.
I do know that they take this seriously.
What has happened is that you just have had a longstanding system that took too long, quite frankly, to put a more sustainable funding source in place to secure all of our public accommodations.
This is not something that's exclusive to CTA.
This is a conversation we can have about our Chicago public schools, about our public health.
It's all of the public accommodations that, quite frankly,
has been coming increasingly more relied upon across the board.
And these services are critical.
So obviously, urgency is still the position that I have.
And this budget was austere. There are budgetary challenges all over the country, and we're faced with that because we do have a great deal of uncertainty and, quite frankly, animosity that's coming from the federal government.
Those are all complicated matters that have made this effort a bit more challenging.
And, yes, we have to get this right, and we have to do it with some expediency.
And the mantra that dominated a certain faction of Springfield on this was no funding without reform,
which in turn became a referendum of sorts on Dorval Carter and some of your transit appointments.
What do you think about the argument that frustration over some of these decisions
might have hampered the CTA's argument that it should get more funding?
Yeah, it's a poor analysis.
Good morning, Mayor.
Good morning.
Getting back to funding for the priorities that you like to see coming from the federal government,
We had a big influx at the end of the Obama administration into Chicago that kick-started the red line expansion
and the improvements that we're seeing up north.
When it comes to what we're seeing now, do you think that the federal government is targeting specifically blue areas of the country,
or do you see what's happening in Kentucky and Tennessee with FEMA as a widespread,
the government's not going to be here for you like we have been in the past?
Thank you for that question.
It's impacting all of our cities, blue or red, purple.
It is clear that the president, his behavior is inimical to the interest of working people.
And, you know, I've...
hosted the U.S. Conference of Mayors just a month or so ago, along with police chiefs and superintendents.
They're feeling the impact of the Trump's administration's tactics.
And, you know, whether it's cutting off food or, you know, taking away access to medicine.
You mentioned FEMA.
I mean, Trump's administration is mad at the weather.
I mean, I do believe, though, that there is a rising resistance to the failures of this administration.
But what I can say emphatically is that as a city, we're going to continue to stand up and fight for working people.
And that's why we're making the investments that I've spoken of to housing, to more green, sustainable housing, to investing in a workforce.
And, you know, I know that there has been some reporting this morning around the Chicago Fire and Mr. Mansueto and his belief in my administration and this city.
So we're doing it in spite of, but I actually believe that more and more people are going to begin to experience the failures of this administration at the federal level,
but it's going to take a collective response of working people across this country to stand up to this tyrannical administration.
Given the structural deficit that the city has with pensions and whatnot, when you look at your priorities,
How do you make those sustainable for a budget going forward when you're making that much investment
and trying to keep revenue high but not taxing people out of the city?
Yeah, I mean, look, it's a fair question.
That's why we put together this working group.
The working group is, you know, they're already rolling up their sleeves.
They're digging into this process.
There are a number of ideas that are being floated around progressive revenue.
There are other ways in which we're finding ways to make sure that government is more productive
so that we can have cost savings.
So, look, I'm always going to remain optimistic because I just think that there's a lot to be optimistic about.
As crime continues to go down in the city of Chicago and investments continue to go up,
that I know that the people of Chicago want us to be able to maintain and grow our city.
So that's going to be a collective response from everyone,
and I feel pretty confident about this overall process that we'll be able to work together
and come up with something reasonable where we deal with the legacy debt
while also making the investments to build the safest, most affordable big city in America.
Mayor Johnson.
How many people did you talk to this week?
I talked to a lot of people.
Millions, though, right?
Well, hundreds of thousands, if not.
So it went down this week.
Questions, comments, likes and shares every time.
Guaranteed.
It's a goldmine.
Here's the question that they want to know the answer to.
Thousands of people.
The Department of Justice investigation into your racist hiring practices can very likely result in millions of dollars in damages
and that you and your administration will be personally liable for.
Yet your legal response to the Department of Justice is to attack them.
It's unhinged.
Legal experts that I have talked to say that it's unhinged.
Okay.
We're going to get to the question now.
People and regular Chicagoans.
Otherwise we're going to keep moving, sir.
Regular Chicagoans are saying to me that they're concerned about you.
All right.
We need the question now.
We need the question right now.
There are widespread rumors of your panic attacks.
All right.
We're going to keep moving.
And they're concerned.
Here, Charlie.
They're concerned about your mental health.
Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor.
the people of chicago want to know are you okay i i i i asked that same question about you last
week if you're okay because it it it's it's not clear to me that you are and i mean this with
all sincerity um i want you to get the help that you need i do seek it seek it let's move on to
the next we'll go to charlie i have a follow-up question about the people of chicago we're going
to keep moving thank you now seven children seven children were shot yeah he addressed that he
addressed that sir yep yet you and stacy your wife have over a hundred and fifty sworn police
officers protecting you why is your life and stacy's life more important than the children
of chicago mr mayor
I want you to get the help that you need, sir.
Good morning, Mayor.
Good morning.
You mentioned Mr. Mansueto and his plans for a brand-new Chicago Fire Stadium on track number 78.
Give me your thoughts about that project and the impact that could have on the Bears project, the Sox project, going forward.
Well, let me just say, first of all, my administration has engaged with the Chicago Fire,
And, you know, Mr. Mansueto is the type of leadership that I've expressed that we need,
particularly from the business community.
It's willing to put real skin in the game.
And I've made it very clear that any type of development in the city of Chicago has to have a public benefit and public use.
And, you know, we need more projects, you know, like this.
You know, we're going to continue to engage with the Chicago Fire.
But, again, as more and more people continue to come to the city of Chicago,
we saw just, again, $20 billion of infusion into our economy around tourism.
Our population growth is up as crime goes down,
and as we continue to make investments to create an affordable city as well.
You know, this is more evidence that the city of Chicago is poised for big projects like this now
in terms of how other sports teams in Chicago find motivation through this effort.
I will say this.
I know that the Bears really want to figure out how to remain in Chicago.
I believe that.
And what's required, though, is that everybody has to participate.
So I know that for some of these sports teams, they have specific asks of Springfield.
They have to continue to make that case.
But there's clearly an appetite for major development and growth and expansion for our sports teams.
And as we continue to demonstrate that we are the global epicenter of the world,
it's only fitting, frankly, for an international sport like soccer
or as is described in other parts of the world, football,
has a stronger footprint in the city of Chicago and continue to grow our capital globally.
Now he says this will be a privately funded stadium. Have you had any discussions with him or his team about what role the city might play with regard to infrastructure and developing that track as an entertainment district?
Well, it's too early, quite frankly, at this point to get into any of those specifics.
But what I will say is our chief operations officer is here, John Robertson,
and one of the things that has been a solid, I guess, selling point for Chicago is that we're moving business a lot faster.
With our Cut the Tape initiative, we're already seeing the returns of those investments in places like the southeast side of Chicago
with CyQuantum where we're moving things faster.
that in and of itself is worthwhile because it saves, you know, time is money, right?
So the Chicago Fire has expressed a great deal of interest, much like the 1901 project,
to make these investments because they have absolute faith and confidence in my administration
to be able to move the bureaucracy out of the way so that we can actually get cranes in the sky
and move on these big developments.
One quick follow-up.
Could you see two stadiums there, one for the fire, one for the lights on the fire?
I mean, I think that's a little too early to speculate in that regard.
What I will say is, though, there's a lot of room for stadiums all over the city of Chicago,
and there's a lot of room within my administration to do everything in our power
to ensure that there is a public benefit and public use for those stadiums.
You talked a little bit about the asks for Springfield.
Your administration had been asking Springfield for some assistance.
Did you get what you wanted during the spring session in terms of funding, in terms of policy,
or is that something you'll be lobbying for throughout the summer?
First of all, I will say this.
I mean, this was a very difficult budget for Springfield.
I mean, you all saw the way that played out.
I believe that the final product was delivered about six hours out before the actual deadline.
My administration has been in constant communication with leaders in Springfield.
One of the things that we are very pleased with, though, is that the One System Initiative,
there's some commitment there to continue to fund that effort.
As you know, this is a big priority of mine to deal with the unhoused
and the individuals who are, you know, a bad situation away from losing housing.
So that's a good thing, right?
I believe there's some other technical things that we're still going to, you know, work out,
But one of the things that we were happy with, there was an increase.
I think we've doubled the amount of resources for after school matters and some of the other.
categoricals where we're able to provide some additional support for our public school students.
And yes, to the beginning part of your question, there are still efforts that we have to continue to do
over the summer, into the fall, and quite frankly into the next session
to ensure that the city of Chicago receives the necessary investments
to continue to build a safe, affordable city.
But you didn't receive any additional aid or any funding in this particular budget.
So how is that going to play out in terms of how you craft your next budget with this working group?
Given that you don't have additional funding, is that going to mean that the city is going to need to look at cuts,
furloughs, layoffs, or any other operational changes given this working group is looking at that right now?
Well, as you know, the working group is looking at everything anyways, right?
You know, our budget is not solely contingent upon what happens at the federal level or in Springfield.
But what I can say is, I mean, clearly this was a difficult budget for the General Assembly, an austere budget.
They did the best that they could to try to maintain services that the entire state relies on.
And, you know, the challenge that we have is that the hostility is coming from the federal government.
And so we're all going to be impacted by that, as one of your colleagues asked.
This is not necessarily exclusive to the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois.
These are budgets, budgetary challenges all over the country.
I spoke with Mayor Johnston of Denver, challenges.
Mayor Bass, Los Angeles, challenges, right, significant ones.
The working group is going to help provide some guidance and make some recommendations,
but it's ultimately going to come down to our commitment to working people
and building the safest, most affordable big city in America.
But we're going to look at many different revenue options that we have some control over locally.
In fact, if you look at some of the trends for our revenue growth, the areas of revenue that the city of Chicago controls, those are the revenues that are showing the strongest promise.
It's the local taxes because we have direct oversight over, again, I don't rest my budget on the federal or the state level.
We have to do what is necessary to ensure that we're protecting working people, and this working group is comprised of individuals from all sectors,
and we're going to continue to collaborate with everyone to ensure a budget reflects the values that we have.
Thank you.
The two transit bills, they both would weaken or water down your, I guess, control or direct influence of the CTA,
especially appointing leadership.
You know, the new NITA board would have to have oversight of that.
You held off on making your appointment, I believe Mr. Roberson, until after Springfield had settled this.
That's been delayed until later in the year.
Do you plan to make an appointment in the interim?
I have not made a decision on who our appointment is going to be.
So anything outside of what I've actually said would just obviously just fear speculation.
But the bills would...
Oh, was there a question related to that?
I thought you were just kind of commenting.
I mean, do you plan to make the appointment, whoever it is, before Springfield actually settles it?
Again, I have not made a decision yet.
I mean, I think what's most important here is that we have to make sure that it's affordable, it's consistent, reliable, it's safe.
That's the focus for our transportation system.
People clearly are believing more in our transportation system.
An 11 percent increase in ridership. That's only going to increase as we continue to activate more opportunities around the city,
as more and more people come to Chicago, as more and more people move into the city of Chicago.
And with good reason, they're moving into our city.
And I'm going to encourage people from all over the country to continue to look at the city of Chicago to raise a family.
You know, as far as the timing is concerned or the power of the structure, there has to be a shared sacrifice and accountability for our public transit system.
That's what the focus has been, and that's what the focus will remain.
Thank you.
And then on the revenue side, you know, that's kind of how this fell apart is there was disagreements over the revenue.
Do you think now in the coming months, do you need to take a greater role in that and kind of advocating for specific revenue?
I don't think it's a good question.
I don't think anybody will speculate over my belief of where the revenue should come from, right?
And I know that there are some hardworking members of the General Assembly, Representative Delgado, Senator Villavillam.
I mean, these are some people who have been active and on the front line of this issue, and I appreciate their leadership.
It's going to take all of us to come together to come up with a revenue package that protects a public accommodation.
Quite frankly, it's not just a conversation about workers, right?
It's also about civil rights, particularly in areas of this state where access to public transit is not as available.
That's why the Red Line extension is so paramount.
but there's other systems of public transportation that have to reach more areas,
particularly as more and more development and business come to Chicago.
Yesterday we made an agreement with some suburban communities for them to be able to access water from Lake Michigan.
There's going to continue to become a stronger reliance upon the city of Chicago for the overall success of the region.
People know that, and that's why we're working hard to ensure that there's a collective, collaborative approach
so that not only will we, you know, ask people to share in the sacrifice in terms of how we fund these systems,
but that we also demonstrate a commitment to the rest of the region that the city of Chicago is open for business, not for sale,
but we see ourselves as a global partner, not just here locally, but, again, around the world.
Hi, Mayor.
Hi.
I'm going to keep my questions short, so maybe I can get a question one, part A and B, and then I'll follow up.
Wow.
Where do you stand on Chicago enacting its own grocery tax when it goes away from the state?
Well, the city of Chicago will not enact its own grocery tax.
The grocery tax already exists.
there is a process in which the collection of the grocery tax is now being placed in the responsibility of municipalities.
So it was a function that the state of Illinois decided to relinquish and leave it to the cities to collect the tax.
So we're not creating a grocery tax.
We're just creating a process by which we can collect it.
There's like 202 municipalities that are already doing it.
And on the budget, where do you stand on some of the ideas that were proposed but kind of failed to fund mass transit being, you know, the surcharge on tolls coming in, the delivery tax, the ride share tax?
Are you in support of all those?
Here's what I'm most supportive of, I'll say, is that I know that there are more people in the state of Illinois that can do more to contribute to the overall economic growth of our state.
And these are, you know, individuals that have done exceptionally well.
And I know there's been some conversations about a millionaire's tax and other forms of progressive taxation that challenges the ultra-rich to pay their fair share.
As far as some of these other ideas that don't get at what I want us to get at, which is to challenge the ultra-wealthy in this state to pay more,
However, I have not taken a firm position, and I just think that it's important that we come up with solutions that are sustainable
and that they don't overwhelm the pocketbooks of working people.
So my follow-up question is actually about the ICE raids.
You may have heard yesterday, ICE agents working with the FBI over in Pilsen made two arrests.
Can you tell us what you know about that and give us your reaction to ICE coming in and doing this,
that things have kind of been quiet for a while.
Yeah.
You know, I will say that these incidents that are happening around the country,
they're disturbing because, you know, I still believe in due process.
And, you know, the 5th and 14th Amendments have laid out a due process
that I believe that it's important that we hold to, you know, the constitutionality of our nation's laws.
You know, our local police department has worked hard to build, rebuild trust within communities across the city.
And that's important to me, and that's why we don't engage our local law enforcement as federal ICE agents.
But I will say it is troubling that it's being reported that these interactions or encounters or raids are not holding to the rule of law.
I'm not even sure if there were warrants that were issued.
That's not the type of nation that we worked hard to secure, you know,
through significant resistance to push back against tyranny.
You know, so I don't know, Beatrice, if you wanted to add anything else.
Well, I would just add that what we have heard from community partners
is what we discussed last time.
This is bringing instability, bringing fear, uncertainty into communities,
and people are starting to react and to perhaps go back into the shadows
and not be able to go freely to work or send their children to school.
We've seen a little bit of a dip in some of the business corridors
in our immigrant communities where folks are just not going out
and doing their regular business.
And just to echo what the mayor said, due process is a right that we all have,
and we should hopefully be able to maintain that in this country.
We know that the impact will be on families, the trauma that it brings.
It will be on destabilizing their ability to support themselves,
and that can have a ripple effect in our communities.
So we will be keeping an eye on how communities are being impacted and connecting with community resources so that families where there has been a detention are able to find their loved ones, where they're able to get the legal support that they need to see that case through.
And I wanted to share again the new website that was a joint effort.
It's IllinoisImmigrationInfo.org, where people can find very useful information to help them in this situation.
And good morning, Mayor.
Good morning.
How should – you're here all month, right?
Almost all month.
All month, so we've got a couple more.
Yeah, a couple more weeks.
Okay.
So hang in there.
Then you'll be down to only one, Craig, and that will make things a lot simpler.
There's too many questions for this one.
I get your questions.
Yeah.
First, how should the public view the credit downgrades that are obviously sparking comments,
even as we speak down in the council chamber?
And how confident are you that this isn't a trend that the ratings agencies will be seeing?
Well, look, our economy as a whole here in Chicago, as diverse as it is,
is threatened by the federal government's economic plan.
The level of uncertainty that is coming from the White House has caused some level of pause for some people or entities or corporations that want to invest.
Now, this is obviously not detracting or steering Joe Mansueto away or the Reinsdorfs and the Wurz with the 1901 project on the west side, Psi Quantum.
I can go on and on. I mean, there's development that's still happening, but one of the challenges that we have is that even at the federal level, you know, the speculation and the uncertainty has caused credit ratings to hit our federal standing as well.
So this is not something that is exclusive to Chicago.
As far as how we build and what we do in this upcoming budget could have some impact on assuring the credit ratings
that the growth that we are experiencing in Chicago is not a coincidence and it's not happenstance and it's not temporary.
Right. Population growth, ridership, visitors, occupancy at our hotels.
Right. So all the the the tenants are in place in order for our economy to really expand and explode in a way that benefits so many people.
You know, you know, in terms of my confidence level, I mean, I think just like everything else, I I live in optimism.
I mean, and there are things to be encouraged by. Right.
I, you know, the strategic work that corporations and business leaders wanted me to do around public safety, I did it.
You know, between my deputy mayor, the superintendent.
Superintendent, the leadership team of of the Chicago Police Department, four or five conversations a week in person, not to mention the multiple phone calls that we're in, you know, bringing people in the room so that they understand the strategic nature around my vision of how we show up block by block.
because remember, for the business community, that was their biggest concern.
And as we continue to drive violence down in the city of Chicago,
as I give direction of how we need to show up in our communities,
the strategy plans around robberies and bringing shootings down
and making sure the deployment of our law enforcement and CVI,
community-based organizations, are working in tandem.
I mean, rolling up my sleeves every single day, looking at the data,
looking at the blocks, looking at the numbers, analyzing the numbers.
I'm lifting that up because that's the assurance that I said that I would provide to the people of Chicago
and especially our corporations to give them confidence that you can invest in Chicago.
And we're seeing that, right?
And so I think as the credit ratings begin to pay closer attention to the strategic work that I've engaged in since I've been in office,
Because I'm hopeful that that work will be recognized, and then we'll be able to issue more investments with a stronger credit trajectory.
And my other question may involve Tiffany Mayor Gatewood.
He's been quiet today.
It's been some long nights, though, for the deputy mayor.
Tell me about it.
But what happened in Boulder, Colorado, obviously, is where everybody's looking now.
but what kind of changes in thinking might have to occur here
when this kind of thing happens and people see it
and some other people may get some ideas?
Does that force a rethinking of how we're keeping people safe
when they're out in public and in public demonstrations?
Well, let me just first of all start off by saying, you know,
Here in Chicago, and I'm going to say it again, and I'm going to say it over and over again,
and we're going to do everything in our power to make sure that our actions are louder than our words.
The acts of terror against the Jewish community have been downright brutal, egregious.
and the outgrowth of anti-Semitism in this country
is one that we have to affirmatively speak against.
And as much as I think it's important that we offer up prayers
and our thoughts to the Jewish community,
the city of Chicago will always be a city where we rebuke
and reject anti-Semitism and all acts of hate.
And, you know, as we show up for the Jewish community
and as we show up for the community at large,
there is a strategy where we are making sure that places where the Jewish community reside primarily
that they have the support that they need from our law enforcement.
But they need us to show up as well as residents of the city.
And I'm calling on the entire city of Chicago to physically put our arms around the Jewish community, to show up in their communities and offer up support and to rebuke all acts of anti-Semitism.
As far as additional work, I mean, we're constantly reevaluating our efforts to keep people safe.
If we're constantly doing that, you know, my deputy mayor will tell you there are times when he calls me and, you know,
I'm not quite sure if he's going to call me to offer up, you know, more strategy or bad news.
He'll tell you when the phone rings, I just look for a second like, oh, Lord, what happened?
And I'm just I'm being honest with you.
There's a there's a degree of of angst that an anxiety that takes place because keeping people safe is my top priority.
And that's why I'm rolling up my sleeves every single day to ensure that we're driving violence down in the city of Chicago.
I wake up thinking about it. Throughout the day, I'm thinking about it. Before I go to bed, I'm thinking about it. What else can we do?
And so that's why we're working hard to ensure that we have the strategic placement of law enforcement around the city.
But that we're also using our other assets. When we put forth these take back the block initiatives,
it's to give confidence to the people of Chicago that the full force of government has to show up.
Because I've said this from the very beginning, and everybody knows this, that we have asked police officers to do too much.
It's just, that's not sustainable.
Think about it.
We have 4,000 less police officers right now than we had a decade ago.
And crime was higher.
So these are strategic initiatives that we're putting in place to maximize the law enforcement,
but it's because we're doing more than just policing.
And that's why, again, whether it's condemning acts of anti-Semitism
and or pushing back against policies that have been anti-black and anti-immigrant
that have caused consternation and division within our communities,
I'm showing up with everything that I have to break down these barriers.
This city called for peace in the releasing of hostages.
This city is investing to protect immigrants.
This city is calling for a strategic effort around reparations.
We are doing so much in this city to break down the dividing lines and the barriers that have plagued us for generations.
And that takes a full force approach with everything to defend the rights and the honor of everyday working people, whether you're black, brown, white, Asian, young, old, an immigrant, a descendant of slaves.
Whomever you are, you deserve to live in the safest, most affordable big city in America.
And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that that happens.
Thank you for that.
Mayor, good morning.
Good morning.
I'm wondering, putting to the side sort of the faith that you were talking about
that Mr. Bansuedo must have in the city of Chicago in your leadership
to put his marker down in the way that he did today,
putting that to the side just for a moment,
how, if at all, does today's news change the landscape of the Bears and Sox discussions?
Did you text him?
I mean, so this would just, just off the record,
No, I'm teasing. This is why we asked. I know. I know. So I'm just going to give my straight opinion here.
There's no reason to leave Chicago if you're a sports team. There isn't.
There's just too much soul in this city to leave it now.
You know, but I can lift only so much. Right.
I mean, if it were up to me, we would have figured out a deal so that we wouldn't even be talking about any team considering somewhere else.
What Mr. Mansueto is demonstrating is something that I've asked not just Joe Mansueto to do,
but millionaires and billionaires around the state of Illinois and around the country.
The confidence that people have placed in public accommodations is at an all-time high.
There are more people relying upon public health, public education, public transportation, good public sector jobs, environmental justice.
This is why the attacks that are coming from Trump are so intentional, because it's a proven commodity, if you will, that when government and private partnerships exist, it creates opportunities for everyone.
And so there are some things that, you know, John Robertson is going to have to do to make sure that, you know, much like we had a point person for the PsyQuantum project, that we're going to have to do that to make sure that we streamline a process to continue to grow the confidence in corporations.
But, you know, if you're asking my personal opinion around the impact that this could have on all the sports teams, I'm going to remain hopeful and optimistic that what the Chicago Fire is doing and even what the Bears attempted to do.
Because let's keep in mind, I believe they put put up two point two billion dollars.
Right. I mean, it's not like they showed up empty handed. Right.
The question is, how much can you do to maximize the benefit of a public-private partnership?
Perhaps this is a model that other sports teams can look to as means to benefit from what clearly is going to be the greatest comeback story,
and I believe in our nation's history.
As our population continues to grow, as immigrants from around the world find refuge here in the city of Chicago,
clearly there are direct investments that we're making into the black community,
so much so that it has caused a level of animus against my administration,
the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago.
So I just think simply put,
There are so many good reasons to build off of what's being proposed at the 1901 project
and what is being proposed at the 78 to ensure that all of our sports teams can benefit from the growth of our city.
Bottom line is the messaging or the intended messaging that you hope that they get,
the McCaskies and the Rhinestors get today is more skin in the game, please.
Well, let me just say, first of all, the 1901 project is more skin in the game, right?
I just want to make sure that what Joe Mansueto was doing, the 1901 project came out six months or so ago.
That's a $7 billion investment.
That's skin in the game.
Is there room to do more?
I believe so.
Are there ways in which government can actually help support these efforts through infrastructure and other investments that we're ultimately going to benefit from?
I do believe that.
So this is why our cut the tape initiative was so critical. There are public investments that help create these type of developments. Right. It's not like someone just shows up with a billion dollars and they can just plop on some land. Right.
There are things that we have to do. John, if you want to go into some of those things, by all means. But the signal is, yes, and. There's more for all of us to do. For the sake of working people in this country, in this city, there's more for all of us to do. But John, you want to give some context around some of that other stuff that government does to help speed these processes up?
You know, I think the thing that I would amplify is that people don't make billion-dollar bets in cities that are dying.
We're talking over $20 billion of investment.
And it's being enabled because we as an administration have listened to what the development community,
the construction community, have said is needed in order to enable and to facilitate development and the creation of jobs.
And so whether it is psi-quantum, whether it's a 60-unit affordable housing development that's going on in the west side,
it is for us as government to figure out the most effective and the most efficient way to enable economic development for the purpose of creating jobs, jobs for Chicagoans.
And so when the mayor gave me the directive and our staff the directive to come up with a better, faster way to move development along,
we got the bureaucrats in the room and we sat down and we, look, we worked through it.
And we're still working through it.
It is not, we have not reached a finish line.
There's still work to do.
But I am exceptionally proud of the work that all the departments have done across collaborative approach
that has resulted in people looking at the city of Chicago and saying,
I'm willing to make a bet on that city.
I'm willing to do what is necessary to create jobs.
And that public-private partnership that the mayor is talking about,
I think, is evident in what we are seeing today as a result of the Chicago fire opportunity.
If I can, just a quick follow-up on that.
Is it critical at this moment in time that the city showcased that we can get TIF dollars cleared
to do the infrastructure work around the fire project?
I think it's too early to discuss, you know, any specific dollars in particular.
But the point being is that the city of Chicago, we are open for business.
We're just no longer for sale.
So here's to one less Craig in two weeks.
Hear, hear.
All right.
Thank you.