Chicago Politics

Press Availability 8.4.26

Chapters

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson hosts press availability.

Transcript

2:22 Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being patient, and most of all, thank you for being here today. I want to start by acknowledging our budget director, Annette Guzman,'s decision to step away from her role with the Office of Budget and Management to focus on caring for her family during an incredible difficult time. First and foremost, we are keeping Annette, her mother, and her entire family in our thoughts and our prayers. Family comes first, and as an administration, we stand with Annette and support her during this difficult moment.

2:59 I also want to take a moment to express my deep gratitude to Annette for her years of public service and for the role that she played in helping us carry out my vision that the people of Chicago elected me to deliver. Annette has been a committed partner in our administration's work, And she has certainly helped us navigate some of the most significant fiscal challenges that our city has faced. And she has helped strengthen the foundation that we are building for the future of our beloved city.

3:29 We are grateful for her leadership, her dedication, and her service to the city. But I also want Chicagoans to hear this absolutely clearly, that my values have not changed and our commitment has not changed. As the mayor of this great city, my vision that guides this administration remains the same. The people of Chicago elected me to build a safer, more affordable city, one where working people have opportunity, where families can thrive, and where every single neighborhood has a chance to succeed.

4:03 And that is the work that we have been doing, and that is the work that we will continue to do. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. Over the last several years, we have faced some of the most significant fiscal challenges that the City of Chicago has ever experienced. But we did not walk away from our responsibilities. In fact, we worked through those challenges, we made tough decisions, and we've continued to deliver for the residents of our city. And together, our team developed and implemented three balanced budgets,

4:33 totaling more than $16 billion annually, while closing more than $2 billion in budget gaps. We strengthened long-term financial planning. We expanded transparency. We have certainly improved accountability around nearly $4 billion in annual grant funding. We have managed with this moment responsibly. And we've managed these historic investments, including the American Rescue Plan, FEMA, DNC, CDBG, Disaster Recovery Resources.

5:11 We've published more than 80 public reports, dashboards, and financial tools to residents, policymakers, investors, and city departments. We did this to make sure that people could better understand how we are managing the taxpayer dollars. And that work helped position the city to achieve a record budget surplus in 2025, the largest non-pandemic budget surplus in more than a decade. And importantly, we did not lose sight of why we're doing this work in the first place, to deliver for the people of Chicago.

5:47 And since I became mayor, we have made historic investments in communities across our city, including more than $2 billion on the west side of Chicago and $2.6 billion on the south side. We have invested in affordable housing. We have expanded critical services. We have delivered record levels of support for our schools with more than $1 billion in investments. We have strengthened public safety efforts and continued building a city where every resident has the opportunity to thrive. We are seeing progress. Crime continues to trend downward.

6:18 Just last month, Chicago recorded its fewest homicides of any July in more than 50 years, the lowest total since at least 1970, and an 18% decrease from last July. Every life saved matters, and every family spared from tragedy certainly matters. And while one life loss is always one too many, The results show that what's possible when we invest in both safety and opportunity. Safety is about more than reducing violence.

6:52 It is about creating stable neighborhoods where families can put down roots and children can succeed. Just yesterday, I was in the 9th District talking with residents about the importance of addressing long-neglected distressed buildings that contribute to instability in neighborhoods. Removing blights strengthens communities, but building safer neighborhoods should never come at the expense and certainly should not displace people. That's why our approach has always been to invest in communities and help the people who call this place home feel comfortable.

7:25 Those same values guide our investments in education. Just last month, we recently announced another expansion of sustainable community schools, bringing the total to 51 schools. with 19 more coming next year, so even more students and families can access wraparound supports. And we're seeing the results. The schools that first joined the program are graduating more students than comparable schools that were not a part of the program, while suspensions have continued to decline.

7:56 And that's what's happening when we are focused on our young people and our families. And that's what happens when we invest in the whole child and the entire community. Our city is growing, tourism is booming, O'Hare is back to pre-pandemic levels and is the busiest airport in the world, and we're continuing to invest in airport modernization. Our hotels are booked and welcoming visitors from around the world. More than 400,000 people came to Chicago for Lollapalooza, supporting jobs, small businesses, and our local economy.

8:27 We are seeing a stronger downtown, a revitalized, magnificent mile, more affordable housing opportunities, and new efforts to transform vacant offices into housing. We've expanded mental health services, launched and grown our care response program, and created record opportunities for young people, with more than 32,000 participating in employment programs this year. And none of this happens because of one person. It happens because of our unwavering commitment to advancing this work, because our values, and I'm grateful to our public servants across this city

9:00 who believe in our shared mission and show up every day to support the people of Chicago. Finally, as we move forward, my commitment remains the same. I'm encouraged that more leaders are certainly recognizing the need for progressive revenue solutions that ask those with the greatest ability to contribute to their part in building the future that Chicagoans deserve. We will continue to invest in our neighborhoods. We will continue expanding opportunity. And we will continue building a safer, more affordable Chicago for all.

9:30 Thank you all, and with that, I'm happy to answer your questions. Good morning, everyone. Let's do two questions each and go down the line, please. Good morning, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Good morning. Of course, you're welcome. So your budget director is not the only one. Your HR director, Sandra Blakemore, she left in July. I don't think there was a public announcement of that. And your CFO, not to mention Snelling and Gatewood. What message does this send to Chicagoans who are looking for stability? They have stability. They have stability in me. Again, one person does not run the operation around here.

10:06 It's a collection, right? And even after, you know, others have transitioned out, it has not stopped us from building the safest, most affordable big city in America. The work speaks for itself, right? And as long as the mission, the vision that I have put forth is carried out and executed by the team that's around me, the city of Chicago will remain stable under my administration and leadership. Well, it is a collection. It isn't just one person. But where are you at the budget? What stage are you at?

10:36 Is there a draft at this point? Usually there is by August. Will you be ready in October? I will be ready in October, as I've always been. We've put forth three budgets that were balanced. If you look at the structural changes that we've made, quite frankly, they're leading the country. We implemented the Social Media Amusement Responsibility Tax, the first of its kind. We know the state followed our lead, and now they've implemented it. If you look at every single proposal that we have put forth as it relates to this budget, those revenue proposals in particular are outperforming even our initial projections.

11:09 Here's the good news, is that we don't have to worry about turning to the past, right? We do know that there are individuals that are still committed to cut, to privatize, to consolidate, to shut down. That has been the failure of past administrations. We are certainly moving in a far more progressive, working-class-based direction. And, again, transitions happen all the time in administrations, but what's most constant is my presence. And since I've been mayor, we are building the safest, most affordable big city in America. Good morning, Mayor.

11:40 Good morning. Last year's budget cycle, pretty friction-heavy. How does this pretty seismic change in your financial team change what you're looking at going into this budget season? How are you bracing for it differently than you did last year when you had continuity? We do have continuity. I'm the continuity, right? Again, it's not just one person in one particular position. I hire people, bring people in who can carry out my mission and vision. There will be others who can carry out that mission and vision.

12:11 As we continue to see record lows in homicides and shootings and shooting victims, again, that's not one person. Someone has to actually have the mission and the vision, right? Because remember, there have been other mayors before that have had budget directors. What did it look like? School closures, mental health clinics shutting down, we're not building affordable homes, tourism was down, our airport wasn't busy, violence was running amok. So you had people in this position and the positions that you all are referring to,

12:43 and what were the results of those particular administrations? They were failures. We can be honest about that. Where schools were closed is where we've seen the highest uptick in violence. So we know that's a failed policy. There was a budget director who executed that vision for that particular administration. Now, did it work out for the people of Chicago? Most certainly didn't. Now, here's what's working out for the people of Chicago. We're not closing schools, right? We released the largest TIF surplus into our schools than any other administration. We're hiring more young people.

13:14 Remember, those were all campaign promises. And so these individuals, and I'm grateful for them as public servants, they have carried out my mission and my vision. And we'll find the strong, credible people who will continue to carry that out. When you campaigned for this job, you talked about the value of relationships and relationship building. When you have these relationships fracturing, I mean, by virtue of people leaving their job, relationships have fractured. I mean, that's sort of a baseline understanding. The relationships that existed with counsel no longer are there with Ms. Guzman and a whole list of others that Marianne just enumerated.

13:50 Is there no net effect of that? Annette Guzman going to take care of her mother, it's not a fractured relationship. No, that's not what I'm saying. Hold on a second. That's what you said, though. Well, no, no. I didn't say her leaving. I'm saying the list that Marianne enumerated. Hold on just a second. This is what you said. You said building relationships are important and that if someone leaves, you're denoting that that's a fractured relationship. That's what you said. Well, what I did, can I be clear? Okay, so I just want to make sure that we're clear about what you said.

14:22 Clarity is my paramount here. I want to be very clear. So I'm going to respond to what you said. Annette Guzman decided to leave because she is caring for her mother, right? The reason why that's important is because I've shared my personal story about my father. People don't prepare you for aging parents. They don't. And to characterize someone making a personal decision and then coming to a conclusion that has no basis, I'd find that to be reckless and irresponsible.

14:53 Now, if you want to clarify what you said, go for it. I lost my parent in the last year, too, so I can relate to what you're talking about. But we're talking about Annette Guzman right now. Do you remember that I said the list that Marianne enumerated, the long list, is people leaving City Hall? And in sum, when you total that all up, I'm not talking about Ms. Guzman in particular, but the totality of those departures has to have some net effect, I would think. And I wonder if you think that too. Do you want to know if those individuals who have transitioned out have an impact on me building the safest, most affordable big city in America?

15:28 It hasn't. Because, again, even with those transitions, has it stopped us from building affordable homes? It hasn't. Has it stopped us from investing in hiring more young people? It hasn't. Who put that vision forward? I did. Has it stopped us from investing in public and mental and behavioral health services? It hasn't. Whose vision was that? That was mine. And so, again, I'm grateful for the public servants that are here, but to suggest some notion that somehow someone retiring or taking care of their parent is sort of indicative of whether or not we can carry out government, I just find it to, obviously, to be misguided, though I appreciate your question.

16:18 Good morning, Mayor. Good morning. While it hasn't stopped your vision or your agenda, how will it affect you politically, having so many people leaving within a short period of time? Well, look, I appreciate the question, but right now my focus is building the safest, most affordable big city in America, right? And that focus has not changed. In terms of politics, I mean, I guess I'm really not really following your question there. So what you're saying is that I can still carry out my vision and mission, but you want to understand the politics around it.

16:55 Well, it's already being used against you from your competitors. Okay, well, that I can't control, like, how people describe, you know, their assessment of me. Here's what I can control, though, the ability to continue to build a safe and affordable big city for the people of Chicago. And we're doing that. And I think the part that's actually quite rewarding in all of this is that no one is claiming that we're not carrying out our vision and mission. No one is claiming that.

17:25 I mean, people were concerned about, again, someone who had served this city for 30-plus years retiring as our superintendent. Did it impact how July looked? We just had the fewest amount of homicides in July than we had last year. So clearly it's not just one person you are. Here's the part that's most important. The people of Chicago want and called for a visionary. That's what I reflect. We have put forth a path of how we build safe and affordable communities by investing in people.

17:58 And that's what I'm doing. And as long as, you know, I continue to do that, we'll find the right people who can execute my vision. And then in terms of putting together the budget, I'm assuming that you are going to have to tap into tip surpluses to balance that budget. And if you do that, money will obviously have to go to CPS. If the state doesn't come up with the $150 million for the CPS budget, will you be coming up with that $150 million in TIF money?

18:28 Well, I mean, again, thank you for that question. It's clear that we have done our part as a city, right? You know, I've released more TIF dollars into our public institutions than any other administration, And we all know that that's not a sustainable way to fund our schools. Here's what we do know, though, that by law, the state put forth an apparatus to fully fund our public schools. And they haven't fulfilled that yet.

19:02 I mean, comparatively, San Francisco and Los Angeles, those cities, the state funds those school districts around 70%, in some cases higher. New York State funds the New York City school district with 45%, 40%, I believe. Philadelphia, again, Pennsylvania, they fund the Philadelphia school district 45%. You know what ours is in the state of Illinois? is 25%. That's not acceptable, right? And so

19:35 I'm grateful, though, that there are more state legislators that are calling for progressive revenue to fully fund our schools. That's something that I've been calling for for some time and I know that there are strong advocates in both the House of Representatives as well as the State Senate that believe as I believe. I know this is something that the governor push forward when he's He initially became the governor, calling for a progressive income tax. Unfortunately, it was defeated, but I do believe that there are some strong signs that Springfield,

20:11 after this last session, moved on many progressive revenue items, but there clearly is a need for more. The state has to do its part. I've been clear that I'm always going to do my part. But that wasn't the question. The question was, if they don't come up with $150 million, will you make up for that $150 million with TIF money? or will you let CPS go ahead and do mid-year cuts, et cetera? Well, again, I did hear your question and I answered it. And what I said was the state of Illinois has to do his part. I've done my part.

20:41 If they don't do their part. So if they don't do their part, if they don't do their part, I think it's incumbent upon all of us to – I think it's important that everybody does their part, okay? Everybody has to do their part. Thank you. Do you want to pass it over to over here? I skipped myself. Oh. I just have a question for clarity. So your statement about Annette stepping down was that you're granting her time away. Is this a permanent resignation? She's resigned permanently. Okay, just checking. Yeah, thank you.

21:13 Hi, Mayor. Hi. In terms of your timeline to replace Annette and Sandra Blakemore, can you give us some time frame? Is Jonathan Ernst going to be – is he considered to be appointed as her permanent replacement, or will her replacement be named after this budget? Well, first of all, the most important thing right now is establishing continuity. We have people who will step in, and you obviously mentioned one name. You know, as far as, you know, other spots where people have retired, you know, we'll continue to interview individuals.

21:46 We certainly are not short talent in Chicago or anywhere else for that matter. And how much of the departures on your finance team, you know, besides Annette, do you attribute to the recent tensions between the fifth floor and city council, which, you know, has surely not held back its fire in recent budget hearings? You know, do you think there needs to be a tone reset on either side? Well, I mean, listen, I don't think there's anything wrong with tension, personally. I mean, I think, you know, tension is necessary when you're fighting for the right causes, you know, right?

22:18 And, you know, I don't believe those tensions, you know, have impact on people making personal decisions, if that's what you're asking. You know, in terms of, like, how we move forward, I've said this, and I will continue to say it. I'm always willing and committed to work with not just city council, but all of our stakeholders. Look, our city is experiencing something that it hasn't experienced at a time in which the economic prowess of our city continues to strengthen and violence continues to go down. If you all recall, four years ago, in fact, where some of you were covering the race, I missed my race because I was running it.

22:53 But I do know there was concern about whether or not we would be able to drive violence down. And then I think some folks even critiqued that the ideas that I had would take years to manifest. And that clearly was not the case, right? So whether it's investing in young people, expanding our crisis assistance response engagement, building affordable homes, investing in our public transportation system, I can go on and on. and the fact that the Magnificent Mile has made a comeback. Our airport is the busiest airport in the world. I mean, if you actually look around, and I understand why you all want to talk about personnel,

23:25 but if you actually look and analyze the condition of the city of Chicago, who in modern history has overseen the city at a time in which our economy was growing and violence was going down? There's no example in modern history. You can't name one administration that had that type of experience in the last 40 years. Now, it requires vision, leadership. It requires you to be bold and progressive. And, you know, I think that some of the tension, of course, that probably should have existed when schools were being shut down,

23:56 we probably would have benefited more. Because where schools have shut down and where you see vacancy and abandonment, that's where you see the most amount of instability, and that's where crime is most pervasive. And so even if you had a permanent budget director, but they were screwing working people, what good does that do? it doesn't do any good for the people who live here so the tensions that exist because there are some folks that are struggling to make the shift into the 21st century but we will continue to use every single tool

24:26 that's available to us to protect the center for working people and if that means that people get upset along the way but we're saving lives and driving violence down if people get upset along the way but we're building more affordable homes If people get upset along the way, but we're expanding mental and behavioral health care, if people get upset along the way, but we're fully funding our schools, I will take upset with a safe and affordable city than people being quiet and still and people are being harmed. So what is better?

24:58 To have a little tension? And progress, or no tension, and chaos. I'll take the tension over progress any day. Good afternoon. Good morning. Quinn Weir of Block Club asked if I could ask this question. Is it all right? That's fine. Block Club. So Chicagoans continue to suffer after recent thunderstorms. You've proposed various pilot programs and other ideas to alleviate damage. But is it time to have a larger conversation about overhauling the city's sewer system? Is that all feasible, or should we expect patchwork approaches for now?

25:32 Well, first of all, we've taken quite a comprehensive approach to this, right? In July of 2023, when we had the 100-year rainfall, of course, we know the west side in particular was hit the hardest, and we worked with our congressional delegation to secure $426 million just for families on the west side that were impacted. As climate continues to change, it's why I've reinstituted the Department of the Environment so that we can take a holistic approach.

26:02 And that's everything from planting trees, which serves essentially as drainage, right? I believe you are aware of the announcement that we made with the partnership with the Water Reclamation District, creating brand new infrastructure underground, right? and more of that will come. As far as the resources to do that, I instituted the $830 million infrastructure bond to address these 100-year-old issues.

26:33 Look, we didn't get here overnight. It's going to take us some time for full repair, but no, the people of Chicago should fully expect that my administration is going to continue to take the bold stance and ensure that we're responding to climate change and that we're repairing the infrastructure underground and even above ground to respond to 21st century needs. Thank you, Black Club. Okay, but no complete overhaul of the sewer system is planned? A comprehensive approach is what I'm committed to doing.

27:04 Recently, you and Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill-Burke urged residents to please file police reports if they believe they were the subject of DHS criminal activity during Operation Midway Blitz. Lakeview resident Leo Feller did just that three days after video shows, DHS officers jumping over his fence, abducting people on his property, assaulting them. And yet the Chicago Police Department tells me they have suspended that police report.

27:36 They've done nothing with it, despite multiple videos, including body cam videos. What message do you think that sends to people who don't have tons of videos corroborating their case when CPD suspends it, and they won't tell me why they suspended it. Well, here's how I understand it, that CPD has, you know, gone through their diligent process. And, you know, I'm going to obviously review and continue to work with the state's attorney

28:07 to encourage families who believe that they've been violated by federal agents to file those cases. I believe this incident happened before the executive order. It was one of the motivations behind the executive order. So I will continue to work with the state's attorney and our police department. We want families to come forward. We want that diligent investigative process to happen. And, you know, this is an unprecedented element, and we do want to make sure that we are encouraging families to come forward,

28:39 and I will continue to do that. Okay, and here's my follow-up. Do you believe that passing a CPS budget with $435 million in uncommitted funds is legal under the budgeting laws of Illinois? Well, look, I understand that this particular board has gone through their full process, right, to ensure that we're protecting the classroom. I'm going to continue to do my part. As I've said before, we need our state partners to continue to rise to the occasion.

29:12 That's what working people demand. Look, as of date, from the 2027, from the 2027 law that Springfield put forward, they made a commitment to fully fund our schools. And that just has to happen. Right. And I think what's happening too much in our society right now that we continue to ask those with very few means to do more than those who actually have the means. are you familiar with the story of the

29:44 widow who gave her last two mites in the bible it's a story it always sort of helps me remain focused on how we show up for the most vulnerable people and so Jesus talks about about the story with the woman and he acknowledged the fact that the rich people gave to the treasury but he said that they gave out of their abundance so in other words that was their surplus that they gave from and he was grateful but he said the woman the widow the poor widow she gave all that

30:19 she had and for too many families in chicago in this country they're giving all that they had while the rich get richer give out of that abundance but they're not giving to the magnitude in which society is calling for and so I hear your question about the budget I think the larger question is is it fair for budgets to be balanced off of a widow who is giving all of her life savings while those who are living in abundance are not being asked to give more so I think that's

30:53 what the righteous call is and again whether you read Luke chapter 4 verse 1 I think is where it is or not I think that it's clear that we have an unfair tax structure in this country and in this city and it's well past time that the ultra rich and these large corporations who continue to benefit from the poor actually pay their fair share the question was is it legal hey mayor Annette Guzman was not afraid to forcibly defend her office's decision in front of the city council um do you think that was a strength what are your expectations for her replacement in

31:27 that regard and will that permanent replacement come before this budget season you know again my priority right now is you know the continuity and we have a plan in place right to you know continue to build safe and affordable communities you know as far as the expectation the expectation is still the same to have loving people who are serving in my administration and serving the people of Chicago that they will carry out my vision that's that's what my expectation has always been

31:58 you're not going to build a safe and affordable city without people who can actually carry out that plan and you know Annette has done it like many others who have served in this capacity have and I fully anticipate and expect that we'll have someone who will carry out my vision for the city of Chicago. And switching gears a bit, one of your top opponents, Alexei Giannulli, said he would push for a millionaire tax. What is the difference between you and other candidates when it comes to taxing the rich? Well, I mean, first of all, I'm grateful that there are other people who have finally

32:31 come to that conclusion, right? That's a newer discovery for many people. This is something that I've been advocating for for some time. That certainly indicates the influence that my administration has had on not just the electorate, because the electorate was already there, it's always been the political class that has lagged in terms of the ability to actually carry out the hopes and aspirations of working people. I think the key to all of this is, though, what are people willing to do to ensure that that happens?

33:01 I mean, it's appropriate during a sort of heightened political season to take positions that are popular, but But as you know me, I don't need the approval of anyone to do what's right, right? And I'm not motivated. My politics are not motivated by how someone perceives my particular position. But the fact that there are more people who are calling for it, that's a good thing for the people of Chicago and the state of Illinois.

33:35 I think what's required now is really pushing the General Assembly to actually get it done. Thank you. Now that the legislative inspector general report is out, do you think Speaker Welch has done enough to explain how he handled those sexual harassment allegations and dismissal of the former representative and his own interactions with the same staffer? And do you continue to support him as Speaker?

34:06 Well, look, I've known, you know, Speaker Welch for for some time and, you know, watching his maturation, you know, has been just a remarkable testament to what's possible in this country to serve as the first black Speaker of the House. Look, I trust that the Speaker is going to do what's right for his constituents in the state of Illinois. I'm grateful that more transparency has been

34:37 brought to light of not just this incident but I think of any elected leader that has to be held to a righteous standard quite frankly in how we interact with staff how we interact with constituents how we do our jobs and I think it's important that we hold ourselves to that but in terms of You know, him in his particular position, that's his decision that I trust that he will make in the best interest for the people that he that he represents.

35:10 And I, you know, I certainly understand your preference and your call is for the state to come through with 150 million. But you also understand the politics of getting super majorities in both chambers and mid-year budget amendments. yeah so you know kind of circling back to this idea that there might have to be something that comes from the city if the state doesn't follow through yeah well the city is always coming we're gonna look i i think what i'm trying to get at you all my record speaks right i'm gonna

35:43 whatever is available and if i can do it it's clear that i'm not reticent to do it right i mean And I just, I think I'm just having a tough time with this idea that it's harder to do something in Springfield than it is to do in city council. And that there's, why aren't we asking if the city is not able to do it, will the state do it, right? It's like it's only coming one direction, right? And I don't know if that's purposeful. I'm just calling out the fact that as arduous as that process is, the last I checked, getting 26 votes is not, like, that's not a walk in the park either, right?

36:22 And is the state okay with giving working people the bare minimum? Like, that's the question that I believe that the people of Chicago and the state of Illinois are asking, whether it's Rockford, Cairo, whether it's Waukegan, Chicago. In Chicago, these issues have manifested across the state and around the globe, and the idea that us challenging the state of Illinois to actually adhere to the law is somehow skipped over, like, well, you know how hard that's going to be, so what's I going to do if they don't do it?

37:04 to me it's like it's not even the city's that's not our main responsibility that's the state's responsibility california has figured it out new york does a better job at it pennsylvania does it better i think illinois is ranked 18th i'm glad there's been an increase but this is not out of benevolence there's no one in chicago looking for a handout we're just asking them to fulfill the promise that they made when they signed the law in 2017 and so this notion where mayor johnson has to fix everything that someone else has failed to do and if they continue to fail what are you

37:37 going to do like is that a reasonable expectation for people you know and and and and the fact that you still have like political opposition to investing in our public schools is actually mind-boggling to me you have people out here running around talking about closing schools where we know that causes instability and increases and increases crime here's another way in which I'm asking it, is the state okay with schools being shuttered at a time in which that type of instability has proven to be ineffective? It costs over $200 million up

38:12 front just to close schools down in 2013. And then they said it was going to save the taxpayers a billion dollars. And look where we are today. They lied. They lied. And we told you all they were lying. We told you. We told you all we were lying. When I took going to rest in front of the very elevators that are now held for me. When I went on a hunger strike to keep a school open, we told you all that they were lying and that they were full of it. And they still are. And they expect me to come up with solutions that they have. How does that make sense?

38:51 It doesn't, you all. The state of Illinois funds our school districts at 25%. The state of California your funds Los Angeles and San Francisco at 70%, if not higher. Don't talk to me about the problems when you have the solutions to fix them. I feel like it's a waste of exercise. And because I'll make this final point. I think it's especially provocative for me today because last weekend Dr. Bernice Keene

39:22 came to Chicago to walk the very route that her father walked in market park 60 years ago dr keene came on this fifth floor and he looked richard j daly in the face and said you got to do better we have to support our public accommodations it's 60 years later the heir of reverend dr martin luther keene jr walked the same route that her father walked when she was three years old and we're having the same conversation about how do we fully fund our public accommodations

39:56 I just I'm going to do anything anything and everything that's necessary, but at some point you all, you cannot expect me to solve everybody's problems. And the fact of the matter is, I can't. It's going to take partnerships. And I understand the political machinations that people are talking about, man, but I'm so tired of our people being used as political pawns so someone can come up while the rest of us are drowning so i'm gonna do my part and enough is enough you all

40:33 the state of illinois cannot be okay with the bare minimum when people are starving across the city so let's fight together let's make sure that the city of illinois can be an example for the rest of the country i just wanted to finish my question there the i think the city is either finalized or is about to finalize the, I think they're called like the TIF waterfall reports, right, where you kind of shows the pool of resources available. And that's what I wanted to ask.

41:04 Is there going to be just enough money in the TIF to even come up with what CBS is asking? Yeah, thank you for that. So we'll analyze that, you know, but again, that's not sustainable. That's not the solution. That is not the fix to the problem. That's a stopgap. in fact you cannot expect me to continue to bail out the state of Illinois you just can't and maybe I wonder if

41:34 like my value system is being taken advantage of because people know how much I care about public education it's like man Brandon will do it so we don't have to, Brandon will do it and look I'm going to do my part but whatever that whatever that report reveals that is not the solution to not just balancing the budget but fully investing in our public education system. Good morning. Anthony Driver from the Community Commission for Public Safety wants to delay

42:07 the search for a new superintendent until the next mayor can pick. What's your reaction to that? Well, I mean, look, there's a law that guides that process. you know and unless there's an appetite to change the law i believe people should should adhere to the law all right good morning mayor good morning uh when this budget is finally approved at some point what does success look like for you is it avoiding layoffs or tax increases protecting city services or something else well thank you for that helping me out there it's all of the above that

42:39 you described there i mean i i i i want to say though you know a successful budget besides you avoiding layoffs and protecting taxpayers and protecting city services, I do believe that we should continue to look at where the revenue is. And the revenue right now sits in the – it's being occupied by large corporations. And look, they've done well under the Trump administration. And I believe there's a way in which you can be pro-business but also be responsible.

43:12 And right now, we just do not have a balanced, structurally sound, progressive revenue apparatus that I believe could help do all of the things that you just named. We've been under incredible duress over the course of many years in this city. We are seeing signs of improvement, but I believe the best way in which we can secure our budget is by really challenging corporations and the ultra-rich to put more skin in the game.

43:42 Thank you for that question. Okay, we made it. It's the last one, right? Good morning. Good morning. For Springfield, for the veto session, now that funding schools is kind of taking a top priority, just with Speaker Welch talking about it on, you know, we saw it on social media as well as just continued talks, where is that leaving the Chicago Bears then? Are you still in talks about the Bears, and is that going to maybe push us to wanting a special session in Chicago? or do you have any plans or discussions ongoing right now for the Chicago Bears?

44:14 Well, thank you for that question. Well, first of all, I do hope that the General Assembly, whether it's in veto or a special session, figure out how to fully support our public schools across the board, right? Because these are not just needs in Chicago. And as far as the Bears are concerned, my position hasn't wavered. As you know, there still is no plan outside of the plan that we produced for a publicly owned stadium that the Bears would pay for and visitors would pay for, that the people of Chicago would own.

44:45 As far as ongoing discussions, my door is still open and I'm still willing to talk with any of the stakeholders. I'll say this last part. It's in everything that... We do. It's going to require collaboration. And I think especially when it comes to education funding, but even as it relates to the Bears, I believe that if we all get on the same page, which more folks are recognizing that the best place for the Bears to be is in Chicago.

45:15 We all get on the same page and agree with there. If we agree that the Bears have to put skin in the game, if we agree on infrastructure, then it's a matter of what type of apparatus do we create to make sure that the stadium is fully secured, but it doesn't harm taxpayers. And I believe public ownership is something that I think is important. And a question about Willie Wilson possibly is making a special announcement on Monday. You almost made me laugh.

45:45 sorry start over start over cut all right try it again so uh alexi janelius is out obviously running for mayor i'm sorry all right try it one more time last time all right go are you running for mayor that time you made me laugh listen aren't you itching to announce it's driving me crazy you know look you are i mean i'm not even trying to be especially coy here it's not that I just I think I was trying to make I was trying to make a like an analogy last week that my wife said that I didn't do a good jump explaining because I got super emotional about our son who his first practice is today, by the way.

46:27 And he was just he texted me the other day ago. He's like, Dad, I'm playing with grown men, by the way. um i i will say this though after what we just experienced in july the reason why i'm really focused on like building a safe and affordable city is that i think it's important that the people of chicago know exactly my commitment and my intentions to drive that home right

46:59 Right. And as I said before, you know, I'll make a decision and and it's not like I'm incapable of holding an office and running. Right. You know, I just believe that the people of Chicago deserve like a season where their mayor is not involved in a whole bunch of political conversation. Right. One of your colleagues asked earlier of the political impact that this could have on people transitioning. Right. And that's that's a fair question. Right. Because politics, it's what it is. And in my own way, maybe it's me being somewhat obstinate in my own way.

47:37 I am trying to keep politics at bay because as folks get ready for school, the number of people who text me who receive pink slips because of the layoffs with CPS. But now feel a little bit more hopeful because funding has been, you know, their budget has been presented where layoffs could be avoided and furloughs. I just I like what's happening right now in our city, to be honest with you, with the visitors that are coming here, with crime going down, building more affordable homes on Friday.

48:12 I believe we're cutting the ribbon, the green line in Austin, which is kind of a completion of our work, right? because we cut the ribbon on the north side, the extension of the red line on the south side, and now the west side is getting some love here with public transportation, the green line being a very critical line in our transportation system because it touches both the west and south sides of our city. And now it's accessible for those who require that type of accessibility. Again, long story short, I promise I'm going to parerate here.

48:45 I just think it's imperative that the city experience what's actually happening because you all know once the politics and all that starts, then, and this is no dig on you all, there's just less incentive to cover those things. It just will be, right? And I'm not mad at it. I'm just saying that maybe that's my own little way of resistance in this moment, that we'll let the politics do what the politics does.

49:16 But in the meantime, let the people of Chicago enjoy the fact that we're saving lives, right? We're investing in people. They are actually experiencing a mayor that has values that I'm willing to fight for and to live for. so I will make a decision really soon so are you living kind of an example of not running for two or not running for two seats you know what I mean are you trying to provoke somebody right here

49:46 thank you all very much I appreciate you all's time thank you

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