# 25th Ward Day in the Ward Press Conference 11.20.24

- Date: November 20, 2024
- Type: Video
- Length: 37:45
- Topic: Press conferences
- Video: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t9QxOTZBh4)
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 5,465 words ([text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/youtube/7t9QxOTZBh4.txt))
- Mayor: [Brandon Johnson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor)

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=0) Mayor's opening remarks
- [5:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=313) 25th Ward investments
- [8:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=497) Pastor Lozano's address
- [13:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=817) Aldermanic support
- [19:22](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1162) Community partner remarks
- [25:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1515) Public health initiatives
- [27:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1653) Q&A with the press

## Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the 25th Ward: Day in the Ward Press Conference.

## Transcript

[2:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=120) Thank you, and good afternoon, everyone. I'm grateful that all of you are here today. Today we are standing on holy ground. Thank you to Pastor Lozano for her leadership. Glad to be joined by the Alder of the 25th Ward, Sigcho Lopez. Had a great time at La Esperanza. Rosa Camarina does a wonderful job as a business owner.

[2:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=151) the Mujeres Latinas en Acción Executive Director, Linda Tortolero, members, of course, of the faith community and all of the community local-based organizations that are here, and, of course, all of the residents of the 25th Ward. Today we saw the fruits of our investments in this community, from La Esperanza being awarded with a grant from BACP's Good Food Fund to Mujeres Latinas and Acción receiving DK's cultural grant

[3:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=182) and the ribbon-cutting, the Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub. This is the realization of my administration's promise to invest in people, neighborhoods, our commercial corridors, and to make sure that we are investing in areas that have been systematically disinvested in over the course of decades. With these investments, we are bringing resources to Pilsen and breathing life into this community.

[3:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=213) I'm especially excited that today we delivered on a promise to expand mental health services in our city, opening the Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub. This clinic will be able to provide mental health services to nearly 300 clients every year through various forms of therapy designed to address diverse needs for long-term wellness. This hub also offers a broad range of health services, from immunizations to health care for women, infants, and children. It is the fulfillment of the people's vision for mental and behavioral health,

[4:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=248) my administration's guiding light as we expand mental health services on the south and west sides. We do this to ensure that we are meeting mental health crises with compassion and love. Through this plan, we've been able to establish mental health services at the Legler Regional Library in West Garfield Park. And we will reopen the previously shuttered Roseland Mental Health Clinic on the south side of Chicago. We have also fully transitioned to a behavior health-driven response to 911 calls for mental health crises,

[4:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=285) relieving CFD and CPD of this work so that they can return to their primary purpose. And we expanded the number of alternate response care teams who respond to our residents and connect them to the clinical services that they deserve. We will continue to follow our vision and invest in mental health services on the south and west sides. We will do this to answer the need amongst communities so that we can build a better, stronger, safer Chicago together. Here in the 25th Ward just today, we can also see the realization of $87 million of investments and upgrades and renovations throughout the Ward.

[5:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=324) CTA has over $47 million invested here, designed a system-wide elevator modernization program. 2FM invested $11 million, updating and expanding the new mental health clinic that we are proud that we opened today. Installing EV charging stations for city vehicles, making interior renovations at Chicago Animal Care and Control, and designing building upgrades for Fire Engine Company 23.

[5:56](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=356) CDOT invested $24 million into the 25th Ward to plant 44 trees, replace streetlights, make sidewalk repairs, and completely resurface Davin Avenue between 18th and Cermac. And the Department of Water Management invested $4.5 million in the 25th Ward, replacing 5,395 feet of pipes as part of our lead service line replacement. This program, in addition to completing 300 work orders.

[6:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=388) I also want to share that through the One Summer Chicago program, 491 young people from the 25th Ward had summer jobs just this year, and that number is up from the previous year as part of our commitment to increasing youth employment opportunities. City departments continue responding to the needs of community members. In the 25th Ward, DSS conducted 49 clean-vacant lot requests and worked on 271 neighborhood improvement projects

[6:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=419) in addition to their daily services to cleaning and beautifying our streets. And a very special city service is offered here in the 25th Ward. It's home to Chicago's animal care and control, where they continue to host adoption events and offer fee-waiving dog vaccines and, of course, microchipping and so many other services. And I see for the first time in the history of me being mayor, there's an actual dog at my press conference. So you see how we roll here in the 25th Ward.

[7:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=450) Even the dogs are supportive of building a better, stronger, safer Chicago. The 25th Ward is a vibrant, historic, and culturally rich neighborhood, and we're committed to serving and uplifting it. I look forward to maintaining our investments in city services, local businesses and nonprofits, and our mental health expansion framework right here, the lower west side and throughout the entire city. This only happens with collaboration, and I want to thank all the city leaders and community partners who are investing in our people and enriching our community together.

[8:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=484) Thank you. With that, we'll take questions. Oh, I'm sorry. And with that, I will pass the mic to Pastor Lazano. Thank you. Peace and power, everyone. My name is Reverend Tanya Lozano-Washington. I am one of the chairpeople here at Healthy Hood Chicago and the pastor at Holy Ground, where we all stand today. And we stand here after a community conversation about the implications of this pivotal moment in our city's history,

[8:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=516) not just in the context of challenges we face, but also in the midst of a political climate that's using fear and hate to divide us. As a nation, we are grappling with the very real consequences of a leadership that stokes fear to manipulate, control, and distract. This fear is not abstract. It's real, and it has very real consequences for the health of our communities. The fear we face in our city and in our neighborhoods and in our families, it's not just about what may happen. It's about what is happening now.

[9:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=547) The fear of being left behind. The fear of being unheard. The fear of living in a world where you feel that the systems that are supposed to protect you are actually working against you. This fear weighs heavily on our mental and physical health, and it leads to hopelessness that feeds violence and despair. But the reality is this. Much of what we're dealing with right now, the struggles with mental health, the violence in our communities, the disillusionment, is not a sign of personal failure. It is a natural reaction to the world we live in. Our bodies and minds aren't meant to handle the kind of trauma we've been exposed to.

[9:40](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=580) The trauma of systemic inequality, of war, of violence, of being constantly told that the problems are too big and we are too small. The trauma is deep, and it is not an illness but a product of a sick system that fails to nurture, heal, and address the root causes of suffering. That's why we need leadership that understands this. We need leadership that doesn't respond to fear with more fear, more punishment, more division, but with solidarity, with real investment in people and in healing.

[10:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=610) We need leaders who are willing to stand firm, not just to protect our communities from the threats we know are coming, but to provide the tools and networks of support that will help our communities heal, rebuild, and rise together. That's why I stand here with our mayor today. We are in a time where new ideas are not just necessary, they are urgent. While it may come with criticism, we know that transformation requires change. Change in how we approach our people's health. Change in how we address mental health, not just with Band-Aid solutions, but with comprehensive care.

[10:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=644) That means therapy, medication, and most importantly, purpose. Purpose is what heals. When people see that they can be a part of the solution, that they have a role to play in shaping the future of their communities, they can begin to break the cycle of hopelessness. And it is this belief in purpose that has driven programs like ours here at Healthy Hood, where we invest in our youth, not just by giving them jobs, but by training them, educating them, and showing them that they have the power to transform their communities. Every summer, we engage 100 youth, ages 16 through 24, through the One Summer Chicago program.

[11:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=680) This is not just about summer jobs. This is about giving our youth the tools to politically educate themselves, to understand the systems they live in, and most importantly, to develop solutions that address the real root causes of violence and mental health struggles. This summer, we worked with Northwestern to track mental health outcomes from our program, and we saw a measurable improvement, a three-point increase in mental health scores. That's not just progress. That's proof that when we give our communities purpose, when we invest in them,

[11:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=712) we are investing in their health and in their future. This is about reimagining the way we approach the health of our city. We can no longer afford to work in silos, isolated from each other, offering piecemeal solutions. We need to build networks of support that connect people to the resources they need. We need to ensure that everyone in the city has access to mental health care, healthy food, to education, to jobs, and to the resources that allow them to thrive, not just survive. We are proud to stand with our mayor, who is choosing to invest in real solutions, not just the quick fixes that have failed us in the past.

[12:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=748) We know that change is difficult, and we know that change comes with criticism, but we also know that transformation requires courage. Courage to do something different, courage to break from the status quo, and courage to invest in the future even when the path ahead is not always clear. Our work is not finished. It's just begun. The transformation we seek will not come overnight, but with leadership that stands firmly in its commitment to this city, to this community, We will create the kind of change that allows us all to heal and to thrive.

[13:01](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=781) This is not just the beginning of the healing we need. It is the beginning of the healing we deserve. Now, I am truly honored to introduce an example of leadership that embodies this struggle towards transformation. A leader who understands that the issues of our community, our city, our nation, and our world are intertwined and must be addressed as such. I'm proud to introduce my alderman, Alderman Byron Siccio Lopez.

[13:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=816) Thank you. Thank you so much, Pastor Tania Lozano. I want to also thank Pastor Emma Lozano, Healthy Hood, for hosting us today and the beautiful panel that we just heard. I want to thank all the community leaders of the 25th Ward for standing with us. We have Linda Tortolero for Mujeres Latinas en Acción. We have some of our business owners with Rosa Camarena and the many other leaders who have joined us throughout the day. We are proud to stand in solidarity with one another, and we welcome Mayor Brandon Johnson to the 25th Ward.

[14:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=857) It is very important that we speak truth to power and facts. in a time of misinformation. When we see dehumanization in communities like ours, it is uplifting when we have a mayor that look at us and not only is seeing us, is listening to us, and is investing in us. We hear from Mayor Johnson almost $90 million of investments in the 25th Ward that are desperately needed in times of dehumanization

[14:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=888) when we see our immigrant communities being the scapegoat of the failure of the political system. It is important that we remember that coalitions like this have existed before here in our beautiful city of Chicago. That is why it's no coincidence that we're here. In Pastor Lozano's church, where Reverend Coleman, and I saw in one of your posts, Sister Tanya, missing Reverend Coleman, a great leader that was also part of that great coalition that elected Mayor Washington.

[15:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=918) That same coalition that is fighting, that fought for our communities to bring us together, is fighting in unity against the same forces that are trying to misinform us and divide us. Today was a display of what we need to see in the city of Chicago. Throughout the day, we have been talking to organizations and our community leaders of what's needed moving forward. Investing in community organizations like Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Gender-based violence is rising in our community as hate and dehumanization continue to gain grounds.

[15:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=951) It is uplifting to celebrate 50 years of leadership in Mujeres Latinas en Acción, believing in a different world. We see Mujeres Latinas, owners, small owners like Rosa Camareno, that are providing employment and small businesses that are the backbone of our community. We will continue to invest in that. And that's what is important that we, today more than ever, speak truth to power. I tell you as an older person who have seen the division and what it does to our city,

[16:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=983) it is a welcoming change to see Mayor Johnson being indeed the collaborator-in-chief. In the past, we used to see budgets that are voted on almost with a gun in our heads. In the previous administration, we saw that even the previous mayor talked to the block caucus and said that we will not get anything from them. It did not vote in a budget. There was no dialogue, there was no collaboration, and the results are obvious for us to see. I tell you that this is the first time that we see a mayor coming to our community, listening, hearing us, and talking about investing in our young people, summer programs.

[16:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1017) We are going to fight for the jobs for our young people, because we believe in young people. And that is the work that Mayor Johnson is doing. In the past, we've seen administrations that closed schools and closed mental health clinics. Fifty schools that were closed in the poorest areas of our community. Mayor Johnson and I worked together to fight for those schools. In our community, I'm grateful that because of his partnership, we kept open our three schools that were serving black and brown children.

[17:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1048) Today we have a mayor who is fighting with us to keep seven schools, at several schools, 2,000 Latino students who are at risk of losing education in their schools at the end of June. We have a mayor who is standing with us to keep those schools open. And just today, we have a mayor that reopened a mental health clinic here in Pilsen. So let me just say that we are not only talking the talk, we're walking the walk. And we're telling my colleagues in city council

[18:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1080) that we need to come to the table to vote on a budget that reflects our values and principles. We, as elected officials, have a responsibility to come to the table. I can attest that Mayor Johnson is not only listening to us, he's investing in communities like us. Last time we had a mayor like that was Mayor Washington. I am proud to stand in solidarity building the same coalition that actually came from our neighborhood in Pilsen with Rudy Lozano. Mayor Johnson was right when he said that ancestors of us

[18:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1112) have paid with blood, sweat, and tears on their own lives to create these rooms like this, powerful rooms that will be an example to the country. We're not afraid. And we're going to fight back for the rights, the human rights, for immigrant rights, for reproductive rights, for liberal rights. Chicago is a welcoming and sanctuary city because of the fight of people in our community. And we're proud to stand with you, Mayor Johnson, in these dark times. It is uplifting to see a city that fights back. So without further ado, I want to now introduce the leader

[19:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1142) that in a small business community is showing with actions that our community continues to fight in spite of the time. So I want to introduce now Rosa Camareno, one of our small business owners. It is an honor to present to one of the owners of one of our small businesses in the community that we have today. Tomá, ahora que estamos comiendo con el alcalde, el alcalde Johnson, disfrutando de no sólo su comida, su calidez humana y su lucha día a día, es una empresaria que da trabajo a cinco personas en nuestra comunidad, inclusive en tiempos muy difíciles, cuando muchos estaban cerrando, ella ha luchado muy duro con su familia, es un negocio familiar de nuestra comunidad y estamos aquí orgullosos de apoyarla también a ella, tengo el honor y el gusto de ahora presentar a Rosa Camareno,

[19:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1189) la dueña La Esperanza, uno de nuestros grandes negocios y restaurantes de la comunidad Rosa, muchas gracias Muchas gracias, para mí es un honor estar aquí hoy ante ustedes y sobre todo ante nuestro alcalde Johnson al cual le tengo una gratitud enorme ya que un poquito de historia, si se me ha complicado mucho después de la pandemia el negocio, gracias a mis hijos y a los colaboradores que

[20:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1219) tengo hemos sobrevivido Pero llegó en un tiempo que se me vino más difícil y yo creí que iba a cerrar. Llegó a mí por una clienta, aplica, van a ayudar. Yo decía, no, ya apliqué muchos dados y nadie me ayuda. Pero bueno, lo voy a hacer. Estaba yo muy escéptica. Cuando un día mandé ya mi aplicación, me dicen, danos tu número de cuenta del banco.

[20:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1250) Y yo, ay, espérenme, ¿no? ¿Cómo les voy a dar mi número de cuenta? No tengo dinero, me van a sacar lo que tengo. Y me empecé a investigar, a ver qué realmente era ese programa, porque lo desconocía. Estaba yo muy enfocada en sacar adelante mi negocio y no miraba más a otro lado. Para no hacer larga la historia, me llegó la ayuda. Y gracias a esa ayuda, gracias al trabajo arduo del señor Iván, al comisionado, del alcalde, y de todo su equipo. Llegó esa bendición a mi familia y a mi negocio,

[21:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1285) y hoy por hoy, sigo abierta. Gracias, gracias a la comunidad, gracias a la comunidad de Pilsen, a toda nuestra gente que nos apoya, y esperemos poder seguir sirviéndolos más años. Y muchas gracias. I'll start my remarks in Spanish, and then I'll continue in English.

[22:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1339) Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

[22:55](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1375) Latina. Mujeres fundada en 1973 y con su sede orgullosamente en Pilsen, ha crecido desde un grupo dirigido por voluntarias dedicadas a convertirse en una organización con más de 70 empleados. Esta subvención de la ciudad apoyará al lanzamiento de este documental y nos permitirá seguir compartiendo la historia de mujeres con nuestra comunidad a través de la ciudad y durante el próximo año en el resto del país.

[23:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1407) Tenemos grandes planes para el documental, en parte proyecciones en Puerto Rico, Washington D.C. y Nueva York. Gracias nuevamente por apoyar a nuestros esfuerzos por compartir las cinco décadas de mujeres latinas de historias, lágrimas, resiliencia y alegría. Hello, my name is Linda Xochitl Tortolero, President-CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción. Mujeres' mission is to empower Latinas through providing services which reflect our values and culture and by being an advocate on the issues that make a difference in their lives.

[23:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1439) Mujeres provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, future entrepreneurs like ROSA, civic engagement and leadership development, and parent support and education. We are thrilled to receive a grant from Mayor Johnson and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Last year, Mujeres celebrated our 50th anniversary. Today, Mujeres remains the longest-standing Latina-led organization in the country. To celebrate that milestone, we embarked on a documentary project to capture the story of Mujeres,

[24:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1472) a story that is uniquely Chicago and uniquely Latina. Mujeres founded in 1973 and proudly headquartered in Pilsen. It has gone from a group of dedicated Latina volunteers to an organization with more than 70 employees and three offices. This grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events will kick-start our release of that documentary and allow us to continue to share Mujeres' story with our community, across the city, and the next year across the country. We have great plans for the film, including screenings in Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and Nueva York.

[25:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1507) Thank you again for supporting our efforts to share Mujeres' five decades of stories, tears, resilience, and joy. Now I'd like to introduce the Chicago Department of Public Health Deputy Commissioner, Matt Richards. Thank you. Good afternoon, everybody. I'm Matt Richards. I'm the Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral Health at the Chicago Department of Public Health. I'm here representing our commissioner, Dr. Simbo Ige. I wanted to tell you a little bit about why today is so important for the health department.

[25:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1537) We just opened a new health hub, the Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub at 1713 South Ashland. And if you followed the story of city-run mental health clinics in the city of Chicago over the last 30 years, it's all been about them closing. It's been about clinics getting closed. It's been over a generation since a mayor has stood in front of a new mental health clinic and opened the doors for people. It's been over a generation.

[26:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1568) It's always been about closing doors, not opening them. And so it was powerful today, Mayor, to be there, for our team to be there with you and to cut that ribbon and say we're going to do something new. We're going to do something new with investment. And so it's our honor as the health department to serve this community. We feel truly blessed to get to be here. I want to tell you a little bit about our services. We provide free mental health services, free vaccine and immunization, women, infant, and children,

[26:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1599) nutritional support services, free nursing care. If you need care, please call us at 312-743-7500. It would be our honor to serve you and to serve your family. This is part of a bigger plan, the mayor's plan, the People's Vision for Mental and Behavioral Health. The mayor gave us the assignment to open two mental health clinics this year and to expand our 911 alternate response system to become a public health-led mental health response team. And I'm proud to tell you we will have that done next month when we open the Roseland Mental Health Center back up in the Roseland community.

[27:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1637) So it shows you the power of investment. When we invest in people, new things become possible. And so for us, it's really powerful to get to be a part of that. And with that, I'll welcome the 57th mayor of the city of Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson, back to the speaker. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you all. With that, we'll take questions. Hi, Mayor. Thanks for your time. Of course. So S&P Global Ratings yesterday warned that Chicago's credit rating is at risk due to the way that the budget negotiations are going right now.

[27:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1668) I guess, are you worried about that at all? Well, look, since I've been mayor, we've had two credit upgrades since I've been mayor, $20 billion of new investments, making sure that we're maintaining labor peace and responding to the structural damage that I inherited. As you know, two administrations ago, there was a $7 billion increase in the pension deficit, and I believe the two administrations ago left with junk status. So I'm going to continue to do what I was elected to do, which is to respond to decades-old processes and failures by repairing the structural damage,

[28:22](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1702) by actually paying into our pensions while making the critical investments that ultimately build a better, stronger, safer Chicago. And as my follow-up, I'd like to ask an update about budget negotiations. Are you closer to getting those 26 votes that you need? Well, here's what I believe that we are closer to. I mean, we're closer to ensuring that our young people are seen and valued and heard. As I've made it very clear, that in order to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, we have to invest in people.

[28:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1733) 30,000 young people will have an opportunity to have a job this summer in this budget. We've already built 3,400 affordable homes, more of them that are being built as we speak. This budget speaks to that. I've made a commitment to hire more detectives. We'll do that by the end of this year. Our clearance rate is highest than it's been since 2019, I believe. What's also in this budget is, you know, really ensuring that behavior and mental health services are expanding. So I'm confident that the people of Chicago want to see those critical investments expanded and protected.

[29:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1768) I'm going to continue to embrace this new and welcoming process where we are ensuring that every single voice is heard. That's the new process that we've created. As collaborator-in-chief, this is something that future mayors will have to live up to, but that's what transformation looks like. So I'm confident that we're going to continue to have these conversations to ensure that the people of Chicago don't have to have cuts to services, we can respond to the structural damage that we inherited, not kicking the can down the road, saving the taxpayer $3 billion over the course of the next five years,

[30:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1800) and, of course, ensuring that we're doing everything in our power to keep safe communities. Hello, Mayor. Hey. This morning the members of the hospitality industry, the news conference, raising concerns about the plans to raise the alcohol tax. They say they're still recovering from the pandemic, operating at really low profit margins. They say they can't endure an increase in the tax. It could drive people out of the city to shop and dine elsewhere. What do you say to those concerns and to their request that this tax be dropped?

[30:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1832) Well, first of all, this tax on alcohol has not been increased in 17 years. The consideration is essentially to raise the alcohol tax commensurate to inflation. We actually are still one of the lowest tax municipalities when it comes to alcohol. And even with this modest proposal, we will not exceed the surrounding cities.

[31:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1863) So, again, this is a proposal that we have put forward. The important thing in this moment is that we cannot have cuts to services. As you've heard today, whether it's sidewalks, trees, mental health, public safety, advocacy for community-based organizations who are responding to domestic violence, and small businesses, right? You see the full force of government responding to every aspect of how people live. And so my budget reflects the values that are on this stage.

[31:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1894) And, again, we're going to continue to have conversations. Again, this is a modest consideration. We're just simply looking at raising the tax that would keep up with inflation, and we don't even have the highest tax on alcohol than other cities throughout the state of Illinois. Is there room as the budget negotiations go on to bring it down at all, or do you feel it has to stay here to make this money? Well, I mean, I think that I've demonstrated that nothing has to stay, right? We just need people to remain engaged.

[32:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1925) We've already put forth a proposal that have cut the property taxes in half by $150 million. The most important thing, though, is that we're committed to investing in people. You know, for a long time, the city has just been negligent as it relates to providing support for people like Rosa to protect those workers, right, in a small business. And these are families. These aren't just people who wait on us and take our orders or cook our food. These are people that send our children to public schools, right?

[32:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1957) But these are also community-based organizations, organization Mojeres, who is led by women, who are providing critical services and support for families who are escaping violence. You know, I just want to make sure that the people of Chicago know that when we're talking about these dollars and cents in numbers and everybody is saying no, they would be saying no to organizations like Mojeres. They're saying no to small businesses like what Rosa is doing in this community. They would be saying no to the families who would be serviced at this mental health clinic.

[33:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=1988) I am really frustrated with everyone in this city who just only have a no to offer. The people of this city are looking for yeses. That's exactly what I'm giving them. Every single promise that I've made, I said that we were going to make sure that we increase opportunities for workers to have days off. I promised that. Ten days off. I promised that we would abolish the subminimum wage.

[33:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=2019) We did that. I promised that we would invest in community safety, making sure that we have more detectives. I said we would do it in four. I did it in two. I said that we would respond to the structural damage that I inherited, where editorial boards said that mayors should actually pay into people's retirement. And now that I'm doing it, they're reneging on what they told other mayors to do. Are they just upset that I'm doing it? How are you asking people to do something, and then you finally have a mayor to say yes, and then you get mad at the very people who benefit from the yes?

[34:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=2050) Black and brown people benefit from yes. So guess what I'm going to say? Yes. Hi, Mayor Francia from Block Club Chicago. Question. You talked about the upcoming Trump administration and what CPD is not cooperating with ICE officials, but given the shelter closures and the new arrival population that we have,

[34:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=2082) who all of them may not have been submitting asylum processes or have their cases resolved. Is your administration taking any measures to protect these individuals who could be at greater risk? We're not going to cooperate. We're not going to ask our police force to serve as ICE agents. We're not going to do that. We are working hard to restore confidence with community and policing. Why would we put police officers in a position where the community can't trust them? We're not cooperating with that madness.

[35:14](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=2114) Here's the part that's actually really ridiculous. If I were president of the United States of America and I had absolute control over the House and the Senate and the judicial branch of government, guess what I would be calling for on day one? Reparations. Guess what I would be calling for day one? Real comprehensive immigration reform policy so families who have been waiting for real recognition that they don't have to wait for 20 years in hiding after establishing an entire life in America, as well as building our economy.

[35:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=2146) It's a waste of power. People in this city have been living in anxiety, anxiety, and fear for too long. And so we're going to continue to protect families. You know, what new arrivals are experiencing, I remember, because I was a social studies teacher, remember the story of black folks in the south going into the western hemisphere of this country, which was called Indian Territory. And there was a city there that was welcoming called Tulsa until it wasn't.

[36:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=2178) And they bombed the hell out of black people, terrorizing black folks while they were building an economy in this country. You think I'm going to allow this president to repeat the sins of previous administrations, intimidating people because they want a better life? You can have black existence and brown existence in this world. It would be nice if white supremacy wouldn't be intimidated by it. Use the power to invest in black, brown, Asian folks,

[36:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4?t=2209) the multicultural, intergenerational movement of working-class people that are more interested in being able to afford their groceries. What was your question again? Is the city doing anything? We're going to do everything in our power to protect people in this city. Everything. So in other words, we will do whatever is necessary. okay any more questions from the press okay that's all oh this was great thank you all have a great day

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/7t9QxOTZBh4 · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt