Chicago Politics

Press Briefing 11.12.24

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson hosts a press briefing.

Transcript

0:00 Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for being here. Today I'm joined by my chief of staff, Christina Pacillon-Zayez, our chief operating officer, John Robertson, our deputy mayor for immigrant, migrant, and refugee rights, Beatrice Ponce de Leon, deputy mayor for community safety, Gatewood, deputy mayor for infrastructure, Lori Lipson, our deputy mayor for policy, is she here, Noreen Hashim-Jawani? I didn't see her. Okay, she's somewhere, y'all. Our city comptroller, Chase Rowenco, chief financial officer, Joe Jarowski,

0:30 In other words, the full force of government is here today. I will be here every single Tuesday to update the city of Chicago on the progress that we are making in building a better, stronger, and a much safer Chicago. On this Tuesday, of course, I'm very mindful that we are one week out since the presidential election. The outcome of that election is not the one that we were hoping for in many ways, to say the least. But I do want to take this moment to reassure the people of Chicago that no matter who is in the White House,

1:03 our city will remain a city that will stand up and fight for working people. No matter who's in the White House, the city is committed to making sure that we are fighting for the interests of the working poor and poor people, that the west side and the south side will not be ignored. The southeast, the northwest side of the city of Chicago, will not be ignored. We will always be a city where people have the freedom to love who they love. This is a city that always will continue to believe that you have the freedom to make decisions for your own body.

1:39 This is a city that will remain a welcoming city. This is a city that will express the freedom to have a high-quality education in a safe and fully funded public neighborhood school, the freedom to continue to pursue opportunities, to purchase a home, to build a life in the greatest frequent city in the world. I promise you that we will not bend or break. Our values will remain strong and firm. We will face likely hurdles in our work over the next four years, but we will not be stopped, and we certainly will not go back.

2:19 We will continue to move forward to build on the progress that we have achieved thus far for the people of this city and throughout all of our communities. And also, standing here today, we are determined to continue to invest in people so that they can thrive. Over the next four years, I charge our residents to continue to take part in this work, to engage with the city, engage with our neighbors, continue to be the resilient city that we've always been.

2:50 But I also charge the city of Chicago to continue to live out our values and do it in the authentic way that Chicago was known for. I do thank you all for being here today, and with that, we'll take any of your questions. We'll start right here. One question, one follow-up. Hey, ma'am. Thanks for doing this. Of course. So the Bears are reconsidering the Michael Reese site for a potential stadium. To what extent have you been talking with the developer and the team,

3:23 and do you also think they should reconsider the financial ask that they've made of Springfield? The people of Chicago will benefit from a project that's going to create 43,000 jobs in the region, 24,000 jobs for Chicagoans alone, a stadium that will be publicly owned and paid for by billionaires and visitors. That is the dynamic that we're faced with right now. The good news is the city of Chicago, as I've said, that my goal is to keep them in Chicago.

3:57 And as long as we're clear about not just keeping them in Chicago, but creating opportunities for real economic development, that is important. Since I've been in office, $20 billion of new investments. As we continue to see the enrollment go up in our community colleges, particularly around the trades, we want to ensure that people have opportunities to experience that type of economic investment. Are you confident that if they do, if these negotiations, talks go further, that those same benefits, you know, the current proposal would have stripped down Soldier Field to the studs, created that new, you know, the new ball fields?

4:34 Are you confident it would have the same sort of benefit at the Michael Reese? Well, again, you know, the ultimate goal that I have in the city of Chicago is to make sure that we're investing in people. This is not just simply about a bare stadium. I understand the type of confinement of your question, but this is much bigger than that. This is about creating real economic growth for the city that I truly love. And the benefit is, of course, we are the most pro-worker city in America. Engagements up until this point, since I've been mayor, have certainly spoken to that.

5:04 This project, along with the project on the southeast side, CyQuantum, the project on the west side, 1901, that the Wurtz family, as well as the Reinsdorfs, are committed to growing. These are all economic opportunities to continue to grow the city that I love. Hi, Mayor. Are you reconsidering the $300 million property tax increase, given all the pushback, Special City Council meeting? Well, I don't necessarily consider it as pushback. I'll say it like this. So as a public school teacher, sometimes we do things to get people's attention. And so now that we have the attention of everyone, I've said from the very beginning, this is a proposal.

5:39 I'm a collaborative mayor. For the first time in the history of Chicago, you're actually seeing that type of collaborative approach. And we will continue to engage with city council. What amount are you considering a decrease of then? Well, look, this is really about making sure that we're investing in people. Here's what my values are. Here are my values, that we have to continue to invest in youth and workforce. That is still my commitment, $50 million additional dollars, building affordable homes and responding to the unhoused crisis that we have in the city of Chicago,

6:13 making critical investments into community safety, and then, of course, continue to expand our work around behavior and mental health. It's about investing in people. How we balance this budget ultimately has to be committed to investing in people, And that's what this project and this assignment is all about. You know, if the council holds a special city council meeting this week and votes this tax increase down, whose responsibility, in your opinion, do you see it to find an alternative pathway to the $300? Look, it's about a collaborative approach. Here's what I've offered for the people of Chicago.

6:43 You actually have a robust conversation about how we balance the budget, but it's not just simply around balancing the budget. My chief financial officer is here. The structural damage that has been done to this city has left us in the type of financial peril that we are experiencing. We're not moving backwards. I've made a commitment to respond to the structural damage. That includes paying into people's retirement. That includes making sure that we save taxpayers $3 billion over the course of the next five years as we make these critical payments.

7:14 But it also ensures that we're investing in young people and workforce development. It's also about investing in our behavior and mental health, building more affordable homes, the affordable housing units that we will be able to build 600 over the next five years using a revolving loan to create a long-term sustainable pathway to continue to grow our city. That's the excitement. Now, look, there are progressive revenue ideas that we have to collectively fight for in Springfield. Everyone knows that. The city of Chicago has been very vocal and out loud about the fiscal challenges that we are experiencing, but this is not confined to the city of Chicago.

7:52 Ultimately, whatever we do in this moment has to include a collective effort as a state to generate revenue so that the entire state can fully fund its education system. The entire state can fully fund our transportation system. These are the elements and dynamics that my administration is committed to not just exploring, but leading on. Hi, Mayor. Hey. If the $300 million property tax isn't included in the 2025 budget, will you accept a budget that includes some level of layoffs or furloughs of city employees?

8:26 No, no, we're not laying people off. And our finance team has been working very hard with a plethora of revenue ideas that are still being explored. I presented a proposal. We gave the city council an opportunity to react. But keep in mind, we've been having community meetings around this budget for the last year. We are more engaged than we've ever been in the history of Chicago. For the first time, is this right, Chief Pacione Zayas, we actually have budgeteers, a model that our chief of staff brought with her from Springfield.

8:57 So this is the most robust conversation we've ever had. Remember when two administrations ago where property taxes were raised over $500 million three consecutive years, right? Do you all remember a robust conversation like this? Probably not, because it didn't happen. Doesn't it feel good to be a part of a city that is more collaborative and not dictatorial? And that's more rhetorical. You don't have to answer that, but I know it feels good for us. Returning to the election results, we heard from President-elect Trump's border czar saying that he was prepared to send squads of ICE agents into so-called sanctuary cities, including New York.

9:37 He did not mention Chicago, but, of course, that would apply to Chicago. Are you prepared to somehow resist the arrival of ICE agents, and are you prepared to defend the city's public safety budget from attempts by the incoming Trump administration to withdraw funds if you resist working with ICE agents? Impressive, Heather. Yes, yes, and yes. Look, we're going to defend the people of this city because, look, his attack.

10:10 Let's be very clear. The president elect, former President Trump, his threat is not just towards new arrivals and undocumented families. His threats are also against black families. He has a vision to destroy public education, public education at the expense of the state. after all, is a Negro idea. Those are the words of W.E.B. Du Bois. So when he talks about Project 2025 and dismantling public education, we're talking about a system that has been designed to create leveling opportunities

10:43 for families who are descendants of slaves. He's also threatening the Department of the Environment. We restore the Department of the Environment. With global population shift and climate change that's happening all over the planet, we're going to stand up and protect our environment. We're going to stand up and we're going to protect undocumented individuals. We're going to protect black folks, brown folks, Asian folks. Listen, the anti-sentiment that exists in this political space right now is unconscionable and it's dangerous. Whether it's anti-black or anti-Semitic, we're going to protect people and we're going to invest in people.

11:16 The city of Chicago will be better, stronger, and safer despite who's in the White House. Hi, Mayor. A few revenue proposals that have been thrown around include increasing the garbage collection fee, bag tax, increasing the price of city stickers. Those would all disproportionately impact lower-income Chicagoans should those be put in place. Do you support any of those revenue ideas, and if so, how do you sell them to Chicagoans? Well, here's what I support. I support progressive revenue. We know that. I supported the progressive income tax. We know that corporations and the ultra-wealthy in this state fought against that.

11:51 I support bringing Chicago home, a small incremental tax on transferring of properties into homes that are worth more than a million dollars. Look, at the end of the day, we're going to have to find progressive solutions for the entire state, for the entire state. The robust conversation that is taking place right now is an exercise that ultimately is going to build muscle for where we ultimately need to go.

12:21 Now, these ideas that are on the table, our team will continue to explore and listen to. My values are clear. We don't compromise them. We are negotiating details within those values. Hi, Mayor. Miranda Davis, Bloomberg News. I just want to really drill down on the property tax question. My understanding is that the $300 million was your initial proposal, and then we've seen reporting today that it might be scrapped or it might be reduced. What is the current proposal? Is it still $300 million, or is it something else?

12:55 We're negotiating. We're negotiating. So is it still the $300 million? Is that what we're saying? So part of a negotiation is to discuss everything. Look, I presented a proposal. We're negotiating them. As we get closer to those conversations about where we land and where we settle, we'll make sure that we keep you apprised. That's what these Tuesday opportunities will provide. But again, this is about making sure that we're not laying people off.

13:28 So people are taking my administration seriously, right, because they understand that the corporate fund in which we're talking about, 45 percent of the corporate fund is police and fire. Laying people off certainly does not reflect my values, right? And so as we continue to have conversations, our team continues to provide ideas for revenue, right? This was just one proposal. So is it fair to say, I guess for accuracy purposes, just for the sake of reporting, that you are still pursuing the $300 million, or is that off the table?

14:02 I want to file a story today, you know? Yeah, so here's what you can put in your story. I do. Here's what you can put in your story. That the mayor of the city of Chicago is true to his word as a collaborator. And we are collaborating. Consider, write this, okay? He is the collaborator-in-chief. How's that? And that we are working with city council who have the responsibility to pass the budget that I've presented. This is a good thing for the city of Chicago to have this type of robust debate. I don't know if you had a chance to cover other administrations, but I can assure you we didn't have this type of robust engagement.

14:38 I'm committed to getting feedback from city council members, the business leaders. We had, I don't know, how many community meetings did we have since last January? Four, five, or six? Yes. Five, six community meetings. So this isn't brand new. And so I know you have to write this story and catch up a little bit, but for accuracy purposes, the color. Our Collaborator-in-Chief is committed to having robust conversations with City Council to how to make sure that we're investing in youth employment, workforce development,

15:10 how we're using our TIF surplus for the first time in, I don't know, maybe ever, where the amount of TIF surplus dollars that are going to the community colleges, our public school system, our county government, all of these measures are indication of my commitment to investing in people while also keeping a collaborative open mind to how we ultimately pass this budget. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. Good afternoon. Good luck on your story, by the way. Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon.

15:40 If I could first ask a question on behalf of my colleague, Tonya Hill, what role, if any, did the mayor's office play in coordinating with the assessor's office in increasing property tax assessments to generate additional revenue for the city's budget? It's a separate body of government. Like, what role did your office work in coordinating with them, I think is the question. It's just a separate body of government, right? So, look, I mean, we're committed to making sure that the people of Chicago are ultimately protected. But the assessor's work is established by an algorithm that is not within the purview or jurisdiction of city government.

16:15 I believe that algorithm is that's Jill. Is that set by state law? Chase, the assessment? The first day you need the assessor. Please, please. Yeah. Yeah, Fritz Gahey, the elected assessor, you know, has powers to do the reassessments. That's exactly what his role is, and it's what's within his purview. Thank you. Okay, and then my question is, Mayor, are you against the closure of seven charter schools in the Ossero Network, and do you have concerns with how CPS leadership is responding to this?

16:48 Yes and yes. Yes and yes. we look school closings are traumatic it's painful i've been through it experienced it as an educator as a parent organizer as a teacher and the fact that you have a charter operation that is acquiescing to its bondholders and not considering families is problematic but this

17:19 isn't breaking news right this is what i've said for a very long time as an organizer and as a teacher, as a parent, that these privatization schemes have created the type of environment that has destabilized our school district. And leadership with the Chicago Public Schools has to have a contingency plan as this type of trend continues to unfold. And right now, we haven't seen that type of leadership.

17:50 What I'm ultimately working to do is to protect families in this city. No matter what side of town they live on. And the families feel responsible, they feel blamed, they feel duped, they're frightened, you know, because of these failures and these past schemes. And so we're going to, of course, correct. You all have seen my resolution and my commitment to fully funding neighborhood schools, because that ultimately is the guarantee that we have to offer to our young people. We can't leave it to chance, and we certainly can't leave it to chance in this political environment

18:22 where you have a president who's coming in in a couple of months who's made it very clear that he wants to annihilate and close down the public education system as a whole by eradicating the Department of Education. It is unconscionable, it is dangerous, and it certainly is something that we're going to fight hard against here in the city of Chicago. If you don't see a contingency plan up to your satisfaction, would you pursue this as an issue to fire the CEO for cause? So you know I don't discuss personnel issues, but nice try, Alice. Stole my question right out there.

18:53 I like it, Alice. So now you've got to ask another question. No, I have to think of another question. Mayor, do you have an interim board president in mind now that you want to appoint before the hybrid school board takes over? And should the board delay any kind of major action now that they are lame duck and that this new board will be seated in January? So our parents' interests will never be a lame duck, not as long as I'm leader. Asking parents to wait and to delay action when you have the power to do something today,

19:25 I would find that reckless and irresponsible and reprehensible. I remember this was the same argument that President Obama got. Should he make an appointment considering there's going to be a transfer of power? Now, it could just be coincidental that it just happens to happen to two very, you know, out loud organizers who are black men who are executives. But I can assure you this. I will not wait in order to pursue fully funding our education system to ensure that every single family in this city gets what they.

20:00 They deserve. Hi, Mayor. Hi. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like you are rejecting the ideas of furloughs, layoffs, and regressive fees and taxes. That is accurate. That's not just hearsay. Okay. You can put this in your story. I am rejecting layoffs. I am furloughs. Layoffs, furloughs, and regressive taxes and fees, correct? Well, let me just say it like this. There are a number of taxes that are already on the books that are not the type of progressive structure that I want.

20:31 Now, look, I've had the privilege of serving for the last 18 months. We have to continue to fight. Has it been 18 months? Something like that. We have to continue to fight for progressive revenue. That is the ultimate goal. Okay, so is it correct to say that you're rejecting boosting regressive taxes and fees? Here's what it's safe to say, is that we are fighting for progressive revenue for long-term sustainability. Okay. So are you considering budging on a bigger TIF sweep, restructuring the fire department to have more AMTs versus firefighters

21:03 to respond to the 70% of calls that are for medical assistance versus a 30% for fire suppression? It's kind of a little bit of a convoluted question there. Could you just break that down? So the Civic Federation gave their whole laundry list, and that was one of them. Well, that's kind of two of them, so why don't you break them up, all right? I'm going to give you both of those questions. So are you considering – Sorry, Nespa, hi. I'm going to break the rules for a second because those are multiple questions. At least do it the way Heather does. Do it concurrently and make them yes or no, but that's okay. Okay. So why don't you break them up one more time? So are you considering the restructuring of the fire department that the Civic Federation –

21:35 So right now those conversations are in a contract negotiation, and I'm not going to negotiate a contract publicly. Okay. What's your other part of that? Are you considering their suggestion to forgo the supplemental pension payment? So here's the problem with that, right? Our liability is we are grossly underfunded. We are, Gilles, correct me if I'm wrong, we're below 20% funded. We're around 20%. We're just around 20%, right?

22:07 So we're talking about a system that takes care of workers who sacrifice their lives for the city of Chicago, right? If we continue down the path that we have been on, the structural repair, if we continue to delay that, that continues to put more and more and more pressure on our overall budget. Well, what we're looking to do is to strengthen the load-bearing wall, if you will,

22:38 so that we can continue to build on the house. You can tell I'm an HGTV fan, by the way. And just for the record, being mayor is like an episode of Property Brothers, by the way. You say that every meeting. Well, I'm just saying that, look, if we don't repair the structural damage, we're going to continue down this pathway of unsolvency. So the advance payment really is an opportunity for us to save taxpayer dollars in the long run. We're talking conservatively $3 billion. Jill, you want to add something to that, please?

23:10 Thank you, Mayor. You know, the reason that the supplemental payment was put in place is because the amounts that the city is required to pay under state law, Even though it is now an actuarially determined amount, it is still insufficient to stop the liabilities in our pension funds from growing. And so we would continue to see the liabilities grow, the funded percentage weaken for quite a number of years before we would finally stabilize our pension if we only put in what the state requires.

23:42 And the ramp up in payments going forward to get over that is very steep and would require a very large amount. It would require essentially $3.9 billion more in investment over what we're putting in now for the supplemental payment over these few years. We don't view the supplemental payment as really a supplement. It's what we need to put into our pension funds to stabilize them and stop the bleeding.

24:15 The city has always paid what the state required. And we went from pension funds that were between 60 to 100 and I think 20 percent funded to down to under 20 percent funding by doing what was required. But what was required is not sufficient. It's not really what we need to put in. And so awards like supplemental and advanced, they relate to the statutory requirement, but they don't relate to what we really need to put in.

24:47 And that's the amount that we have to put in simply to stop the bleeding and to let us reverse course and start increasing the funding sooner. Thank you, Jill. Mayor, your interest in the... CERO charters is confusing some because as a former member or on-leave member from CTU, CTU's been very adamant of anti-charter. Why are you so interested in a CERO? Is it because of their CTU representation? And therefore, is that somewhat of a conflict of interest for you?

25:24 Well, I'm opposed to the privatization schemes that have created the destabilization of our school district. That's what I'm opposed to, right? And I've made that very clear from the beginning because privatization, again, it creates this chance system versus a guarantee system. I am pro-guarantee so that we don't have to leave it to a lottery dynamic for a child and a family to be able to have a full-funded, well-rounded education.

25:57 As far as my interest in children, that is not breaking news, respectfully. I've always been interested in the outcomes of children's success. And school closings, I've made it very clear that have always been opposed to them because they are disruptive, they are damaging. The level of fear and anxiety and confusion that these families are experiencing right now are very reminiscent of what I experience. I don't want any family to endure that type of trauma. So I've always been clear that school closings, it's damaging.

26:31 And it has not created a level of confidence the way we need it to be in the city of Chicago for our public schools. So there's no conflict there. I will continue to stand up and fight for the people of this city, and I'm certainly going to continue to fight for the families who rely upon our public school system. Can I go back to the $300 million tax? Of course. Why not read the room ahead of time? You say you're collaborative, but if you had read the room of the council ahead of time, you wouldn't have offered a $300 million because I would have said, no.

27:09 There are a number of people who recognize that we have to continue to make critical investments into our public space while also dealing with the structural damage, of course, that, you know, my administration inherited. You know, as far as reading the room, here's how I've read the room, that the city council members deserve to be included in this process. That's different than how other mayors have behaved. They simply present a budget. There's a few amendments here or there. And then all those in favor signify by saying aye. 48. All those who don't agree say no. Two people. We have a far more robust operation here. In other words, we're not afraid to have the hard and difficult conversations.

27:54 Here's the bigger read, though. I don't want to have to raise property taxes. You don't. I've made that very clear, and left with the decision of property tax versus layoffs, we knew that layoffs would be far more severe and damaging. This proposal that is in front of the City Council right now, my finance team continues to have robust conversations about other forms of revenue that they should consider. Again, I don't know if this has ever been done before either.

28:28 So we had an entire subcommittee for revenue ideas out of the finance committee. And that was done intentionally from the very beginning so that we could have these type of robust debates and we can do them publicly. I'm not afraid or intimidated by having these robust conversations. I think it's important that the people of Chicago understand deliberation and they get to have their voices expressed to their city council members. Here's the thing that we're not going to negotiate. though. We're not going to negotiate against my values. My values, investing in youth employment

28:59 and workforce. It's a big deal. We're going to put ourselves in a position where we can hire up to 30,000 young people this summer. 30,000 young people with summer jobs. We're already experiencing a 32% increase since I've been in office. But here's what else we're able to invest in. Mental health services. Every mayor since mayor here in Washington has reduced mental and behavioral health. Not this one. Reopen the mental health clinic, providing more behavioral mental health services. I know there was a question

29:30 asked earlier about the TIFF surplus. We pulled the entire liver, the entire lever, one of the largest TIFF surplus in the history of Chicago. But we're also committed to community safety. Since I've been in office, homicides are down, shootings are down, vehicular hijackings are down, robberies are down, criminal sexual assault is down two hundred detectives by the end of this year look there's a lot of work to be done but every single metrics and area in this city since I've been mayor has gradually improved in our investments, as well as solving the structural damage that we inherited.

30:04 It's a big deal. It's a big responsibility. But as you can see, the full force of government is on display. It's not too big for this administration. Hi, Mayor. So you talked a lot about collaboration in the past questions. What collaborative ideas have come up in the last week or since you introduced your budget proposal that you support that might not have been in the original proposal? Well, there was some good, robust debate. Thank you for elevating that. Those conversations are ongoing. I can say this, that the conversations have been very positive.

30:38 So no specifics in terms of what we talked about, a garbage fee, liquor tax raise, anything like that that you support? Well, look, I know that those ideas are on the table, but here's the good news. People are bringing more ideas to the table. That's a good thing. At a time in which democracy is threatened in this country, we are literally seeing the transformation of city government right in front of our eyes, where you have more robust conversations that are not being directed in a dictatorial style.

31:10 Again, collaborator in chief. Now, if you write it faster than Bloomberg, you'll get the credit for it. So just to follow up on that, but we've heard from some older people that they've presented ideas and they've gotten, well, this is why it won't work whenever they bring up a new thought or idea. What is your message to those that maybe they haven't been, they feel like they haven't been received as well as some of the other alders that we know have worked much closer with you in the past, maybe people that oppose your ideas? We are listening to every single older person. And there are some ideas that have been put forth that there are some dynamics that require context.

31:47 Our budget team, they're experts. So whatever idea that is presented, the finance team has a responsibility to not just socialize something, but operationalize it. Right. Because, again, the goal is to deal with the structural damage that I inherited. And we're going to fix that, by the way, while also making critical investments. all of the ideas that people are presenting will have context that is offered from an entire floor. What floor is it, Jill? Is it the sixth floor?

32:17 There's an entire floor. Maybe one day we could take a tour of it. There's an entire floor of experts whose responsibility is to ensure that whatever idea is brought before the people of Chicago, that there's an operational aspect that actually has to be walked through. That is called discipline. That is called professionalism. Mayor, let me actually interrupt you. Sure, please. No, come on over here. Sixth floor is budget, seventh floor is finance. Come on, come on to the mic. Come to the microphone. Yes, yes, because there's like more than one floor, in other words. Yes. Sixth floor is budget, seventh floor is finance.

32:48 So it's really actually one and a half floors. Yes, one and a half floors, right. And then, of course, there's the fifth floor, by the way. So it's two and a half floors. And the half floor is because we are fiscally responsible on one of those floors. And so we've had to reduce the, you know, personnel. Thank you for that question. Hi, Mayor. I wanted to go back to the Acero Network. If you look at their contract with CPS, it doesn't appear that the district can legally take any steps to intervene in the proposed closing. So I'm wondering, at this point, what would you, your office, like to see CPS do?

33:20 Yeah, well, first of all, there's a real dynamic that is happening in the city of Chicago that the people of the city should be aware of. that there are a number of charter schools who have had for a long time historically a very heavy budget around management. And so that has created real structural damage to the ultimate goal, which is to educate children. And so part of what my task is is to challenge CPS in its leadership to respond to charter operators

33:58 who have these structural elements within their budgetary framework that are not sustainable long term. And that will require audits. It will require CPS digging in a little bit deeper to look at the trends that are happening. And so whatever we're able to come out with in this particular scenario, the ultimate goal is to is to hyper focus our attention where this is most likely is to take place. And this is not just a zero. One of the schools that's not getting attention is a school on the west side in my neighborhood in Austin, Plato.

34:34 Same dynamic, you know. And again, this is not hope this doesn't come across as I told you so. But we told people so. So, you know, whether it was two administrations ago or three administrations ago, they set up these schemes that benefited the interest of of of of corporate interests. Right. I mean, we know how a Sarah ended up in the situation. At least we all should know how Uno Charter Schools was built on a Ponzi scheme that got a handful of people, contracts and wealthy, and left the families holding the bag.

35:14 So there is substantive work that we have to continue to do. You might be aware of this because you've covered this for a period of time. I was a part of the effort in my role as an organizer to provide stricter accountability from the state on charter operators because they were just unregulated. And so perhaps there's some things that we should be considering in a more aggressive way to create more accountability. But it sounds like what you're talking about, these are like long-term ideas and long-term things.

35:47 I mean, Springfield is in session now. I don't know if that's long-term. Well, I mean, my point is, if the mayor's office is strongly opposed to these closings, what do you want CPS to do now to prevent the closings from happening now? Look, there are options that we will consider. It's the bottom line. But the reason why I'm pointing this out, this is not to obfuscate what you're ultimately asking. But whatever I present as a solution, there's still a long-term systemic problem that we have to address.

36:18 That's what's important here. Look, I don't want schools to close, and I'm going to do everything under my power to make sure that these families experience real stability, and we have to continue to challenge these operators who are more interested in protecting their stakeholders in terms of their financial stakeholders than the families in which they were contracted to actually serve. Hey, Mayor. Hey. Since the operators are the ones that have the ability to close their own schools,

36:52 and you talked about the leadership of CPS, so what specifically has Pedro Martinez done or didn't do about these schools? I mean, legally, he does not have the authority to close these schools. So I'm confused on specifically what he has done wrong when it comes to Acero schools. Yeah, I don't know if anybody said that he did anything wrong. Did I say he did anything wrong? Well, you questioned his leadership. It was implied.

37:23 It was implied. Listen, I didn't say he did anything wrong, okay? I just want to make sure because there are a lot of people who are writing here. Here's what we're saying is that there is a trend that's happening here, and CPS's leadership has to put together contingency plans to ensure that this trend doesn't become a part of the regular dynamic within our school district. Look, over the last few years, this is before I was mayor, you are already seeing these type of developments take place, right?

37:55 And so this is about pulling together, whether it's the operators, the parents, other stakeholders, alders, We can't have the people of this city experiencing this level of trauma without some foresight or insight to how this came about. Now, here's one thing that I know that the CEO will do because I directed him to do this. CPS has to dig deeper into the finances of not just the Serral Charter, but other charter schools to be able to better forecast what their financial state actually is.

38:37 Because remember, this charter school operator, their contract was extended because they demonstrated that they were solvent. So something happened between that expansion and that contract extension and the solvency in which was presented versus what they actually reported out on, which was just a month ago or so. And so this is not about pointing the finger at someone doing something wrong. This is about how we course correct so that families don't lose out.

39:11 And my second question also has to do with CPS. I know you said that when you talked about your six-member kind of short-term board here that you don't want to wait to fully fund schools. So apparently there's going to be a school board meeting on Thursday. There's another one scheduled in December. So does this mean that you have directed this school board to fire Pedro Martinez for cause and also to pass the short-term loan?

39:41 So this board is about transition. Remember, this is about transition, of which I believe we discussed this at a different press conference where there are a number of members who were appointed a month or so ago that have the potential and opportunity to remain in place, right? There was some projection. and some insight to how the election could carry out that we wanted to make sure that we put as many people in position as possible to be a part of this transition. Look, this is going to be

40:12 a difficult transition for the people of Chicago. It's the first time in the history of Chicago where you have democracy and our public education system. It's something that I'm very proud of as the first and only mayor to actually commit to an elected representative school board, particularly at a time in which democracy is being eroded around America. You know, as far as what their ultimate responsibility is, it's about making sure that our children get a fully funded education system. That's what their responsibility is. Look, my vision is very clear, you all.

40:43 There's no secret. Here's what I would ask respectfully is see my vision bigger than just a particular act by a board. We're talking about fully funded neighborhood schools. Do you know that the number of schools in this city that do not have libraries and librarians, social workers and counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists, the experience of an elementary school teacher is difficult. You know how I know? Because I was one. Where elementary teachers in the city of Chicago don't have full preps.

41:15 And so based upon how many adults are in the building, that could determine whether or not an elementary school teacher has a planning period. Don't we want these individuals to be treated like professionals? Don't we want to make sure that every single child has access to a fully funded, well-rounded, comprehensive education system that includes after-school dynamics? You have children who are signed up for choir or sports, and they don't have a ride to get to their competition. That's the stuff that's been dogging our city for generations.

41:45 And so I know that there is this, I don't know, petite conversation around what the board would do over the next couple of weeks or couple of months, but this is a far more substantial opportunity for the city of Chicago to do right, particularly by west-siders and south-siders. And so I'm going to do right by west-siders and south-siders, and I'm going to continue to direct the board to do that. Hello, Mayor. Thank you again for doing this. I'm going to return to a question you've sort of been asked, I think, maybe once or twice before, about the property tax hike.

42:20 Based on the current state of negotiations and given the fact that a majority of Alders have expressed an opposition to it, can you speak to the chances, based on what you know of the negotiations, is it possible that the negotiations could lead to zero property tax increase by the time it's all done? Well, look, I think that would be premature for me to dictate, you know, what a number will ultimately be. Here's what we have to do. We have to continue to invest in people. We also have to respond to the structural damage.

42:51 There's a commitment from the city council based upon these conversations and what I've presented. They're committed to youth employment and workforce. They're committed to making sure that we're building more affordable homes. They're committed to making sure we are expanding mental health services. And they're committed to community safety. Two more helicopters in a couple of months, 200 detectives. As crime continues to fall in this city under my leadership, $20 billion of new investment. People want to make sure that there's a workforce that can actually participate in the economic development that we have. Now, as far as what the actual number is, where we will land, that's what this negotiation is all about.

43:26 But, I mean, for taxpayers who are wondering, you know, are they serious about trying to figure out other ways than raising my property taxes? Is there a chance? I think that's a fair question. Should the people of Chicago know that I'm serious of working through this dynamic? Absolutely, I'm serious about it. Absolutely. That's why we put the proposal out in the first place, and that's why we're not dictating the outcome and the success of this budget. Again, it's a collaborative approach. I will continue to lead that way. And I guess my other question is this, and you did touch on this earlier,

43:59 but more directly, Tom Holman basically says sanctuaries need to get the heck out of the way so that ICE can do its job. I mean, what is your message back to the Trump administration with those kinds of threats, if you will? Yeah, look, whether it's threatening, you know, our undocumented families and new arrivals or whether they're threatening black and brown families who believe in public education like I do. We're not going to tolerate and we certainly are not going to cower to someone's threat. You know, this is Chicago.

44:31 You all? I mean, we produce the most innovative, the most talented people around the globe. There's a congressional leader, I believe, out of Arizona who was born and raised in Chicago, right? And, look, the incoming administration is not just a threat to Chicago, but a threat to what is sensible about this country. And as mayor of the city of Chicago, we're not going to bend or break. or cower to someone's threat.

45:01 We're going to stand up and unite around our shared values, and they have my assurance that I'm going to protect the families of this city. Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon. The Civic Federation's been critical, not just of your administration, but of the city government in general, using ARPA dollars in a way to set up programs that they believe aren't sustainable. They believe that that's why we're in partly the budget hole that we're in. As part of the negotiations that you're engaged in, Is your administration looking at potentially repurposing ARPA dollars that are unspent

45:33 or suspending programs that are currently just being funded through those one-time ARPA dollars? Yeah, so look, I don't really – I'm going to just be very direct and very honest and be vulnerable here. I don't know why this particular configuration – you said the civic committee? The civic federation. The civic federation, the civic federation. I don't know why the Civic Federation would be opposed to investing in communities that have been historically disinvested in. That was the sole purpose of the ARPA dollars.

46:05 Look, for the life of me, I don't understand that, particularly at a time when it wasn't ARPA dollars that destroyed this economy. You know, what they really should be doing is working with us to make sure that the state of Illinois is in a position to have progressive revenue. What was their position on the progressive income tax? In fact, there were too many people within the corporate world that fought against our efforts to raise a to have a graduated income tax. In fact, had we done it and they had not pushed back against it, we wouldn't be in the financial turmoil that we're experiencing right now.

46:39 Their notion that somehow investing in black and brown communities with programs that ultimately provide transformation and opportunities, you know, for families to be able to experience not just sustainable existence, but a thriving existence, that somehow that's the problem with our economy, then that shows how blind they have been. It shows how much they've ignored the conditions in which the people of this city have had to endure. It's distasteful and it's misinformed.

47:09 not paying into our retirement and not fighting for progressive revenue and challenging the ultra-wealthy in this state to pay their fair share, that has caused damage. To put that on the backs of working people and poor people is unconscionable, and that's why I'm going to continue to defend and fight for working people in this city, and I'm certainly not going to cower to individuals that want to blame ARPA dollars and investing in poor people as some sort of problem with our economy. So I know Budget Director Guzman said a few weeks ago that the repurposing of ARPA dollars wasn't going to be part of closing this budget gap.

47:44 Has that been brought back to the table? Look, there's going to continue to be ongoing negotiations around this budget. What my ultimate goal is, is to respond to the structural damage. So we create a real opportunity so that we're not in this predicament in three, four, five years from now, while also making critical investments. We're going to do everything in our power to hold on to the investments that are critical for the advancement of these communities that have been marginalized, particularly on the west, south side, southwest side, parts of the northwest side of the city of Chicago.

48:14 Our ultimate goal is to protect those families who have been marginal for decades in this city. And I'm going to continue to work collaboratively with city council to ensure that that becomes a reality in this budget. And then just my second question is... That was your second question. Knock it off. You act like I didn't just start teaching, man. That was clever. Hey, Mary. You just can't call something second, right, if it's the fourth. But good job. Mayor, your finance team has shared a lot of details about potential options to balance the budget, and that includes ARPA spending redirects and even trimming the advanced pension payment,

48:47 both of which you sound opposed to right now. What is one idea to cut spending or raise revenue that was not in your original budget proposal that you think should be a part of the final budget? Well, again, as I said, this is an ongoing negotiation, right? It's an ongoing negotiation. Look, I know you're trying to pin me down to one. I'm just saying that this is a $16.9 billion budget. And so there are a plethora of ideas that we would consider. Again, it's my value system to invest in people.

49:18 We're negotiating the details of my values. Now, will there be opportunities for some give and some take and for some reconsideration? I think that I've displayed that over the course of 18 months, and I'm willing to negotiate with folks, whether it was paid time off, whether it was a sub-minimum wage, whether it was the last year's budget, there will be ongoing conversations that you will hear from where you'll see where the give and take will take place. In the meantime, let's hold on to our efforts to respond to the structural deficit that we've inherited,

49:49 that we fixed that or put ourselves on the trajectory to do that while also making critical investments in our communities that have been historically disinvested in. Do you have favorite solutions? now that you're not sharing with with with us for some reason well it's not that i'm not sharing but it's just you know look you all i don't think that there's a secret to the ideas that are on the table it'll be different if you didn't know what was being negotiated what you're trying to ask me to do hold on okay hold on here's what you're asking me to do based upon what's on the

50:19 table you want to know my opinion of it that's what you're asking and what i'm simply saying is the fact that it's on the table is something that we are working to collaborate and to build a real experience to determine whether or not those ideas are worthwhile so look it is the most transparent that we have ever been in this city government you all know everything that's on the table that's being discussed right now asking me to pinpoint one thing or two things or in your third question you know to me I appreciate it but just know that the fact that you're able to cover what's being negotiated just write this I shouldn't say it that way that that

50:54 That didn't mean to come off that abrasive. What I'm saying is here's what is safe for you to consider and write, that all of the ideas that are on the table right now, our team continues to have a robust conversation with city council members around ways in which we can explore how to deal with the structural damage while also making critical investments. Hi. How many questions are we doing? No, I honestly forget. I thought it was one and a follow-up. It was one and a half. You're right. So there's always that one person in the room who's like, look, they ain't been keeping up with the rules.

51:25 So, Tamar, we got you. Go ahead. Well, I know, and people want to file and get on TV and all that. Well, let me – I'll do this. I'll be slick. I'll be honest that I'm going to be slick. I'm going to put two things together that aren't related, but they really are. So, you know, you say you're the collaborator-in-chief, but I've talked to a couple of alders who say they were not part of this past weekend's behind-the-scenes talks about the budget as you maybe back off from the $300 million property tax hike. Like, you know, how can you say that you're the collaborator-in-chief if, in fact, everyone has not had a seat at the table?

52:01 So I'll answer that one first. Everyone will have an opportunity to engage. Look, you all understand how parliamentary works, right? So this is not me being slick. This is just what the rules are. You know, we're having conversations in segments. Everyone will get the same conversation. What you are reporting on from these alders is that the mayor of the city of Chicago works on the weekend. That's all. And on holidays. Our deputy mayors have been in constant communication.

52:33 Our finance team has been in constant communication with alders. Trust me, we literally have the receipts to prove it. Literally. And so we will have conversations with everyone. I assure you that. Even the ones who, you know, struggle to support this progressive agenda. Okay. All right. And, you know, you've mentioned Springfield a few times and the need for them to step up. The Pritzker administration is out with a projection of a $3.2 billion budget deficit.

53:05 You know, the governor obviously can make cuts, as he's shown that he's been willing to do in the past. But the only guaranteed continuing revenue that you would have would be the income tax. You know, we have a flat tax system. So do you support the Springfield legislature raising the income tax? Yes. Look, we have to have a progressive income tax ultimately, you know. But as you mentioned, the state of Illinois is having its own financial struggles. It's not just Illinois. It's the country, right?

53:37 I mean, there's a real gap between revenue and expense. That's just a reality for all of our budgets. And this is not just about Springfield stepping up. This is about us all collaborating together where we actually can make a real dent in the structural damage that exists statewide. Look, I know I say this with a great deal of humility and respect for previous administrations. I do not know why they didn't work harder to fight for progressive revenue.

54:07 I don't, because each of them knew that this day was coming. What my administration has done is that we have shown up as a partner with the General Assembly. Our finance team, right, Jill, we have regular conversations with the governor's finance team, like ongoing conversations. I just had a quick meeting just a couple of hours ago with President Prekwinko. We're all in alignment that it's going to require all of us to work on behalf of working people in this state

54:42 to ensure that all of our budgets are not just balanced, but they are course corrective, as well as ensuring that we're making investments in education, in transportation, in housing. We all want the same thing. We want working people in this state to thrive We want working people to across the globe to thrive. I'm just simply saying as mayor of the city of Chicago, I'm willing to step up first to say we're going to fight for real progressive revenue to ensure that working people and poor people don't have to live in despair. Hi, Mayor. Hi. On the budget,

55:15 you know, when it comes to the order of operations, why not have started with some of these other revenue proposals that are now being offered before coming out of the gate with a $300 million property tax increase? Some of these conversations were discussed. You know, the viability of some of these conversations, just keep in mind, and I hope this doesn't come across accusatory, but there are members of the city council who have discussed some of the ideas that are being presented, and they push back against them. So this is what I'm saying. This is how collaborative this approach has been. We didn't just show up with a budget proposal. We had budgeteers,

55:48 community meetings, so forth and so on, conversations with city council members. Some of them said, look, that could work, that may not work. And so now that people have had a chance to see the full presentation we recognize that there are other ideas that we have to consider that may perhaps we didn't consider before and I just wondering too you know there's a revised schedule budget hearings that's been proposed that would push hearings all the way back to December 6 that would be after your hope for December 4th vote on the budget so when do you hope for a final vote now on the budget as soon as we can you know look the

56:24 The chairman of the budget committee, you know, that's part of his authority to help set that schedule, you know, working in collaboration with his colleagues. But, you know, we want to do this as soon as possible. Hi, Mayor. Hi. Thanks for being patient. It's my pleasure. It's getting warm in here, isn't it? I like it here. I haven't been here in a while, actually. Back to the threat of the president-elect with mass deportations, I was wondering if you foresee any type of conflict with the Chicago Police Department and the usual suspects that in the past challenged the rules of Sanctuary City.

57:00 Yeah, thank you. That came up before, and I don't believe I answered it as thoroughly as I should have. Thank you for bringing that back. Look, our police department already has a heavy lift, and we continue to ask our police departments, not just in Chicago and the state of Illinois, but across America, to do more and more. It's just not sustainable. Our police department will not dub as ICE agents. That's just we're not going to do that. And it's a dangerous precedent where members of communities begin to feel unsafe with their local police department.

57:38 Right. We're already working to restore confidence and trust in our local police department. The last thing we need is, as members of community, feel like they can experience a raid from a local police department on behalf of a tyrant. Look, here's what I would encourage President Trump to do. That's what I would encourage him to do. Work with Congress to come up with significant immigration reform policy. Like, we can actually do that.

58:09 President Biden was working on that. got bipartisan support in the Senate, and then the House blocked it. And look, and so, look, the president-elect exercised his power to stop policy from being enacted. Now he has the ability to actually do something of substance and value versus just to continue to make threats. Like, to me, it's just a waste of power. Like, imagine me as mayor of the city of Chicago, and I just start threatening people all the time. Would you even want to come to those press conferences? Well, maybe you would.

58:40 Maybe it would be entertainment for some people, but it's not leadership. You don't hear me threatening people. I'm just saying we're going to stand up for people. That's what leadership requires. That's what I'm doing. That's what my administration is doing. We are standing up for people. We're not threatening people. That is one of the most, like, iniquitous forms of governance that I've ever seen, right? And particularly for these United States of America, where we have had to live through threats. Look, I'm a descendant of slaves. living through threat is painful that's why the migration to some extent took place where blacks

59:16 from the south were threatened by political leaders in the south threatening to hang people threatening to lynch people like those threats have real consequence and my people know what that's like to experience those threats why would I want anybody else to experience that Whether you are a new arrival or someone who came up with a great migration from the south, we're not going to threaten people. We're going to stand up and fight for people. Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon. I'm actually going to follow up on one of Taman's questions.

59:52 Every time. And it's about the progressive revenue. The Bring Chicago Home, the real estate transfer tax, failed at the box office. The graduated income tax failed at the box office. And then just a week ago, it seems like Americans voted their own personal economic interests in that election. So what will make any more attempts at those progressive revenues fare any better?

1:00:27 What kind of argument can you make to change people's minds from what they voted on before? Yeah, it's a very sobering question. It really is. Look, if if I base my decisions on simply wins and losses, I wouldn't be standing here today. You know, so I hear the first part of your question, then we'll get a little bit deeper, because I think the deeper part of your question is the substance. Right. what is it that we can do that can compel the hearts of people right to do

1:01:01 something differently so again the loss doesn't determine whether or not the fight was worthwhile it doesn't the fight is always worthwhile there wasn't really much we can do about the school closings quite frankly all of the authority belonged to the mayor we still fought it because it was the right fight and what did that fight do it ultimately galvanized people around a a more progressive, robust, energized campaign that elected progressive leaders all over the city of Chicago

1:01:36 and all over the state of Illinois. There were people who didn't even think about a school board in Chicago that were running on that issue because we knew that we are always better off having fought and lost versus losing and not having put forth a fight. And so what are we going to do to continue to organize? That's the question. Right now, we have an opportunity to do what other administrations have not been able to do because they didn't fight for it. And so we're going to go back to the people of the city, and we're going to continue to have robust conversations around our values.

1:02:10 Here's what people value. They know we have to invest in young people. They know we have to invest in our public school system. They know that we have to invest in mental health and behavioral health as well as health care as a whole. People know that. people want some assurances that we're actually going to deliver with those resources on those promises. Guess what the people of Chicago have now? Even without those progressive revenue ideas having passed, what do we do still? We invested in our education system. We invested in behavioral mental health. We

1:02:43 are building affordable homes. We are literally giving people proof positive that if you actually vote your values with someone who shares your values, that that person can actually deliver on those goods. This administration has delivered on those goods. And so now we get to go back to the people and say, look, we took an international global crisis where you had a tyrant at the border who attacked our city. We rose above it, took a crisis, managed it, operationalized it, And now we have created for the first time in the city of Chicago a robust single shelter system.

1:03:20 For the first time since Mayor here in Washington, we're investing in mental and behavioral health. Remember all those fights around TIF surplus where other administrations say, well, we can't give it all? Guess what I did? We gave it all. So now we get to tell people not only is it possible, now we have to go where the money really is. And they have to trust that our leadership is going to invest in people just like we promised and just like we're doing. And so now I don't have to do it from a theoretical standpoint. We get to talk about the 3,400 homes that are now affordable that we built.

1:03:52 We can talk about the $20 billion of new investment. We can talk about the TIF surplus going to our community colleges where we have an 11%, 12% increase in enrollment. The top enrollee are black young men. We could talk about building a satellite campus on the west side of Chicago for Malcolm X that's dedicated to the trades Because we're actually doing it. And so when I go knock on the doors in this city, I'm gonna say here's what we've done with very little Imagine if the people who have the ability to pay their fair share actually do it. We can do that much more

1:04:23 That's gonna be the difference Hi mayor the last shall be the first. That's right. We're going to quote those scriptures brother. Yes All right. So, Mayor, the largest immigrant shelter is closing this Friday. I was there last week, and some residents say that they still have nowhere to go, especially since the new system only considers people who have been in Chicago only for 30 days. Any other plans for them? Any considerations? Definitely there's considerations, more than just considerations. We're actually doing it. I'm going to have our Deputy Mayor, Beatrice Ponce de Leon, speak to that.

1:04:56 Thank you, Mayor. Everyone who's in the shelters right now that are the families are being placed in other shelters, regardless of how long they've lived in the city or in the country. So those families should have another shelter option for families. This isn't the case for singles, and we talked about that before, that there will not be enough for all singles, but we are working with them to give them other resources. And the limit to people, the limit on eligibility is for first-time shelter placements.

1:05:28 So if you come to Chicago for the first time, you're a new arrival, you want a shelter placement. At this time, we're only serving people who've been in the country 30 days or less, if there is a bed available. But that family should have access to a shelter. I'm happy to follow up with you if you'd like. There's one other thing. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Is that we are working with other cities around the region to help support this mission. And so we're grateful that our team has been working tirelessly with cities in the region to help support this mission. This has been fun.

1:05:59 Thank you all very much for your time.

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