Chicago Politics

Update From City Hall 1.15.25

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Mayor Johnson hosts a media availability.

Transcript

4:53 Hey, well, good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for being here today. And sorry we're a little bit late. The vice mayor was planning his next. overseas trip on my behalf. Today we're joined by the Vice Mayor, Alderman Walter Burnett, Hall, Fuentes, Ramirez Rosa, Irvin, Rodriguez, Gutierrez, Ramirez, Cruz, Vasquez, Burnett. Did we catch everyone? I think we did. Yes, we got them all.

5:23 Okay. But we're also joined by our Chief Financial Officer, Joe Jurowski, Corporation Counsel Also Mayor Richardson-Laurie, Chief Operations Officer John Robertson, Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Gary and Gatewood, Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights Beatrice Ponce de Leon. Of course, we all know the great Frank Chapman from CAAPRP, Reverend Pablo Herrera from the Urban Village Church, Antonio Gutierrez from OCAD, and Artimio Arella from ICER.

5:57 Thank you all for being here today. First, I want to express my administration's strong support for the Welcoming City Ordinance. We intend to follow the law and remain in compliance with the Illinois Trust Act. And more importantly, we intend to stand by and protect Chicago's immigrant communities against threats from ICE. Chicago has always been a welcoming city, both by ordinance and, of course, by the great spirit of Chicago. We have long been a haven for freedom from Eastern European immigrants coming to Chicago for new opportunities during the Industrial Revolution to black folks coming to the city of Chicago during the Great Migration.

6:37 In the next four years, it's important, more important, in fact, than ever, that Chicago remain a haven for people from around the globe. They have to feel safe, free, and empowered to start their new life in our beloved nation. And let us not forget the incredible contributions of immigrant communities who keep our city running in every facet of our lives. It is also our responsibility as government leaders to honor their contributions by offering them protection and freedom here. I'm glad that City Council stood by our welcoming city status today and reaffirmed our commitment to our immigrant communities.

7:10 I appreciate the ongoing discussions in City Council for how we can best protect all of our people and all of our communities. Also in today's City Council, the important issue of the sale of hemp products to residents under the age of 21 was brought before us. These products have been found to target young people, and as a father and former educator, the health and safety of young people is paramount to me and to this administration. We thank Vice Mayor Burnett for his leadership on this important issue to make sure Chicago leads on banning the sale of these products to our children and our young people.

7:46 While this ordinance was sent to the Rules Committee by Alderman Lopez, we are hopeful that the City Council will stand with the young people of Chicago and pass this critical step of regulating him, while we continue to work diligently with public health and safety experts on developing the comprehensive regulatory framework that centers safety and equity. Finally, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge that today we passed a resolution to honor the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be on January 27th.

8:18 It is important that Chicago and the world never forget the victims and their families, and I'm very thankful for Alderwoman Silverstein for her steadfast leadership. In non-city news, I want to take this moment to wish CTA President Dorval Carter All the best as he has announced his retirement after 26 years to this agency. Just last week, we stood together and announced that the CTA Red Line Extension Program is finally becoming a reality for the people of the South Side after it was proposed 50 years ago.

8:52 That project is just one of many contributions his leadership has given to the CTA system, so we are grateful for President Carter. My administration looks forward to selecting a dynamic leader for CTA who will work with our partners and community members to ensure our transit system is efficient, reliable, and safe for all of our riders. I hope that we can further grow the CTA in public transit as well so that all residents from every neighborhood are connected to our great city. I would like to acknowledge that today was an historic swearing in

9:26 to the first hybrid elected school board in the city of Chicago. We congratulate the new board members and look forward to working with them to make sure that every single student in our Chicago public schools have equity and true opportunities. All of the services that other school districts in the state of Illinois have enjoyed, we fully expect and anticipate that that will become a reality for the people of Chicago. So thank you everyone again for being here, and I'm happy to answer any questions at this time.

9:57 As far as the speed limits, do you support... report the drop in speed limit from 30 to 25 citywide, and what is your concern about the cost as far as the budget? Well, first of all, I'm grateful for all of the advocates that have been, you know, championing this issue for some time, and Alderman LaSpada has been, you know, a real true leader in this moment. City Council, as you saw with the resolution that was put forth, this working group, to have continued substantive conversations around how do we make sure that

10:30 that there is equitable distribution of services. Cost, of course, is something that will always be front and center when it comes to how we administer justice in the city of Chicago. Look, safe, strong streets is what we ultimately want. But again, to the credit of Alderman La Spada, the recognition of how unfair distribution of policies that have caused some unintended consequence to neighborhoods where there is a disproportionate administering of certain policies

11:08 that fall in an unequitable way, his commitment to ensure or to create a pathway where that does not become the prevailing form of this particular ordinance is one that we all appreciate. Hi. Hi, Mayor. Back here. Hi. On the Welcoming City Ordinance, I know that you recently sent out guidance to Chicago Public Schools, the Park District, CTA, just giving guidance on how to interact if federal agents should come to any schools, any city buildings.

11:39 I don't know if you can just quickly go through a few of those recommendations and how the city plans to work to protect students and undocumented immigrants who are in the city in some of these city buildings. Well, look, here's what's really important and critical in this moment, is that there's a long history of this city having the status of a welcoming and sanctuary city. Today we honored, of course, the life of Cha Cha, who, you know, had just an incredible love for humanity.

12:14 And it was through, of course, that collaborative approach that created the Rainbow Coalition that you're seeing on the stage today and the one that we are still benefiting from, obviously. You know, look, the guidelines are pretty straightforward and clear. Protecting residents in the city of Chicago is of most importance here. Those guidelines that have been specified are tethered to state and local law. And, you know, we're grateful to have strong partners with our police department and all of our city agencies who understand their role in this moment.

12:45 The last thing that I'll say, and I think what's most important here, is that the fear that has found its way in the city of Chicago because of the threats that are coming from the incoming administration, the people of Chicago can rest assured that the full force of government will do everything in its power to protect the residents of this city. Hi, Mayor. I was talking to Alderman Marty Quinn, and he showed me the municipal code that says that the city bans the sale of any non-prescription substance that has a chemical structure

13:18 or pharmacological effect substantially similar to the active ingredient of marijuana or THC. Given that, how do we have dozens of stores that are selling just that? I've got calls into BACP and the law department to try to understand this law in light of all the stores that are selling something definitely pharmacologically similar to it. Well, I appreciate your tone and your voice. I feel like I'm going to have a great conversation offline about this.

13:49 You know, look, the ordinance that Alderman Burnett put forward today, you know, ensures the maximum protection and regulation. As I've said repeatedly as a father and as a former public school teacher, keeping children safe and young people safe, that is the most important element here. There are some elements within the code that, you know, our team will explore and look into

14:19 to ensure that, you know, any entity that is working outside of that ordinance, that there is accountability there. Again, the most important thing here is that we are going to work to make sure that every young person is safe. You know, when I was organizing in Cabrini-Green, when I first met Alderman Burnett, And I was doing work at the New City YMCA as a part of the ounce prevention work, which was funded by Diana Rauner.

14:50 And we know that tobacco sales, that's my only reference to the Rauners is Diana. But the tobacco sales and alcohol. that these marketing agencies were targeting particular groups was a part of the work that we were doing in Cabrini-Green. So we are very much concerned about how industry targets particular groups and young people. These elements, of course, have proven to be harmful. So the strict regulatory practices that we anticipate will come out of this robust conversation,

15:26 I'm just grateful that there are more people paying attention in this moment. With all due respect, do you agree that the law bans it outright? I appreciate all of the respect that you are offering. What I'm simply saying is that we have put forth an ordinance, Alderman Burnett, and the whole point of that ordinance was to create strict regulations around this particular substance. What we also recognize is that I know Alderman Quinn and Tabaris put forth a measure today

15:58 that would, you know, potentially ban hemp and tobacco products in this particular region. So there's obviously a great deal of exploration, whether it's tobacco, hemp, or any other substance, quite frankly, that I don't use. This doesn't make me, you know, I hope I don't come across self-righteous here. I'm simply saying is that there are products that people use that we have to have stronger regulations around, And that's what the goal and the effort of the ordinance that was introduced by the vice mayor today.

16:32 Hi, Mayor. Hi. Do you have a sense of whether or how much the S&P downgrade will affect interest rates for your housing and economic development bond or other GEO bonds you have planned this year? I'm going to ask our chief financial officer to speak to that. Jill? Thank you. You know, we're not able to precisely say how much that's going to cost at this point. We have a wide range of ratings from single A to B double A minus for Moody's, which is essentially a triple B minus. The S&P downgrade puts them at the second to lowest rating that we have.

17:07 And, you know, while we're very disappointed in that movement and we think that, you know, the city's credit is certainly higher than triple B quality. you know we do have a whole range of ratings and i don't think that investors are looking at one single rating that is in the middle as determining the cost of our borrowing certainly if our lowest credit rating were downgraded that would be very significantly costly to us but when the ones in the middle move around it's not likely to cost us as much when we're in the bond market and this

17:41 year you really emphasized how important the supplemental pension payment was do you plan on continuing that for 2026? And are you making any other plans or preparations to ensure other downgrades don't come? So I think we're going to be spending a lot of time working with city council, with the budget director and others to make sure that we are putting forth sound financial policy and making choices that are good for the city in the long run. The things that could result in a downgrade are the things that are poor financial policy. And, you know, we have

18:11 away living within the means that we have, the taxes and other revenue streams that we create, and the obligations that we have as a city. So we're going to be very focused on continuing to do responsible financial budgeting and working with elders to ensure that that gets reflected in our 26 budget. Hi, Mayor. Chicago's new school board met today, as you know. I wanted to see if you could explain and talk about why we don't have an 11th mayoral appointee yet and what's

18:45 going on with that process? Yeah, yeah, we're going to have one. So, you know, this process, I think, is actually a very exciting moment for the city of Chicago. I'm grateful that I'm the first mayor in the history of Chicago to stand by an elected representative school board to struggle to get us to this point as hunger strikers, individuals who have fought back against the corporate takeover of our schools, privatization, all of these measures that have been proven to be incredibly detrimental and harmful to the people of Chicago. Our process will continue, and we've met with a number of individuals,

19:21 and when we make our final decision, we'll put forth that person. Can you say what's delaying that process or what's holding it up? I'm a very thoughtful person. That's your final answer? I think it's important that the people of Chicago recognize that we have to get this right, right? Schools have been closed. We have looming threats now where, you know, there doesn't seem to be a strong commitment that's coming from certain members of our education system

19:54 that do not see the value of social workers and counselors and smaller class sizes. Here's what's most important here. You have a mayor who believes in education so much in the city of Chicago that I'm willing to send my own children there. No other mayor in the history of Chicago has done that. I'm a parent, a former public school teacher, and we're going to find people who are not just qualified, but people who recognize the importance of this moment to transform our school district once and for all.

20:25 Good afternoon, Mayor. It is. It truly is. Alderman Bill Conway today introduced an ordinance that would give the city council authority to approve CPS board members. Do you think that the state law allows that, and is there any ground you're willing to cede on that? No, the state law does not allow for that. And in terms of the working group for the speed limit, are you wanting to see that working group come up with recommendations before a vote comes back on the actual speed limit proposal,

20:55 Or do you want, you know, Alderman Laspato wants to bring that back as soon as possible, he said. Well, look, I mean, again, as I said before, we appreciate the work that Alderman Laspato has done. And the whole motivation behind this working group was to demonstrate again how we can collaborate together. As you heard that he spoke very eloquently around ensuring that there is a real equitable lens in which we put forth policy. That's a good thing for the people of Chicago. And I really commend this body. And you saw the resounding support around this working group to come up with, you know, viable options and presentations that maximize safety, but also ensures that equity and justice prevails as well.

21:41 Hi, Mayor. President-elect Trump takes office next week. I wanted to ask you if there's been more discussions about the potential for the things that he has said he will do on day one, including mass deportations, the potential for ICE raids. If there's been more discussions from who? Well, within you and Governor Pritzker or within the state? Well, yeah, those conversations continue. I mean, you saw today the reaffirming of the Welcoming City Ordinance. This coalition has really led with tremendous conviction, and that's important.

22:14 I think the entire state of Illinois, we're all on the same page as it relates to protecting residents. Look, I just think it's important, too, that we also acknowledge the threats around education, the environment. all right the city of chicago 100 renewable energy to power our buildings including both of our airports um you know i don't know how much you all have had a chance to to watch some of these um you know nomination hearings uh there are some disturbing things that are coming out of

22:48 these these hearings and you know if it were just one threat um i think that our response in this moment, we probably would have a less arduous time fending off those threats. But what we do here in the city of Chicago, we recognize that there are multiple lanes of threats that we have to pay attention to. So we will continue to have those discussions with the state of Illinois and with our federal partners as well to ensure that the people of Chicago get maximum benefit in this

23:21 moment and that all of our residents are protected. We also understand that you're going to be in D.C. this weekend, but you're not attending the inauguration. Can you talk about what you'll be doing and how you came to that decision? Yeah. Which decision, to go to D.C. or not to go to the inauguration? Oh, both of them. Okay. Well, the U.S. Conference of Mayors is a great organization. Had a chance to communicate with Mayor Bass and Mayor Contrell, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Both of these two women are incredible leaders, dealing with very extreme and severe circumstances.

23:54 And so there's a company of support, and I've been a part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from the very beginning. One of my motivating factors for attending is that I want to call more attention to a number of things, but particularly behavior and mental health services. This is a challenge that people are experiencing around the country. Housing and homelessness will be part of my agenda when I speak on Sunday, I believe. Workforce and youth development is going to be a big part of that work.

24:26 You know, just this last week, you know, we had an incredible moment by reopening the Roseland Mental Health Clinic. There are people right here that you're staring at who are part of the effort when the Emanuel administration, and quite frankly every administration after Mayor Harold Washington has cut services to mental and behavioral health. So whether it's in Roseland, Pilsen, Alderman Irvin, the Legler Library, really as the city of Chicago has led the way when it comes to the expansion of mental and behavioral health, our care program providing mental health crisis intervention around.

25:00 Around the city, these are transformational moments that we are experiencing. And then, of course, the work that we are doing around housing, building more affordable homes, social green housing, the way we have creatively put together this bond, the largest investment for housing and economic development. I'm going to try to get all of that in while I'm there. And then as far as the inauguration is concerned, you know, look, I have to get back to the city of Chicago to make sure that my kids continue to adjust to having to get up, having stayed up to 4 o'clock in the morning for two weeks.

25:35 And I don't want anybody to judge me. There's not a parent out there who did not have their children up all night during the holiday break. And if you were able to get your children to bed on time during the holiday break, holler at me. Hi, Mayor. Would you consider a meeting with Tom Homan? You know, look, I think I look, I appreciate the question. You know, you know, as a public servant, it's my responsibility to show for the people of Chicago.

26:09 And if there are people who are part of the Trump administration, want to have a serious conversation about how we create a better, stronger, safer Chicago, So, of course, you know, I'm open to those conversations. Look, I'm not, you know, a mean-spirited individual. You know, as we celebrate Dr. King, think about what it was like for him to walk into a room and people called him out of his name. You know, I'm not above that. If Dr. King can sit with individuals that did not recognize his being in his honor, I will sit with anybody, even if they don't recognize my being.

26:44 How would that conversation go? How would you envision that? I don't know. maybe start off with a game of uno. Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon. You said you're open to a congestion tax. Can you talk about why and whether it would make more sense for that revenue to go toward CTA's budget or the city's? Look, I think we're open to all forms of progressive revenue and ways in which we can, you know, be more environmentally sound, you know, as far as the direction of where revenue should go. So I think every single person on this that you're looking at today could make the case for revenue to go into a variety of areas.

27:22 So, you know, without getting too far ahead of ourselves, just know that my team, finance team, is having regular conversations with members of the General Assembly, including the governor's team, around a host of ideas that we should all consider to make sure that working people's interests are ultimately protected. Do you think it makes more sense to do a downtown cordon pricing model, so for any driver that enters the loop, or targeting traffic coming in and out of the expressway? Sounds like you spent a little time reading about this. Again, I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves.

27:52 I think it's a great question. Here's what's most important. And I can tell you that, you know, as the city of Chicago continues to grow, you know, we're going to certainly have to have, you know, So, you know, real conversations about how we make sure that traffic flows in a way that maximizes all the investments. There's a good reason why people are putting forth this idea is because, you know, we're sitting at, what are we, 2.7 million people, almost 2.8 million people in the city of Chicago.

28:25 Conservatively, 400,000 more people can come to the city of Chicago. I think that number is more like 700,000. So as we build our stronger public transportation system, we're going to have to – and as we work to have a more cleaner environment, we're going to have to have real conversations around how we limit congestion, how we generate revenue, and how we build out a green economy. Thank you for that. Hey, Mayor. Hey. What do you say to critics who don't think that you took the warnings of credit rating agencies seriously enough during the budget process?

29:01 I did. I did take it seriously. Senate Transportation Committee Chair Ram Villavallam said the phrase, no funding without reform to us Friday while discussing Dorval Carter's successor and the CTA. What do you think about what he said? Do you agree? What does reform at the CTA mean to you? That's a good question. So we are committed to reform. We believe in it. And our team is going to continue to have those conversations around what reform looks like. Here's something else, though, that I think is more important than even that quote,

29:33 is that CTA has been egregiously underfunded for decades. And everyone knows that. I believe we make up 70% or so of the largesse of our public transportation system for the entire region. I think we're getting about 30% in return of that That's not equity So that's what reform could look like An equitable distribution of the city of Chicago's worth and its value as it relates to the public transportation system and I'm glad

30:04 that we have partners in the state of Illinois that recognize when you have working people in the city that that ultimately moves the rest of the state to have conversations around those levels of reform to make sure the people of the city of Chicago are not shortchanged and they're not jumping over the space where you make payment to ensure that we get our just due. Hi, Mayor. Hi. The Tribune had a story today on the migrant situation,

30:37 And there was a paragraph in there that said your team and the governor's team had been meeting and were most concerned, it seems, about the shelters and that the fact that deportation might happen there or there might be action there. Can you talk about what you are doing to prepare for that? What does that look like? Well, thank you for the question. Here's the thing that I think we should really celebrate. Working with the state, working with county government to respond to this mission,

31:11 as difficult as this mission was and has been, we would not have gotten through this without working together. What you saw from the governor of Texas was an attempt to break our spirit here in Chicago. We rose above that attack, and we actually built a system of care for Chicagoans and those who are seeking refuge in the city of Chicago. I'm very proud of that work. As far as the work that we're doing specifically, Beatrice Ponce de Leon has done an amazing job,

31:42 and she certainly can speak to some of that work. Bea? I want specifics. Yes, good afternoon. Certainly people have raised the question of safety in the shelters, And I do want to say that at this point, there are no new arrival shelters anymore. The shelters have been merged and are all accepting anyone in need of shelter. But we are aware that there are some that have higher numbers of migrants. So the guidance that we are providing is based on the guidance that was released on Friday to external partners like the sister agencies.

32:14 It really just instructs people to identify their own legal counsel, identify a lead person on site. If ICE were to show up, then you call legal counsel. There are certain things that you want to ensure that it is, in fact, an ICE agent that is approaching you. There are ways to verify that. We ask for a federal judicial warrant. This is all information that is really public knowledge, and it is covered by the Welcoming City Ordinance as well as by the Illinois Trust Act. So our job has been to work with the state to look at both the Trust Act and the Welcoming City Ordinance,

32:50 provide that level of guidance. What was released in the email, excuse me, in the press release on Friday is what we're basing that on. And then each of those shelters, they're all operated by different nonprofit organizations at this point. They've all been turned over to CBOs, which was also a commitment that we made during the New Arrivals mission, was to make that transition. they will take that guidance and they will fill in the blanks and operationalize it so that they're prepared when people come, if ICE were to show up at those locations.

33:22 Great. Thank you very much. And then, Mayor, can you tick off maybe the three most important issues that you see that the city needs to address in Springfield? Oh, yeah, sure. I mean, it won't be breaking news. I mean, if that's what you're looking for, I'm sorry to disappoint in that regard. But, you know, look, I've said from the very beginning, education funding is important, particularly around the needs for transportation within our public schools, bilingual education, special education.

33:52 We've had these conversations and established this framework with the governor, with the Senate president, with the Speaker of the House and other members. So that frame has already been established. You heard one of your colleagues speak about transportation, so that is top of mind for us. Clearly there's an emerging area where there will be a lot more attention around hemp in particular. And, look, there are some other elements that we will also discuss.

34:26 but had a great conversation with the metropolitan mayors. And, you know, grateful that I'm, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm following in the footsteps of Richard M. Daley as a proud member of this conference of mayors. And we had a conversation around LGTF. You know, many mayors were not aware, like our city, that the grocery tax in particular would be repealed. And so it's not just the city of Chicago, but there are a band of municipal leaders that recognize whether it's revenue, education funding,

35:04 all of these local municipalities are dealing with very similar challenges. So that's, you know, top of mind for us and, you know, grateful that there are mayors all over the state of Illinois who recognize that our share of LGDF, which once upon a time was 10%, that is woefully underfunded. So these are our tax dollars that the municipalities are essentially generating, and the state has seized control of those appropriations.

35:35 So there will be a very rich and robust effort from municipalities, including the city of Chicago, to ensure that local government receives its fair share. Hey, Mayor. Hey. Happy First City Council of 2015. Yes, that's right. Yeah. This has apparently been going on so long, I'm already drifting. Well, at least you were listening and caught it.

36:06 Somebody did. Thank you, Heather. Going back to the 11th school board member, it was my belief, and correct me if I'm wrong, that you were supposed to have appointed that person by today. Can you tell us how close you might be, and do you have a list of finalists that you're trying to get down to one? So there have been a number of individuals that have been engaged by members of my team.

36:39 And there are some, you know, interesting candidates that have emerged. You know, one of the things, though, that I can say in terms of how close we are, you know, what's most important for my team is getting it right. That's all. And, look, I'll just, you know, be, you know, incredibly vulnerable here. It's a hard job. It is a hard job. You know, it's a new position. The expectations are high. And, you know, our team is asking real serious questions to ensure that individuals who are raising their hand, you know, have what it takes.

37:23 It's an incredible amount of time in any elected post, but this is an elected, appointed, volunteer post, right? Right. And so ensuring that, you know, the full reflection of my vision for education in Chicago, which, look, I can't underscore how transformational this moment is. And I know there are people who are, you know, feeling away about the direction in which we're going. And I understand. Right. Because there's a level of fear that sets in when, you know, people have done it one particular way, though it has come up short.

37:58 That's what people are comfortable with. So, you know, this entire process to ensure that the full vision that the people of Chicago have, that they voted for, when I stepped up to say as a parent, as a former teacher, we're going to transform our school districts to ensure social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, small class sizes, oh, my, right? So that's a heavy responsibility. So, you know, we're patient, but we are eagerly anticipating, you know, the folks that we are in conversation with that there will be an emergence.

38:33 We'll make that recommendation. There was a report out where ICE was saying, in essence, you know, this mass deportations that Donald Trump is calling for would require so many more agents. They would need so many more, you know, lockups to to handle all that. Is this, do you think, a lot more bluster than it's actually going to be? And or do you think Chicago is really going to be fiercely targeted for deportations?

39:03 Well, first of all, we take any threat. We take it seriously. And that's why you saw the reaffirming of our commitment to our welcoming city ordinance. You saw a reaffirming and a commitment, recommitment, a stronger commitment to that ordinance. Now, you've already seen some level of capitulation from the Trump administration. At first, it was mass deportation, and then there was a very specific sort of categorization around criminals, right?

39:34 So there's this moving target. Here's what I believe is most important here, is that the Trump administration has an opportunity with the Senate, with the House of Representatives and the judicial branch of government to actually move policies that can transform people's lives. We do need comprehensive immigration reform policy to actually pass. There's a bipartisan bill that the Senate has already passed that he can move on, whether it's making sure that there are judges who can move asylum cases faster or workers at the border to respond to any sort of influx.

40:11 But I would actually take it one step further. You have families who have been seeking a pathway to not have to hide and to be in the shadows, families who've been seeking the pathway to come forward that's what our effort should be about you know today you heard some very profound speeches today of how members of the Jewish community sought refuge and sought asylum and refuge here in our country

40:42 Irish, Italians of course even descendants of slaves as we migrated from the south to find refuge in this beloved city Our welcoming city is something that has a very robust, storied aspect that we should all celebrate. And so whether or not the president-elect is taking himself serious enough to carry out certain aspects of what he has promised,

41:13 that's one that I won't speculate. But what I can say is that as a city, we are going to work to protect education, protect families who have immigrated here, families who have sought asylum, families who want better affordability. We're going to continue to stand up and lead in this moment because that's what Chicago has been known for. And we are certainly grateful that there is a full company and body of individuals who imbibe what I always call the soul of Chicago. Hi, Mayor. Hi.

41:43 You mentioned that the president-elect's threats have instituted fear in some Chicagoans. In 2017, we saw a number of undocumented families decline to send their children to school. I've heard concerns that they won't call 911 for fear of sort of, you know, being identified as somebody without status here. What do you say to those families who are looking ahead to Monday's inauguration of the president-elect and saying, we may not send our children to school because of the promises to make Chicago, you know, the start of the mass deportation effort.

42:18 Our job is to make sure that people are protected and safe. That is the top priority of any government. And that's what we're going to do. And the families can be assured that today's display of this broad coalition that beat back an ordinance that, quite frankly, was just stoking the flames of fear. And so we're already off to a stronger start than where we were, you know, eight years ago. You know, so, look, we take our responsibility seriously in this moment.

42:51 That's why every single agency, the police department or parks or schools, having conversations with the faith community, the incredible organizers that are here, some of these organizers have been on the ground fighting for justice to protect families for a very long time. You know, there's only one other person here who's been up in this work longer than Walter Burnett, and that's Frank Chapman. So we brought Frank here to make Walter feel a little younger today. So we're very much committed. And so, look, in all seriousness, you know, we're acknowledging that fear because we know it's real.

43:21 That's why we're all dedicated to ensure that families are protected. Shifting gears a little bit, today the city council approved more than $38 million in settlements, alleging a wide range of police misconduct, including a combined 56 years of wrongful incarceration for three Chicago men. I've asked you this question, I don't know, a half a dozen times, and I apologize. But when people see the headlines that I'm writing and that my colleagues are writing, how can they trust the Chicago Police Department that this sort of misconduct

43:55 isn't continuing to occur? The relationship between law enforcement and the people of Chicago and particularly the black and brown community has been frayed and has been broken under my leadership. And, you know, I appointed Superintendent Snelling with the sole purpose of building constitutional policing and many of the new officers he has trained over the years. um you know look this is this is not an excuse but some of these cases that were settled today

44:28 um you know occurred in 1992 you know one of them in particular um you know these wrongful convictions you know predate for the most part all of us alderman burnett was elected in 95 right so some of these were here before one of the most senior members and i say that with with you know a great deal of humility, the fact that Alderman Burnett has been serving as long as he has and we are settling in cases that predate his seniorship really speaks to where we were

45:01 a generation ago. Now, look, have we eliminated all acts of bias and prejudice within our institutions, whether it's our education system, whether it's our health care system or police system? No, we have not. Is that the work that we're all committed to doing? Yes. And so I think to your question about, you know, when people read the headlines, again, not an excuse, but this stuff predates us. You know, I was a sophomore, a freshman in high school.

45:33 My, you know, director-in-chief of external and internal affairs was like two, maybe. How old were you? She wasn't even born. Yeah. I mean, I'm just, you know, for real, right? I mean, that's that, you know, we've come a long way as a city. Jesus Christ, how old are you? So, you know, so, yeah, I mean, I just, you know, the hope is that people recognize that we have put forth real, you know, a real concerted effort to build those relationships, restore those relationships,

46:05 and then unfortunately respond to just decades, decades of oppressive regimes that cause real tremendous harm. Your Honor. Yes, sir. I understand if it's a scheduling conflict for the inauguration, but if you need tickets or UNO cards, I might know a guy. It wasn't a question, so you don't have to respond. But you said you're willing to speak with anyone at the federal level who's willing to make Chicago a better, stronger, safer place. I'd venture to say that maybe the definitions of those words are where the contention might arise.

46:40 Is that something you'd be willing to compromise on if they had different definitions of the words better, stronger, and safer? Yeah, that's a fair question. Look, there are differences from better, stronger, safer, right? There are differences. Here's where I do believe that there are opportunities. We spoke of this earlier. I know one of your colleagues asked a question about how we are rated. Our investment for economic development, our goal is to build more affordable homes, and we're going to do that.

47:10 We're going to create more entrepreneurs. We're going to grow businesses. These are things that, you know, when we talk about having an economy that is better and stronger that ultimately creates safer communities, those are opportunities for us to have real substantive dialogue around how those investments can grow and expand in our cities. The gap between black and white families in terms of earnings, it's abysmal and embarrassing.

47:42 White and brown families, for every $1, a brown family in the city of Chicago earns $0.08. For every $1 a white family earns in Chicago, a black family earns $0.01. One cent. When you think about the accumulation of wealth, the median sort of accumulation of wealth for black families in Chicago has reached zero dollars. Do you understand how discouraging it is every single day to wake up to barely break even? Reminds me of a song from The Wiz.

48:15 You can't win, can't get out the game. That's essentially what too many black families have experienced. You get up every single day. You work hard. You know, you're looking to pass generational wealth and in your best best effort, you hope that you can reach zero, that if you can come out of the situation not on anybody. That is considered a good day. We have put forth an effort in the city of Chicago, and with the help of the Black Caucus, calling for reparations. You know, the president-elect, we have a sit-down, have a conversation, you know, over any game, you know,

48:47 Connect Four, Uno, whatever, we can talk about reparations and building economic development within our communities and creating a pathway to sustainability through home ownership. You saw last week we were pounding for the government, federal government, to respond to the floods that we had in 2023. We brought $432 million back to the west side of Chicago and for parts of the south side who experienced flooding to have their homes restored. We worked hard, even when people didn't know that we were working hard.

49:19 Probably, you know, we, anyhow, there are opportunities to have real conversations around what investment means and what better, stronger, safer means in Chicago. The last thing that I'll say to that is this. You've got to trust the people who live in the city. You know, you can't come in here and impose. I think imposition in this moment is the wrong way to lead, and that's what we have worked to do is in a collaborative way to ensure that every single voice is heard. So, you know, I'm going to remain optimistic about our opportunities at the state level, at the federal level, and hope that others recognize that as mayor, I have demonstrated a commitment to invest in people.

50:02 That's how you build better, stronger, safer. And at least we have some agreement and some consensus around investing in people translates into better, stronger, and safer. Then we're off to a good start. Seems like a Kerplunk guy to me. Or not sorry, though. I don't think he'd play sorry. But if you were playing Uno with Tom Holman. Stacks. Stacks. Pogs. Stacks. What would you describe him?

50:33 How would you speak to him about the legacy of Cha-Cha Jimenez? And does the Welcoming Sydney Ordinance, while it includes all people, does it also include Coyotes? Well, let me just say this, though. I mean, first of all, you know, the Rainbow Coalition that we spoke of today earlier, there's beauty and joy in knowing that there was an entire generation committed to ensuring that city council would reflect Rainbow. And it does today. Right. You know, you know, a substantial expansion of people of color and Asian American LGBTQ community is represented.

51:14 I mean, it's it's it's a it's a remarkable testament to how how important it is to remain committed to justice, even when you are met with overwhelming opposition. There was some discussion and debate today about, you know, how we should engage with one another. I actually think it's actually quite apropos that at a time in which we are experiencing some of the most visceral resistance to progressive policies, that people have shown themselves to not just be reticent but resistant to the very ideal in which we are standing on today.

51:49 And so that's why I'm very much motivated by whether it was Chairman Fred or Cha-Cha or Dr. Keene or William Beavers who recognize that a rainbow coalition is the surest way to justice in Chicago. I would tell that story. And, you know, look, Chicagoans, we deal with a lot. We're tough. You know, it's one thing when you have to, you know, prepare for cold weather. is another thing when you have to look out for coyotes.

52:21 So, you know, to me it's just like with everything else that I've experienced as mayor of the city of Chicago, whether it's wildfires and smoke coming in from Canada or caseta, what is it, what are you all trying to say? Cicadas, thank you, or coyotes, we're responding to everything. But stay safe out there, you all. Cicadas last game in 2015, I think.

52:51 hey mary uh so bally's bally's once a property tax break uh 12 years uh they say um you know they need it to get going on that project you you apparently appear to have not at least signed up to support that yet they introduced it today without your support um you know why haven't you supported that what's the opposition do you think that you could eventually support it well Well, first of all, you know, this project is, you know, one that I believe a lot of people are hopeful about,

53:22 that the vibrancy of this project is one, you know, that we're, again, hopeful will generate the type of economic growth that the city will continue to support. The economic growth that we are experiencing, you know, that particular incentive was not a part of the, you know, initial agreement. But Mary Richardson-Laurie, would you like to expound on that? Mary Richardson-Laurie, Corporation Counsel. The host committee agreement that the city entered into precluded that very thing.

53:58 Indeed, the backstop from a financial standpoint, the parent company of Bally's has guaranteed the contract. And it is on that basis that we move forward. We then cannot go back to 7B classification. 7B classification precedes an agreement should there have been one considered at the time. It was not. Indeed, it was specifically excluded. I assume that this has been communicated to Bally's, right,

54:28 and they still went forward with it today. They spoke to Labor. They're in support. They say this isn't controversial. Let's get it going. Are you fearful that even despite your opposition, despite what you're saying now, that this is still going to move through the city council? We are obligated to operate within the bounds of the host committee agreement, and they are as well. We anticipate all parties to honor said agreement. Thank you, Mary. Thank you for that question. Mayor Johnson, we see in L.A. how an incompetent mayor can burn a city to the ground.

55:05 A lot of Chicagoans are telling me that they fear that you're burning Chicago to the ground financially, and the S&P downgrade is proof of that. You say that you're surrounded by the greatest financial minds in the country, yet your vice mayor, who's standing right next to you, Alderman Burnett, is a convicted bank robber. To add insult to injury... Sir, I need you to ask your question, please. Yeah, I will. I know you don't like my questions, but to answer your question... No, it's not that I don't like your question. Just ask the question and let's try to avoid being insensitive as well as dismissive.

55:40 I think bank robbery is insensitive, but... Okay, ask your question. That's a difference of opinion, perhaps. Your wife, for example, to add insult to injury, spent $80,000 taxpayer dollars remodeling a, quote, first lady office. She sits on a $5,000 first lady chair, yet no one that I've interviewed so far has any idea what she's doing. Yeah. The question, before you cut my mic apparently, is what have you learned, if anything, from Los Angeles Mayor Bass's incompetence?

56:16 You know, as we work to bring the city of Chicago together and our country together, it's important that we stand in support of the families that have experienced loss in Los Angeles, the horrific terrorist attack that happened in New Orleans. Our thoughts and our prayers and our efforts have to be to ensure that as a nation that we come together and that we don't use these moments of tragedy to further invoke divide.

56:51 You said that you're sending Alderman Burnett on a travel, a city travel mission. Can I ask what that mission is, where it is, how much it's going to cost the people of Chicago, and what is the presumed benefit of this travel mission? Yeah, the mission is to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago and to invest in people. But where is Alderman Burnett going? Yeah, well, I'm just wondering. Can we know where he's going and how much it's costing Chicago?

57:24 So speaking of reparations and other holocausts, multiple sources maintain that none of that $500,000 that was budgeted for studying up instead of paying up on reparations has been spent. So what's happening with that? What's the real lowdown about that? Yeah, thank you for that question. So right now our chief equity officer has been leading the effort with community partners to formulate advisory committees that will help instruct and guide those efforts.

58:11 And so we expect these committees to be ultimately established in this first quarter. Okay. And this is a question from your constituents. So it appears that you're willing to be put up under the jail for ignoring the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which was last applied. by Harry S. Truman, so they want to know why you're more willing to go to jail for that than to go to jail for paying up on reparations.

58:42 Well, you know, again, we've made a commitment to how reparations will look in this city, you know, and there are a lot of laws that were passed during that time that you're referencing that would not have permitted this stage. So any law during that time period is subject to change, and any amendment during that time was subject to change. And this is a special shout-out to my son who's in finals right now for his AP government class,

59:13 as he has to remember all of our amendments. All the best, Owen. Well, good luck on that. Thank you very much. Okay, no problem. One quick final question. Hey, Mark, respectfully, you already have asked your two questions, so if you come back next week, we'll get a chance to engage again, okay? Thank you. Please. Hi, Mayor.

59:45 Thank you. I was wondering what your reaction is to news of a tentative ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, And do you have any concerns about how incoming President Donald Trump's administration will oversee implementation of that agreement? Well, let me just first say, you know, the loss of life, the bloodshed has just been, you know, absolutely horrific from the initial attack, terrorist attack by Hamas against the Israeli people. And, you know, as a city, we stood firm in our support condemning that attack.

1:00:22 We were also able to, you know, demonstrate a great deal of leadership from the very beginning. My administration has been very clear about the releasing of hostages and calling for a permanent ceasefire. We see this as, you know, a real, you know, opportunity and moment to have stability in that region. But as I said, the city of Chicago, we led the way, calling for a permanent ceasefire and the releasing of hostages.

1:00:54 And, you know, again, the stability of that entire region is something that is of benefit for the entire globe. Switching gears a little bit, you know, the RTA, they're proposing having more control over CTA, PACE, and METRA's budgets while allowing those agencies to still oversee their day-to-day operations. Are you in favor of, you know, that proposal to grant RTA more authority instead of potentially consolidating the agencies? Well, what I've said earlier, and here's what's most important, here's what we are in favor of.

1:01:25 We're in favor of the city of Chicago receiving its equitable distribution of resources to have a safe, reliable, and affordable public transportation system. We'll continue to have these substantive conversations around ways in which we can continue to have reform. I appreciate the thoughtfulness that people have provided in this moment. But again, our system is willfully underfunded. There are ways in which we can transform that. And that's what our focus has to be, is fully funding our public transportation system to ensure that, you know, one of the largest economies in the world where our, you know, growth continues to be very much apparent that we actually have a fully funded system that speaks to the growth that we are experiencing.

1:02:08 Hi, Mayor. And I just will say hi. I'm sorry, too. I just, again, you know, the one point nine seven billion dollars that we secured for the red line extension is proof positive that the people of Chicago and under my administration, as we have seen growth in our hiring in our transportation system. And I'm grateful to the ATU Local 241, ATU Local 308. These are the workers, the bus operators, the train operators, the flaggers, all of these individuals that allow for our system to work the way it does,

1:02:41 that fully funding our system creates more opportunities to not just have a better transportation system, but to have a workforce that allows for more economic growth. Hey there. Hey. Alderman Lopez held a press conference this week sharing a proposal for a new gunshot detection technology pilot in his ward. Is there any possibility that such a pilot could actually happen? Well, let me just first of all say that I'm very proud of the work that we have done over the course of these first 20 months in office to build stronger, safer communities, better, stronger, safer communities.

1:03:14 A lot of work to be done, but we are trending in the right direction. The full force of government has to show up in order to secure our communities in a way that has long-lasting, sustainable impact. As far as a particular pilot program, I'll let my Deputy Mayor, Gary Gatewood, speak to that. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. No, he doesn't have the authority to run a pilot in his war. There is a structure that everyone goes to in the city of Chicago to have pilots run.

1:03:46 He goes to the Office of Procurement, the Department of Procurement Services. You also have to work with the Department of Law, Chicago Police Department, the Office of Public Safety Administration, the Office of Emergency Management Communications. All of the pilots that we will run have gone through a process through our RFI that closed a couple of months ago. and we're gearing up for our work to release the RFP. So we'll continue our work to move that forward. But, no, there's not a standalone pilot that we're running as war. Just a quick follow-up. Is there a timeline for when that RFP could officially be issued?

1:04:18 Soon. Very soon, actually. Any more specifics on soon? We are working through the final portions of it. So relatively soon. Good afternoon, man. Good afternoon. You've been very patient. Sorry you're the last question. Oh, that's okay. I haven't aged. much since. You look about as good as you did in 2015, Craig. Oh, to what degree does

1:04:49 the credit downgrade for the city give you concern about increasing, seeing debt increase for the Chicago public schools? Well, let me just say this. First of all, the structural damage that we inherited is real, right? And so we've put forth provisions and measures to respond to the structural damage, right? And that primarily is a result of just the lack of regard for securing our retirement.

1:05:20 What proposal we put forward and what we were able to do on this budget, the anticipated savings conservatively over the next five years, we're talking $3 billion roughly, right, Jill? I just want to answer the question directly. The amount of debt that CPS has is not reflected in the city's budget rating. Understood, but there's still a connection. Sure. The CPS, some of the rating agencies have put them also on credit watch,

1:05:52 and the reasons that they have cited have been that the budget that CPS passed in the summer did not reflect their full costs, including that it did not have any amounts included for increased teacher compensation while the collective bargaining agreement was expired and is under negotiations. So, you know, they're under credit watch for the reasons that the rating agencies have outlined, which are related to their own budget.

1:06:25 The downgrade for the city was, if you look at the report, and hopefully people had a chance to look at it, while we disagree with it, the points that were made by S&P, what they are concerned about at the city, is that there was a larger amount of one-time measures used in the budget than they were comfortable with. And the proposal that the mayor put forward in the budget had significantly less one-time measures than what was ultimately passed. So we did see an increase to that.

1:06:56 That is accurate. They also noted that the acrimonious process was a consideration, and they view the fact that the property tax was not passed as giving the city less options going forward. So there's very specific things that happened through our budget process that they were targeted on and inciting their downgrade. Again, we don't agree that we should be at that rating level, but those are the reasons that they cited, and they are really separate and distinct about the process that we went through

1:07:28 and ultimately the tax package that was passed as part of the budget. Thank you. And I will just say one other note, too, about the CPS budget. It is highly unusual and not best practice for a budget to be put forth that doesn't consider the cost of labor and pensions. there is no other executive that I am aware of in the state of Illinois whether it's at the state level, the county level or even my position that passed and approved a budget

1:08:00 and this is what came directly from the CEO that did not consider the salary and the compensation for workers and pensions. That is unprecedented. In fact, we do know that the largest portion of any budget ultimately comes down to salary and benefit. To put forth a budget without that consideration is not only inconsiderate,

1:08:33 but it is irresponsible. Then let me just follow up on that directly. How confident are you that given the configuration of the negotiations and everything else, that CPS is going to be effective in coming to some kind of agreement anytime soon? Here's where there's alignment, and thank you for this final question of the hour. We'll be signing off here soon until next time. there is something that is quite powerful

1:09:06 that I just want to lift up you have board of education members you have folks in our labor partners as well as the mayor's office all aligned around what children and families need in this city and there is one individual that has decided that against the wishes of the people of Chicago that they're going to work to disrupt what has been an alignment

1:09:37 that the people of Chicago have wanted for a very long time never got it and finally have it to put forth a budget I don't even know how you call that a budget if you don't consider salaries and benefits that's not a budget that's a piece of paper that's perhaps wishful at best And so, you know, my confidence is in the people of Chicago. I've put forth a vision calling for social workers, counselors, smaller class sizes.

1:10:11 That's what parents want. Ensuring that we have extracurricular activities. That's what parents want. Making sure that we have libraries and librarians. That's what parents want. You know how I know they want it? Because they voted for me. Because that's what I said I was going to deliver. And so any one individual that believes that they can stand in the way of the wishes of the people of this city, you have to question their motivation, quite frankly, and really who's behind them, right?

1:10:41 Because, remember, it was efforts of closing schools and privatization, laying people off, calling for furloughs. Those were the failed policies that caused protests that allowed for people like Byron St. Joe Lopez, Jeanette Taylor, Brandon Johnson, the Board of Education to be elected. That was the impetus behind that. And now all of a sudden you have an individual that believes it is their right to stand in the way of the wishes of the people without putting forth a responsible budget that includes wages and benefits, where most government budgets, that's about 87% of the overall budget.

1:11:20 To do that is derelict of duty, is irresponsible, and it has certainly remnants of an old time that we can't go back towards. So, you know, the people of Chicago and the will of the people, I believe, will continue to elevate its voice and know that I was elected to fight for the entire city of Chicago. I was not elected to score a weak, sorry, pathetic political point to prove your superiority. This is about the interests of all of Chicago. And so we're looking forward to that work, and we're grateful, again, congratulations to the city of Chicago

1:11:51 for its elected representative school board, and it's a good day for Chicago. God bless you all, and let's go play Uno. All right? Don't do this, though.

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