Chicago Politics

Press Availability 12.8.25Mayor Brandon Johnson hosts press availability.

Chapters

Transcript

0:06 Good morning. Thank you all for being here. I want to provide a brief update to you all on the progress that we are making as we are working towards passing a budget that protects all of Chicago. But before I get into that, I do want to take a moment first to acknowledge the shooting incident that occurred this past late Saturday evening in Morgan Park. Officers were responding into an altercation. They were working to de-escalate the situation when one of the men

0:38 in the altercation, their gun was discharged. An officer was struck in the chest, but thank God that they were wearing a protective vest. This is an active investigation, so we don't have all of the details at this point. But thankfully, the officer is in good condition and has been discharged from the hospital, but this is certainly a testament of how brave and courageous our officers are

1:11 because this was just inches away from becoming a tragedy. Officers put themselves in harm's way on a regular basis, and it's why we have to continue to make sure that we are supporting our police officers. When families are spending time together this holiday season, staying inside and staying warm, our officers are out there responding to the calls and putting their lives on the line.

1:41 The Chicago Police Department will provide updates as they become available and I just want to thank that officer for their service and hope that they continue to make a rapid recovery. Now, on the budget. You know, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal. The headline was, the world has more billionaires than ever. They say that we now have 2,900 billionaires that control $15.8 trillion in wealth.

2:15 Meanwhile, I continue to visit food pantries across the city and meet Chicagoans who are working full-time but still struggling just to get by. It's the holiday season, but I know that there's a great number of families across Chicago who are not feeling the holiday spirit, primarily because they're wondering where their next meal is going to come from. In fact, they're wondering if they'll even have enough resources to put gifts underneath their trees for their children.

2:57 Unemployment, unfortunately, is up, inflation is up, and health care costs are set to skyrocket. This is the context our budget negotiations are under right now. So I sent a letter to council members. I sent it this morning to give them an update of how the state of negotiations are going right now. We continue to be open to negotiations and compromise,

3:28 but we will not sacrifice the poor and working people of Chicago to balance this budget. We will also do everything in our power to prevent a government shutdown. A shutdown benefits nobody, least of all the poor and working people of Chicago who rely upon the critical services that the city provides. The last time Chicago came close to a government shutdown was in 1984 when Alders, Burke, and Verdoliak tried to override Mayor Harold Washington's veto

4:01 before striking a deal hours before the deadline. We don't want history to repeat itself. We know it was Mark Twain that said that though history doesn't necessarily repeat itself, it certainly rhymes. And we would much prefer that the council continue to work with me to land a fair compromise that protects working people and ensuring that we're making progress at addressing the financial mess that we all inherited. Our goal is pretty simple, and that's to provide some regular updates to you all

4:37 as we continue to negotiate, to develop, to make sure that our city is ultimately protected. we believe that the budget that was crafted in the past or budgets that were crafted in the past behind closed doors with a rubber stamp city council are the very reasons why Chicago is in such a dire financial position today. And so we want to continue to make sure that the public is fully informed and to have a transparent public-facing process.

5:08 And then lastly, I did have the pleasure of attending the quarter zip meetup on Sunday and met some incredible young men who were taking back and sipping on matchas, though I'm more of a chai connoisseur. They're also working hard to make some incredible changes in their community. It was a very powerful testament to our city and our young people. And with that being said, I do believe that the Nike techs have had a nice run.

5:44 So I'm encouraging and officially endorsing that people pick up a quarter zip during this season. And let's make that the necessary powerful trend moving forward. With that, I'll accept any of your questions. All right. We're going to start on this then. Mayor, good morning. Good morning. Nice to see you. Likewise. So if you and the 26 alders represented in that opposing group are invoking the possible government shutdown, in your estimation as we sit here right now, you're clearly signaling you don't want that.

6:17 That is clear. How likely are we to get there? Well, let me just reiterate. I don't believe anybody wants a government shutdown. This would not be good for our city. And, you know, the context in which we are working under right now is that working people every single day are struggling to make the ends meet. And so what I've said repeatedly, I'm always open to negotiate details and to find compromises along the way. But, you know, doubling the garbage fee, you know, collecting a grocery tax and some of the other regressive ideas that have been put forward.

6:56 You know, this is this is this budget, you know, cannot reflect the sins of the past. You know, so that's why, you know, I've said I'm open to alternative forms of progressive revenue. And, you know, city council members have an opportunity to present those ideas in city council. Look, my responsibility is to present a budget that's balanced. And, again, we are extra motivated to ensure that the people who have overwhelmingly had to make sacrifices for balanced budgets in the past

7:32 cannot be the same people that help us balance this budget. It's well past time that these super, super large corporations put more skin in the game, and the people of Chicago overwhelmingly support that idea. So it's likely or possible? Well, you know, again, no one wants it. You know, but it's it's something that I'm working overtime to ensure that it doesn't happen. Some folks said I was moving too fast. So we slow the process down. Our folks are working over the weekend. So it's it's clearly up to city council to pass a budget. That's their responsibility.

8:06 On one other matter, if I can, on the South Shore high rise, I'm wondering if you can pinpoint what your administration is doing to stop the forced move out down there. A lot of people are wondering what's going to happen. Yeah, well, look, this is a matter that is between Wells Fargo and the former owner of the building. What my administration has done, you know, we've called for an extension. We have repeatedly called for families to be provided at least $7,500 in the midst of this transition.

8:36 You know, we don't want a situation that was difficult to be worse. So we have made the full force of government available, whether it's Department of Family Support Services, Chicago Housing Authority. But we have made it very clear to the courts, which, you know, we don't control the courts, but we've made it very clear that an extension should be granted and more resources for those families should be provided. And I'm going to use every single agency, including sister agencies, that I have jurisdiction over to make sure that these families are supported.

9:11 Hi, Mary. Hi. Can you talk a little bit about what makes up a company? You're talking about billionaires, mega billionaires, and they should pay their fair share. But some of the companies that might be affected have 100 employees, which doesn't really fit in that mega employer rating or whatever you want to call it. Can you talk about whether you're willing to adjust that to go to 200 or 300 employees?

9:42 Talk about why 100 employees fits in what you're talking about. Well, I mean, keep in mind. You know, again, that this is a revenue generator that is going to go towards critical investments and driving violence down. So I just want to make sure that we're clear about the impetus behind our work. We have seen, again, the safest summer in over 60 years, and we cannot afford to lose ground as we build the safest, most affordable big city in America. These resources are critical.

10:12 Challenging these corporations to put more skin in the game, I believe is a reasonable expectation, considering that the balance of budgets have been primarily off the backs of working people. They have overly provided their shared sacrifice. So in terms of, you know, the details around, you know, this particular revenue generator, I've always been open to it. In fact, interesting enough, in 2017, there are some alders who signed on to the very same idea with half of the amount that I'm proposing.

10:46 So their proposal was for companies that hired more than 50 people at $33 per head, right? So, you know, in terms of our ability to negotiate around the details of this particular revenue generator, that, again, is going to go towards critical services, have always been amenable to compromise. Well, can you distinguish, though, between a 100-member company that's, you know, a small company, really,

11:19 compared to, you know, thousands of employees in a mega corporation? Well, you've already made the distinction. They have more employees. But are you going to? As I said, I'm amenable to having a discussion around how we generate revenue from this particular idea. Look, the ultimate goal, as I've said repeatedly for the last two and a half years, we need Springfield to support the state as a whole around progressive revenue ideas, of which all of you have had a chance to embrace those ideas. In fact, these ideas did not give birth when I became mayor.

11:51 These ideas go back over a decade, right? So, again, I've always been open to compromise. The only thing that I've said that I think – here's the only thing that I don't believe we should do is negotiate our values, right? Our values are to protect working people. How we generate revenue to do that, I've always been open to compromise. Is this number the sticking point? Thanks, yeah. Okay. Hi, Mayor. Hi. We saw federal immigration activity ramp up in the suburbs this weekend. And does your admin have any intel on whether DHS plans to move in Chicago?

12:25 And if so, what can you share? Well, I have seen those reports, and they are just as gruesome as they've been over the course of Trump's reign in this season. And, you know, as far as specific intel around what their activity could be or will be, none of that has crossed my desk. I can tell you, though, that we are in constant state of preparation. We do know at some point the Trump administration is going to double down or continue their efforts to terrorize cities across America.

13:03 So we're in constant communications with mayors across this country. My superintendent is in communications with folks in law enforcement. And obviously, we're still in strong partnership with the state and the county to make sure that we're protecting all the people of our city. Thank you. And do you still support Walter Burnett for CHA CEO, despite the CHA board chair saying the board does not recommend him? Yes. And can you elaborate on why? Look, you know, Alderman Burnett has decades of service, you know, and he has a proven track record of getting things done.

13:39 And, you know, he has a lived experience that most, you know, executives don't have as someone who was raised in public housing. You know, so I believe that his ability to get work done, his decades of service, and the fact that he has a very personal connection to, you know, public housing, I believe it makes him the strongest candidate to run our system. And I will say, too, you know, him being a Chicagoan makes a difference. You know, many people had concerns about, you know, certain folks with executive experiences, and put that in quotations, that lived outside of the city, and they left a lot to be desired.

14:19 My goal, of course, is to build the safest, most affordable big city in America, and you have to have qualified leadership, you know, who understands, you know, in a very intimate way how we can do that to lead these agencies. And I believe that the former alderman and vice mayor is a great example and testament to how someone can move through the ranks and experiences of living in public housing could ultimately lead, you know, one of the largest. largest public housing entities in the entire country.

14:51 I think it would be a remarkable story. How are you doing, Mayor Johnson? I'm doing pretty good, actually. Thank you. The most recent version of your budget includes, as part of the community safety surcharge, an $18 million assistance program for small and medium-sized businesses. Can you offer any details about how that money would be distributed under your proposal who would determine who gets it and what it would do to and how it would allay concerns

15:24 from some small and medium-sized businesses, family restaurant owners, and that kind of thing, that they're going to get stuck with like a $25,000 a month whack for having 100 workers. Yeah. Well, first of all, this is not a punishment for having workers, right? Let's keep in mind, you all, this revenue stream was enacted in 1973. All the way up to 2014. Think about Chicago from 1973 to 2014. Can you look outside these windows and see evidence of job killing and people being whacked? In fact, if you look at our economy, it grew substantially under this particular revenue stream.

16:05 Here's what I can also tell you. When it went away, there's no empirical evidence that somehow it made us more competitive. In fact, when it went away, guess what came in its place? Three consecutive years of property tax increases, fines and fees. Over $500 million. There's more evidence that with this revenue stream going away, that working people had to do more. You know, so I appreciate the question, but I'm just saying if anybody's gotten whacked, it's been working people in this city, right? We have seen a decline in population as a result of these failures.

16:39 And so what we have done, again, negotiating the details around my values, is to set up a system. And if you look at the 2017 ordinance, it had something similar, where it looked at companies that work within the framework of CEDA and provided some support for those corporations who are committed to hiring from neighborhoods where economic starvation has been the prevailing form of governance. And so in terms of how this particular program would operate, that happens in the rules-making process

17:10 and that I've always been amenable to how companies could still benefit, particularly when we talk about companies that have – because here's the thing. I'm a reasonable human being. I really am. I had a very, very difficult conversation with my son yesterday, and he found out how reasonable I can be, even as a dad. And what I've said repeatedly is that companies like grocery stores or restaurants that might have a higher threshold of employers, employees, but their margins are tight.

17:46 I recognize that. And so part of this program would be to ensure that companies who fit within that sort of nexus could have an opportunity to be able to have a source where they could recoup whatever is whatever is subject to this tax. Right. But again, we're still open to that. The rules making process and legislation will ultimately help determine how people qualify and how those funds will be distributed.

18:17 And more on the discussion of a shutdown, which I know you've said you don't want and the elders that we've talked to say they don't want either. I'm wondering if you can offer any details about provisions in the city's collective bargaining agreements to make sure that employees of the city would get retro pay if for some reason by January 1 of 2026 there's not a budget in that. Well, look, again, we're working hard to make sure that a shutdown does not occur, because to your point, there are collective bargaining agreements and other city services that are mandated to be fulfilled.

18:52 And, of course, our Department of Law continues to update me on the legal parameters around if such a thing were to occur. But, again, I'm going to remain hopeful that city council does its part to ensure that a shutdown doesn't occur. Thanks, Jeff. Does the city's collective bargaining agreements have provisions for retro pay? I don't know if they have specific provisions around retro pay. What I'm ultimately getting at is that there are parameters within our structure that certain services have to continue, right?

19:31 And so in that regard, you know, we might be able to draw some conclusions from there, but I don't want to misrepresent that information. Thank you. You're welcome, of course. Amen. Almost a quarter zip. What is that? It's like an in-betweener. Yeah. You just need the zip part. Talk to our guy here. If aldermen move ahead on their alternative budget and – First of all, they don't have an alternative budget. Well, if they propose text amendments and pass something with the majority of city council that have signed on to at least signal support of this, and they pass it, would you veto that?

20:05 Well, it depends what's in it. If the current proposal by them. Well, first of all, their proposal was $300 million short, so it's not even balanced. So you can't pass an unbalanced budget. Would you veto that? an unbalanced budget. You can't pass one that's not balanced. Listen, listen, listen, listen, for real. I'm not trying to be persnickety. I'm saying that their proposals do not come to the structure that requires a balanced budget, right?

20:37 They're $300 million short. So outside of doubling the garbage fees, and thank you for your writing, One of the proposals suggested that my team underestimated revenue projections by $30 million, and I believe I'm rounding down, without citing their source. Do you understand how negligent and irresponsible that is to make a suggestion without having any source to back it up?

21:09 Could you imagine if I would have presented something like that without any true evidence of how we're coming to that conclusion? I mean, that's not even plagiarism. That's just an incomplete assignment. So, again, I don't want us to overly concentrate on whether something is going to get vetoed or not. I'm looking for proposals that we can come around and organize around to ensure that this budget is balanced and not off the backs of working people. I'm going to make this as plain as I possibly can. The assignment is actually not that complicated. We're going to support working people or we're going to protect these big corporations.

21:46 I'm saying that Chicago, a democratic city, cannot be in a position to stand up for these big corporations who, quite frankly, have said to me personally that the number one priority is safety. I'm literally addressing the very thing that everyone is concerned about. It's $100 million, 1.6% of the overall corporate fund. And I think that we are in a unique position to ensure that working people and their lives and their livelihoods are not sacrificed at the expense of these big corporations.

22:27 You know, as it stands, it seems like the people who are opposing you here have fewer than 34 votes if you were to veto their proposal. And it also seems like you probably don't have 25, which you would need in a tiebreaker situation. So what are you willing to compromise on? I mean, I'm sure you had other alternative ideas that you were weighing before you presented your own budget. How do you think this lands? What are you willing to give here? Yeah. Yeah. Well, we don't know that they have 26 votes because nothing has been voted on. So I'm saying put it on the board. Let's see. Do people actually want to vote on doubling the garbage fees?

23:02 They should present that. If they if if city council members want to double the garbage fees in Inglewood and Roseland and Austin, then they should put it on the board and vote for it. Right now, we don't we don't know if they have 26 votes because nothing has been voted on. So, you know, as I said repeatedly, there's room to negotiate. There's always room to negotiate. That's why I'm going to continue to provide these regular updates. Listen, you all, if you just for a moment here, like really concentrate on what we're talking about.

23:37 We're talking about one form of revenue. I mean, if this was a football game, we're on the five-yard line. I mean, if my CFO was here, she would say the one-yard line. We're talking about 1.67%. The rest of this budget, no one's even discussing. People obviously believe that we should invest in community safety. So if we're just simply talking about the community safety surcharge, then let's have a real substantive conversation around what that particular revenue stream could look like.

24:08 And if there is a better one, I'm open to it. But no one has presented me a better idea yet. Just for the record, I'm a big quarter zip guy, just not for work. All right. Good. Good. So some of the alders that I spoke to were involved in the meeting on Saturday are wondering why weren't you there to actually negotiate on this budget? My my team is there. That's that's their job. That's a responsibility. They were there for nine hours.

24:38 I'm updated all day, every day on everything. And, you know, I don't I don't that's that's. It's not a unique situation. I'm not the first mayor to send their budget director and their CFO into a room to have a conversation. Here's the thing. We've had these conversations for months, you all. This process started with community meetings in January. You know, we put together an incredible team through the Ernst & Young executive order that I put forward

25:09 that some of those orders in that room said that I should not have done that. But we have put forth every possible scenario to give full consideration. What did we get in return? Here was another proposal that some alders believe that we can collect $150 million more in debt services without giving any evidence of how to do that. Selling it off to some private company that's going to harass poor people around a debt that they've accumulated.

25:40 I just, I'm taking their approach seriously, but we also have to make sure that we're providing feedback that challenges these alders, who, by the way, still have not come up with a balanced presentation of how do we do this without sacrificing working and poor people. So let's presume that they know that any budget they have to come up with has to be balanced. Things are in the works. I presume that if they're going to present a budget, that it will eventually be balanced, looking different than yours.

26:14 If that is indeed the way they proceed and they present a balanced budget, would you veto it? As I said before, it just depends on what it consists of. Well, I mean, you know where they're coming from. You've seen their proposals. They've basically said they don't believe in the head tax. They don't believe people want that. So, I mean, is there basically a veto waiting to happen if they present a balanced budget of their own that doesn't include the head tax? Again, it really depends.

26:44 If there's another form of progressive revenue that gets at, you know, a balanced budget that ensures that our investments in community safety are protected and secured, that's a budget worth reflecting on, right? I've said this from the very beginning, find progressive revenue streams that allows for our budget to be balanced so that we don't continue to sacrifice poor and working people. Doubling garbage fees, coming up with scenarios that have not had any real vetting or a citation that could substantiate or corroborate their particular assertion or claim, that's incomplete.

27:29 And my team was available for nearly nine hours on the weekend. We were having conversations yesterday. This is what I do all day, every day, nonstop. This is one of the most consequential budgets that I believe that our city has been met with. And I believe there's a pathway forward by challenging these large corporations to pay their fair share. Hi, Mayor. Hi. I reported on Friday that a Chicago police officer who shot a teen in 2017, COPA ruled that shooting unjustified.

28:06 Those charges were never brought to a full police board hearing, and that officer has been promoted to be a sergeant, even though the city has settled four lawsuits that cost the city nearly $600,000. How can the people of Chicago have faith in the city's police accountability system when something like that happens? Yeah, this is yet another example of where, you know, government has not been completely modernized. My budget actually addresses, you know, this matter, right, with a early warning system that allows for, you know, a district commander to be able to better assess how a police officer is showing up for the people of Chicago.

28:52 I do believe, and I had this conversation with Superintendent Snelling, we have to revisit our promotion policy because in an instance like this, to your point, as we work to build stronger relationships within the community and in that constitution of policing, much like other forms of tragedy, we can't normalize them. We don't want these type of archaic approaches to set us back. So it is something that we are looking into.

29:28 The CPD, including the shooting this past weekend, has shot 21 people so far this year and killing eight. This comes as the coalition of police reform groups behind the consent decree and the Attorney General's Office expressed concern about that rise in the use of force suggestions suggesting that perhaps it will thwart the eventual completion of the consent decree and threatens the progress that has been made. Do you share that concern about the rising number of people shot by CPD

29:59 and their uses of force against Chicagoans? Well, look, we don't ever want, you know, situations that, you know, insert or provocate those type of interactions. You know, look, we've jumped leaps and bounds in terms of the completion of the consent decree and coming into compliance. Of course, I'm always concerned about our diligence around how do we ensure that the trust is restored, built, and maintained over time.

30:35 So each case is different, right? And so, you know, I don't know if it's appropriate or useful to regard all of them under one context of just police-involved shootings because each circumstance has its own unique set of circumstances. So it's one that, of course, I've kept my eye on closely. And look, we're already seeing signs of progress with the consent decree where we're coming into compliance on a variety of the paragraphs that we've had to address.

31:14 And one in particular is how we're solving crime. And one of the ways in which we solve crime and close out these acts of violence is by having trust within the community. When that breaks down, there is a moral gap there that is very difficult to refill. So, again, I don't believe it's something that we should look in totality. We have to look at each individual case in isolation. Good morning, Mayor. Good morning. I'm Dorich with WGN News.

31:46 So you continue to say that they have not presented a balanced budget, right? But they've given alternatives. We did receive the letter that was sent to you. And you say that you're willing to work with them And continue to talk and talk through negotiations But even with what they've presented It seems like you're not willing to tweak it Or compromise what they have given you It's automatically like, well, no, this is not going to work Instead of just maybe coming up with an idea To help what they have presented work As you know, this is all to prevent a government shutdown So if we're all working together as one

32:18 Why not help them figure out what they have presented? Why is it just automatically off the table? It's three hundred million dollars short. Well, your characterization does not fit what the reality has been. Right. And what I've said repeatedly is not that something doesn't work. There is a responsibility to ensure that what is being presented is something that the people of Chicago want. Right.

32:48 And so having my team work on a Saturday, that's work. That's working with them. And, again, this process goes back almost a year. So, look, I know that people are trying to find, like, this bite-sized moment, but budgets do not get developed in bite sizes. They get developed with community engagement. They get developed with working groups that we've established, right? And it's not an automatic no.

33:21 What I'm simply saying is, how would the city of Chicago's residents expect me to respond to a claim that we've under-projected our revenue by $30 million without any evidence to support that? It would be derelict of duty for me not to say, listen, I appreciate the effort, but you're going to have to substantiate your claim.

33:51 That's not a no. That's just saying, like any teacher would be, here's your claim. What's your evidence to suggest that this particular number is going to materialize? Because you know what would be incredibly irresponsible is if we base projections on something that doesn't have sound, substantial evidence. And then when that particular revenue stream underperforms, guess who's going to be held responsible for that, right? Here's another example of how we have worked with city council members.

34:25 There are a number. Check this out. There are a number of city council members who signed their name to the same community safety surcharge back in 2017 for a higher amount and less employees. So here's what I suggested. How about instead of 50 employees, we go to 100? How about instead of $33, we go to 21? Does that count as compromise? I would suggest that it does, right? And so our team is more than capable of providing feedback.

35:01 But, you know, nothing is an automatic. No, I would sound like my dad. Who wants to sound like an 84-year-old man? So, in other words, you're saying that everything that was presented from the council members, it wasn't vetted? It was just take a look, like base evidence? Did you see the report? I mean, I'm looking at it, but I'm just saying, like, out of your mouth, I'm asking you that. I've already made it clear what my position has been. Listen, I appreciate the participation. I really do, because all of us have to be engaged, you know, and, you know, we have provided repeated feedback.

35:36 There was one particular idea that it wasn't an awful idea. We just didn't have the legal authority to do it. You know, it was one that I actually contemplated. You know, so, you know, I think this conversation is quite robust. us, but let's just be honest here. We're talking about 3% of the largest corporations right now. That's what we're really talking about, right? That really is, right? Because if this wasn't in there, what argument would they have? We have instituted half of the recommendations that came out of the Ernst & Young report. No other administration assembled a group

36:08 the way that I've assembled to find ways in which we can modernize government, whether it's police overtime, whether it's police settlement. Look, I have worked overtime, and I don't mind doing it, because it's the job that's required of me, you know, and nothing is automatic. I've always said from the very beginning, our values are our values. People know who I am and what I ran out. This is not a surprise to anyone in this room that we're challenging corporations to put more skin in the game. In fact, it's the message that's winning across America.

36:39 We're talking about values that have been on the table for over a decade. If you look at all the proposals that we're talking about in terms of progressive revenue, go back and look at 2019. Go back and look at 2015. As the Bible says, there's nothing new under the sun. Even the idea with the corporate head tax was Richard J. Daly's. I can't even take full credit for that, right? So, you know, this is not about finding compromise. This is really about are we going to show up and protect our values? And I believe the people of Chicago deserve someone that's going to protect their values.

37:10 And that's why they elected me. I know you're not a quarter zip. You are committed to the sweater, though. That's the professorial look. I don't like it. It snags. And it draws up, too. Yeah, it's not good. But we're not only talking about the corporate head tax, right? Because aldermen have been upset about the 166 borrowing for the operating costs, not making the full advance pension payment. Since your budget was rejected in the finance committee, Have you gone back to the drawing board and figured out ways to either eliminate the borrowing or increase the advance pension payments significantly?

37:48 Well, look, of course you want to make the full advance payment. The context in which that proposal was put forward, we're not in that context anymore, right? I mean, there's not this overwhelming pocket of dollars of reserve, right? And so, you know, as time has adjusted, so shall government. You know, in terms of how we make sure that, you know, we're balancing this budget in a way that doesn't saddle us in a way in which previous administrations have done, I believe this budget is responsible, right?

38:22 Even the firefighter's contract, previous administrations financed back pay for 30 years. I mean, we're going to have it paid for by the time we're in the midst of settling in the next contract. I think that's responsible. Look, there's no qualm in terms of we have to find a strong progressive revenue stream from Springfield that places the city finances on a stronger trajectory. That's a continuous assignment, but this is what I believe we should do in the meantime until those measures have been secured.

38:58 Just to follow up on that, and then I have another. When you talk about a potential revenue option from Springfield, I know some aldermen have talked about, you know, sales tax on services or other things that you've also supported. Would you be willing or want to dedicate any potential revenue to pensions? Well, here's we used to, and we were in a much stronger economic position. So I wouldn't, you know, close off that conversation. In fact, when this occurred in 1995 and that dedicated revenue stream was removed from securing, you know, people's retirement for reasons that, you know, people could argue, you know, made sense at the time.

39:45 But now we're in this sort of financial hole here that now 80 percent of property taxes are now going towards pensions. So this budget is 60% structural, so we are already better positioned for long-term solvency. It's just a transition in this moment, in the meantime. So clearly I have an openness to dedicated revenue streams.

40:18 That's what the community safety surcharge is about. It's what the smart tax is about for mental and behavioral health support services. and in terms of making sure that our pensions are secure, that is the weight that, quite frankly, is carrying down governments across the country. So I'm not closed off to that idea. In the bigger picture, I think you are right that there's not a full counter-budget proposal on offer, and I think you're probably right that there might be 26 votes for some of those proposals that they put out,

40:49 but not all of them. But at the same time, you appear not to have the votes you need to pass what you want. and now we're in this moment, we're three weeks away, and both sides are trying to kind of say the other side is at fault if we don't pass the budget by the end of the year. Are you worried that if you don't compromise, if you don't shift, that it doesn't really matter what else happens, that you're the mayor, you're the highest profile elected in the city, and Chicagoans are going to blame you regardless of kind of how we get from here to there?

41:21 Well, let me just say that the notion or the idea that there are 26 votes on something that has not been voted on is just that's speculation. In terms of the posture, I will accept the posture that there are a number of alders who have taken umbrage with how corporations are being asked to show up.

41:58 And some have said to me directly that they just fundamentally oppose this concept. Now, their evidence doesn't align with, I shouldn't say their evidence, their rationale doesn't align with real evidence, right? It just doesn't. And what I'm conveying to the people of Chicago is that I am inserting the will of the people. That's what I'm doing. That is my responsibility.

42:29 And you all have seen the polling across the state of Illinois, across the city of Chicago. You have seen the reaction politically around the country. If you highlight any election in this country and you drill down, whether it was in a red district or in a blue city, that people across America are fed up with the greed, the avarice of corporations.

43:01 I mean, it is so severe that you have more of a drive by these big tech companies in the interest of billionaires working overtime and spending more money to stop revenue streams that are less than the attack ads that they're running against those of us who believe in the values of working people.

43:32 So I'm committed, my administration is committed to an open, transparent process that allows for the people of this city and their will to be executed and administered. This is the season that we're in right now, that we're in a season of whether we're going to stand up for working people and our values or we're going to crumble under pressure from corporate interest. The last thing that I'll say is this is not the first time our country has been through this.

44:03 If you look at the 1930s and what the federal government at that time fought for, you know, that particular administration was very clear about who should bear some more responsibility because, as I've said repeatedly, that 100 years ago, you know, the leaders of that time recognized that well. in the hands of a concentrated few is antithetical to democracy, that they both cannot exist.

44:39 And I believe here in Chicago, we're amidst a moment in our world's history where the way government is shifting and the way our economy is shifting, that the formation in which some members of city council are proposing is an antiquated, outdated, neoliberal, quite frankly, and austere approach that has created the type of consternation that exists today.

45:09 I'm trying to find a pathway forward, and I'm hoping that more people on the city council will appreciate this historic moment and stand with me as I work to protect all of Chicago. Hey there. Hi. You mentioned in your letter and today this 2017 proposal. does that mean you're amenable to a possible compromise, upping the number from $21 per employee in the sense that then maybe it could apply to companies over 200 people or whatever the math shakes out? I'm open. Gotcha. And you challenged these $26 to put it on the board.

45:41 When might you put your proposal back on the board for a vote? My proposal is already on the board. We're debating it now. That's what we're doing. And when do you think that might come back for a committee vote? It could happen the moment, you know, city council members decide to move forward. Look, the legislative branch of government has the responsibility to take my proposal and put it up as a whole. They can do that now if they wish. Mayor, you had mentioned. You've been incredibly patient. Thank you.

46:11 You mentioned earlier over here, you said look outside. It looks as if everything's going great. There would be those who disagree and say that's why the property taxes are going up because they're not going so great downtown right now. And so explain that to me because there's evidence that when the head tax was repealed that jobs boomed in Chicago. Okay, first of all, thank you for the question. I didn't say that everything was great. You were wounded to that.

46:41 Well, just let's speak directly to what I'm getting at. that the notion that the corporate head tax would cause businesses to fail and corporations to fold, there's no empirical evidence that corroborates or substantiates that. There's been 50 years of study. It just doesn't exist. In fact, at the time in which the corporate head tax was eliminated, there's no empirical evidence that it called Chicago to a higher place outside of natural growth across the country.

47:13 Yes, there is. Okay, cited? I can give it to you, right? I mean, that job growth definitely boomed in Chicago when the head tax was repealed. Yes, the head tax went away, jobs boomed after 2014. In fact, they were above the average. Now, of course, this is from the folks who want that head tax to stay away. So who is that cited by? A group of people who... Who oppose the tax. Yes. but they have

47:44 facts evidence to show that that's true I you disagree that you don't believe that's true I'm simply saying that it's hard press to suggest that the group that has a special interest well they can tell you whether or not more jobs came to Chicago that's not something that's imagined so you're defending this source yes well when they send me facts yes I can see it okay so again there's no empirical evidence I'm sorry, I'm trying to take this seriously

48:14 because you literally have a group I'm trying to, I'm not laughing at you I'm trying to take this seriously that you are suggesting that a group of individuals who have a special interest in this it's the same as your group you're going to also have people that are arguing your case of course they're going to argue this and they're going to show that there was job growth I recall during that time Yes, there was every other day there was a new news conference showing a company that was expanding,

48:46 that was part of the deal, you know, hey, this is working. Well, look, we just, you know, had our World Business Chicago quarterly meeting, of which we just settled on agreements where 18 cranes are the result of the work that we have put in, right? So I also have evidence that our economy is certainly moving in the right direction. We had, I got it, because I am taking this seriously. I'm just, and pardon if the laugh suggested I was laughing at you. I was not.

49:16 I'm simply saying that I've had repeated conversations with members of the press about how certain groups put forth a message that, you know, you put an asterisk. because of their particular political leaning. And so it's just one of those things where I do find it fascinating that a group that has a special interest in this particular revenue stream not being returned are providing information.

49:46 Here's what we do know for sure, that the revenue stream that we're talking about is going to go towards the area that those same interests said that I have to prioritize. So there's agreement there. My investments in community safety, that's my impetus. That's my motivation. All we're simply saying is at that same time period, there was an also increase in property taxes, $500 million three years in a row. You also saw credit downgrading that happened during that same time period.

50:20 You also saw a reduction of people in the city. right? The challenge that we're having with downtown, it's not a matter of policy. It's about how our government and our economy is shifting. There are more people who have become more digitized, right? And so that's why my budget is shifting our economy nowhere else in the country right now. It's something like this taking place where we recognize that as Our economy shifts. Government has to shift along with it.

50:51 So that's why downtown, for instance, we have worked to convert old office space into affordable housing to repopulate the region that will inevitably attract businesses that reflect the modernized economy. That's all I'm simply getting at. All right. So if the head text is such a great idea, where is it working now? Because there are – what cities? Where – who you turn to? Where are you looking at and saying, wow, I wish we were doing what they're doing because I can't find one?

51:21 Well, look, if you're asking me if I believe that there is a model that's better than the city of Chicago right now, I'm going to tell you there isn't. We are setting the trend. I can tell you, though, that the people in New York who have to spend $4,500 a month for rent, I can tell you what they voted for. The people in New York who it cost over a million dollars to purchase a home, I can tell you what they voted for. You're seeing the outbreak of what I believe is an incredible display of the interest and the demands of working people,

51:56 that even the premise of this particular source does not reflect the value system of America right now. They just don't. And so what you're seeing across America is that we have had austere budgets that have driven people out. We saw it right here in Chicago. School closings, the shuttering of mental health clinics, the dismantling of public housing, right, this protection of the interests of privatizers.

52:28 And where has that gotten us, right? It's gotten us into this economic despair that I'm working to pull us out of, right? And so the fact that 80% of property taxes go towards pensions, I can tell you that that is more evidence that the way it has been done in the past has proven to be a failure. And all we're simply doing in this moment is responding to the interests of people, not the interests of corporations. All right. Thank you all.

52:58 All right. See you all tomorrow.

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