Chicago Politics

Press Availability 9.15.26

Chapters

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson hosts press availability.

Transcript

0:24 Good morning, everyone. Thank you all for being here today. I want to start by speaking directly to the families and neighbors in Humboldt Park who are hurting right now. Over the weekend, one of our neighbors lost their life to gun violence and six others were injured. families are now grieving the loss of a loved one praying for those who were hurt and trying to make sense of something that should never have happened in their community

0:57 these are our neighbors these are Chicago families and when one of our communities is hurting this entire city has a responsibility to stand with them what happened in Hummel Park was devastating and it was unacceptable Our response has to be about more than words. It has to be about showing up. This weekend, our victim services teams will be on the ground in Humboldt Park, providing targeted connection to services, resources, and trusted community partners.

1:41 These services are free and open to anyone. You do not have to be a direct victim of the shooting, nor is a police report required to take advantage of these services. If you are grieving, if you are struggling to process what happened, or if you simply need someone to talk to, I want you to know that help is available. You can contact Victim Services directly at 312-745-6340. Again, that is 312-745-6340.

2:15 And to the families and residents of Humboldt Park, I want you to hear this from me, that you are not alone. Your city is here for you, and we are going to continue to show up, not just today, but in the days and weeks ahead. I want to thank the community organizations who are providing wraparound services and our community violence intervention partners who are in the community right now helping to de-escalate tensions and prevent further violence from occurring.

2:45 My administration is going to continue doing everything in our power to reduce violence and protect all of our residents. I want to thank the women and men of the Chicago Police Department who are working every day to get illegal guns off of our streets and the work that they are doing to keep our community safe. so far this year cpd has taken more than 7 000 guns off the streets of our city in august alone cpd recovered 990 guns from our communities that's a 12 percent increase

3:17 from august of last year we are going to keep going we are going to keep taking illegal weapons off of our streets and we are going to keep holding those responsible accountable and we are going to keep investing in the community-based organizations that are doing the difficult but meaningful work of preventing violence before it happens. We are also using every tool available to us as a city and we have taken concrete action to hold the gun industry accountable.

3:52 Last month, I signed an executive order directing the city to stop doing business with firearm manufacturers and dealers that contribute to the flow of guns into our communities. We should not be using taxpayer dollars to do business with companies that are contributing to the very crisis that we are working every day to address. And we know that a small number of bad actors are responsible for a disproportionate share of the guns that are recovered at crime scenes. Just 5% of gun dealers can be tied to 90% of the guns recovered at crime scenes.

4:26 We must demand accountability from the companies and bad actors who profit while our communities pay the price. And that is why we filed and won a lawsuit against Glock, forcing the company to address its role in fueling the gun violence crisis in Chicago with irresponsible practices that allow unregulated machine guns onto our streets. We also established the Office of Gun Violence Reduction to meet this challenge with the urgency and dedication

4:57 that it requires, bringing the departments together to strengthen our full force of government strategy to drive down violence in our city. And we are not stopping there. Chicago cannot do this alone. We need our federal government to be a partner in this work, not a barrier to it. At a time when communities are asking for more resources to prevent violence and get illegal guns off our streets, The Trump administration is cutting resources and personnel that working people rely on to fuel massive tax breaks for the billionaire class.

5:33 This is taking us backwards. And so that's why I'm renewing my call to President Trump to restore the over $800 million of violence prevention dollars that he took from the budget to restore the resources to ATF. 30% reduction in the ATF budget. Our local police department works with ATF to get illegal weapons off the streets of Chicago. And so again, I renew my call to the President of the United States of America to invest in our cities and cities across America to continue to drive violence down.

6:05 If we want safer communities, we have to invest in them. We have to give families opportunities. We have to show up with funding and support for the Chicagoans doing violence prevention work every day. And we have to make sure law enforcement has the resources that it needs to keep illegal guns out of our neighborhoods. And that is why, again, I will continue calling on our federal leaders to invest in Chicago's communities, rather than cut the resources that help keep people safe. And when the Trump administration deliberately threatens the safety and well-being of working Chicagoans,

6:41 we will certainly fight back. Yesterday, Chicago joined New York City and a coalition of cities. and counties in a lawsuit challenging the federal government's new public charge rule. This rule threatens to create fear among immigrant families who must be able to access food and health care and other essential services without the fear, the threat of worrying about what could jeopardize their future in this country. More than half a million Chicagoans were born outside of the United States of America.

7:11 They are our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, and an essential part of who we are as a city. We will not stand by while families are forced to choose between taking care of their loved ones and protecting their ability to remain in the communities that they call home. Chicago has fought these attacks before, and we will continue to fight them alongside cities and counties from across the country. But our work does not stop in Washington or in a courtroom. We also have to advocate on behalf of working Chicago right here in Illinois.

7:45 That means continuing to fight for the resources our city needs from Springfield, including protecting the local government distributive fund. We held the line and we will continue working with our municipal partners during the veto session to make sure that Chicago gets the resources that it needs to provide essential services to our residents. because at the end of the day, this work is about our people. It's about whether a family feels safe walking down their block.

8:15 It's about whether a parent can take their child to the doctor without fear. It's about whether a young person has the support that they need to find their path. And it's about whether our neighborhoods have the resources that they need to withstand the challenges ahead. This is why I'm proud that Chicago continues to lead on resilience as well. A recent Alpha Geo analysis identifies Chicago as the most resilient major city among the 72 largest cities that it examined around the world.

8:48 And Chicago was the only American city at the top of that analysis. And that's something to be said about this city. And it says something about the work that we're doing. And that is why I restore the Department of Environment. And that is why both our airports and our public buildings are now powered by 100% renewable energy. And that is the work that is deeply rooted in Chicago. Hazel Johnson was fighting for environmental justice on the south side decades ago, making sure that our communities had a voice in decisions that directly affect their health and their future.

9:22 We are carrying that work forward today. We are building a city that is cleaner, healthier, and better prepared for the challenges ahead. Chicago knows how to come together when things get hard. We see it in our neighborhoods. We see it in our community organizations. And we certainly see it in the people who show up for our neighbors. They have done what they have been asked to do, to make sure that we're meeting the needs of all of our people. And that is the Chicago that we are building, and that is the Chicago that we're going to continue to fight for. One life lost to gun violence is one too many.

9:53 so we will keep using every tool available to protect all of our residents. I will keep fighting for the resources ...that our communities need, and I will keep showing up for the families when they need their city the most. And this is my commitment to the beloved people of Chicago. And, finally, I'm also proud to announce our new 2FM and DHR commissioners, Juan Pablo Preto and Tejita Hinton. Both bring deep experience in public services, and I'm excited to have their leadership on our team as we continue delivering for Chicagoans.

10:27 Thank you all, and with that, I'm happy to answer any of your questions. Good morning, everyone. One question, one follow-up, please. We'll go down the line. Heather, you want to start? Sure. Hi, Mayor. Hi, Heather. Long time no see. Right. Thank you for hosting us last night. Always. I want to ask you about the deal that was just announced by Alderman Dowell, Alderman Lee, and Alderman Wagsback, saying that they have agreed to approve the purchase of Chicago's meters by Stone Peak. That deal requires Stone Peak to sell Omni Air International,

11:02 which has carried out deportations for the Trump administration. Does that agreement have your support? Well, first of all, I'm grateful for the coalescing of city council members, my administration, which provided outside legal counsel, technical support, of course working with the stakeholders, to come to an agreement that, quite frankly, some people didn't think we could come up with a better agreement. I always believed that there was a pathway forward to get a better deal.

11:34 We know that this was the worst municipal deal of any kind in the history of the world, likely. And this process, of course, is one that still has to be brought forward before the full city council. But again, as others attempted before, I arrived on the fifth floor, were unable to come up with a coalition to find a better deal for the taxpayers. Some people didn't believe that was possible. I always was hopeful, and I'm grateful for our Department of Law.

12:10 Again, the technical support that we provided, the outside legal counsel that was provided. This was truly a comprehensive collective effort. But again, it has to be brought before the full city council for vote and for approval. But I am certainly grateful and feeling hopeful that the work that was done to put together a package, a better deal for taxpayers, that the city council will find a path to deliver for the people of Chicago.

12:41 I don't think that your renter's rights ordinance has been scheduled for a vote. I know you were hopeful that it would get a vote in September. What is the hang-up, and when do you hope the city council will consider it? Well, I'm still very hopeful. I mean, the time for protecting renters is now. You know, this ordinance has not been updated in 40 years since Mayor Washington initiated this charge to provide better protection for the people of Chicago.

13:15 Fifty-four percent of the residents of our city are renters. There were concerns that were brought to me by landlords, smaller landlords in particular, that we took into serious consideration. But just last week, one of the outlets covered a story of a woman who was living in deplorable conditions, a 70-year-old woman, Ms. Thomas, just absolutely reprehensible and egregious living conditions. No Chicagoan should live under those circumstances.

13:46 It's why the time to protect renters is so urgent right now. Ms. Thomas called repeatedly to get support from her landlord, could not nail down who was actually in charge of what. This ordinance would provide a provision where there's a rental registry. So Chicagoans will actually know who to contact. It also provides better protection with the new bureau for renters and for landlords to be able to call in a more streamlined approach so that they know their rights

14:19 and what's available to them, putting a cap on move-in fees and eliminating junk fees, things that make it harder for renters to live in Chicago. So I'm still hopeful that we can come together and all stakeholders move in the right direction to move us a lot further along in having these protections for renters. Again, this hasn't been updated in 40 years. And so this effort, of course, has been brought to us by sitting with all the stakeholders,

14:51 and I'm going to remain confident and hopeful that we can have an ordinance that moves us a lot closer to where we need to be, which is making sure that we're protecting renters. and also the small landlords who are providing service to the people of Chicago. Hey, man. Hey. So on your pro ordinance, you have backed off the just cause component of it. And, you know, I talked with some of your opponents who are pushing fair this morning. Gil Villegas said that he still wants to see fair passed instead of pro. And the MBOA, you know, a landlord group, said that they still believe the full weight of your original ordinance that they opposed.

15:27 you know they've said it would make things more expensive uh exists in the current version of pro what's your message to them uh now that you've made some concessions do you think that's fair um well listen as i've always said that we have to keep all the stakeholders in consideration right and that's what coalition is all about so look again hasn't we have not had an updated version of this ordinance in 40 years, right? So it's long overdue.

16:00 Here's what I'm concerned about. You know, Ms. Thomas. There are Ms. Thomases who do not know who to contact when there's trouble in their building. And in this situation, we saw the most egregious and extreme form of that. That's why the registry is important, right? I believe that's why we have to move forward with it. That's why this Bureau is important, right, because it actually protects renters and landlords. But the junk fees and move-in fees, the exorbitant fees to just move in, right,

16:38 that's making it harder for families to be able to afford to live in Chicago or stay in Chicago and raise a family. The stakeholders that I've spoken with have made incredible ground in coming up with a package that works for the people of Chicago. And what's best is ensuring that those who rely upon those families who need affordable, regulated housing have the support systems in place

17:10 to make sure that we're not doing anything as a city that's making it harder for people to actually live in Chicago. Some in the city council have argued that the fair ordinance, the opposing ordinance, goes far enough to address some of those same problems that you described. Do you think it does? Where does it fall short if you don't think it does? Well, listen, as I said before, what's key in these provisions is making sure that there's a registry. It's a bureau that we don't put unnecessary burdens on families who are really just trying to make a living.

17:49 The fact that it took the pro-ordinates to get the corporate interests to actually come to the table, it gives full expression of why it's important that I continue to lead with the lens of working people and not those who stand to continue to make a profit. at the expense of working people. Look, the city of Chicago is benefiting from the economic development that I have ignited in this city,

18:20 and we want to make sure that Chicago remains an affordable city, a safe city, and that's what my focus is going to remain. Mayor, first of all, welcome Brandon Pope to the crew, long overdue and well-deserved. I'm sure your questions aren't going to be tougher than mine. I just wanted to follow up on Heather's question. Are you urging, are you recommending that Alders pass this new parking meter deal? No, what I'm simply saying is that I'm grateful for the partnership, right?

18:51 Look, it was my responsibility to make sure that I created at least a framework of what was possible. Again, there were some people who didn't believe that we could have a package that provided a much better deal for taxpayers. Look, this is a horrible deal, and we know that. And previous administrations have attempted to find a pathway, and we're not able to. I'm grateful for the leadership of the members of city council that worked with the Department of Law and the technical assistance that we provided and the outside council, everything that they needed to come up with something that the full city council can consider that puts taxpayers' interest at heart to try to recover, again, from a deal that was obviously a horrific one.

19:50 so again I'm going to remain hopeful that whatever is before the city council with the support that we have provided that it places This is a stronger emphasis on what's best for taxpayers. And then I just wanted to bring up the issue of VGTs because, as you know, a couple of our several businesses, bars and restaurants, they've accused your administration, BACP, of slow walking the licensing process. Are you and will there be licenses approved for VGTs this year?

20:22 Look, I've always expressed my concern about VGTs. Those concerns have not gone away. but our process has been thoughtful and thorough and there's there's there's no secret to what my concerns are and they're not just mine right and no we have not been slow walking uh the process but again my concerns are are still you know very much real there's concerns about public safety there's concerns about um you know gambling addiction but also bally's has claimed that

20:55 it violates their their host city agreement are you and do are you of that opinion that that the vgt law that was passed here does violate the valley's hca look i you know i'm not going to you know opine on you know what sort of legal parameters have been you know established what i can just continue to emphasize is what is is that i've had concerns and still do about vgt's That hasn't changed. And there's an open process that allows for these forms of gambling to be expressed.

21:32 But again, it doesn't withdraw my concerns that I put forward prior to this question. And welcome, Mr. Pope. Thanks a lot, Mr. Mayor. Good to see you here. So we just talked about parole and all these kind of other issues that have happened. A lot of your major proposals have either stalled or changed substantially and received a lot of pushback when it comes from a block of aldermen or a large opposition of aldermen. Is the problem just opposition to your agenda, or is it about ability to build a coalition

22:08 when it comes to working with the city council on issues? Well, look, I mean, we reopened mental health clinics. That was a major initiative. No administration has done that since Mayor Washington. Over a billion dollars into our public schools. I've contributed more to our public education system with our TIF dollars than previous administrations combined.

22:46 Paid time off for over a million workers. we're the largest major city with the most substantial paid time off and all of the progressive revenue that I've put forward and the ones that have been in our budget are over performing you know I mean I'm not trying to use this moment as an opportunity to brag I guess

23:17 What I'm simply saying is, you know, with the things that I initiated, we're seeing the proof and the benefit of them. I mean, some of those same individuals who opposed some of the things that I've put forward also opposed my candidacy and said that I wouldn't win. And then they said that we would not be able to drive violence down. We've cut it in half. my argument would be that even despite the opposition it did not prevent us from investing in education

23:47 it has not prevented us from having paid time off it has not prevented us from expanding care the crisis assistance response and engagement in which we are becoming fully staffed and extending the hours I promised to promote more detectives we've done it, over 250 of them I put forth the proposal to hire more young people we've done it, 32,500 I mean I don't know how much time we have I mean those are just a few I said we're going to bring back the Department of the Environment that was installed, it's fully staffed now

24:18 three years later so I mean look, I would just say this last point I remember when under the Emanuel administration the the The whisper of the Emanuel administration, Michael Sachs, remember how quiet it was in city council then? There wasn't a whole lot of pushback in opposition, right? Property taxes were raised three times.

24:50 Schools were closed. Mental health clinics were closed. And the city of Chicago was left in a financial state that we are now... now just working to get up out of. So in other words, opposition and progress versus silence and disinvestment. If it has to be a little louder to make sure that we're saving lives, if it has to be a little bit louder to make sure that we're building affordable homes, if it has to be a little bit louder so that people can have treatment over trauma,

25:24 If it has to be a little bit louder so that we could be the most resilient, environmentally stable city on the entire planet, I'll take noise over progress versus quiet stagnation and disinvestment any day. So along that point, you just announced officially you're going to run for re-election. In a second term, is there anything you would change about how you negotiate with city council and try to get things over the finish line?

25:56 Well, with all that we've been able to accomplish, that we've gotten over the finish line, of course there's still more work to do. look i i receive this um analysis or even critique that that that sometimes my pace is too fast and maybe there are times when i am aggressively pushing towards like progressive politics and policies rather um i've learned from that pace and listen it's not just making me a better mayor it's making me a better person i don't believe i'm the only one in this room that

26:30 is introspective you know now that I'm 50 I think I'm probably you know even more conscious of things that I can do to become a better human being so yeah I mean I think there's ways in which you know I can approach situations to give people time to process or come to the conclusion and at the same time though people being upset at me trying to rectify 40 years of disinvestment

27:06 and that my pace and sometimes my energy can be a little forceful I hear that and what's louder to me than even the opposition in city hall what's louder to me are the cries of mothers who who are having to work two jobs and still stand in a food lie. What's louder to me than the opposition and city council, the fact that there are educators and child care workers

27:37 who are not getting their adequate pay for the jobs that they're doing. What's louder to me than even the opposition is the fact that you have families that are deeply concerned about whether or not they're going to be able to afford their rent. Those are the sounds that drive my work. It's not the opposition of the politics. Perhaps that's the difference between me and other mayors,

28:09 that I'm not motivated by the behavior of another politician. I am motivated by the people Who got me to the fifth floor And that's working people And since you brought up the fact that I announced That I'm seeking a second term We're not going backwards I can tell you that Chicago is not going backwards The millionaires and the billionaires Across this country Have lined up

28:41 To take out A working class mayor That's what's happening here It's billionaires versus the coalition of Brandon. Working people. That's what it's going to come down to. Because I don't mean to go off on a tangent for a second. But what do billionaires have to be upset with? Are they mad that the Magnificent Mile is now back to pre-pandemic numbers in terms of activity? So the Magnificent Mile is back. There are cranes in the air.

29:12 The city is safer. through an economic development bond, we're building homes downtown and old office spaces. We have the busiest airport in the world. The 1901 project outside of the United Center, Foundry Park, which sat desolate through multiple administrations, the 78 that sat desolate through multiple administrations, both of those particular regions of the city are being restored, and the west side has received $2 billion of investment.

29:45 The South Side, $2.6 billion. That includes a brand new hospital. Hasn't happened in 100 years in the South Side of Chicago. What are they really mad about? I can tell you what they're mad about. They have to wait in a longer line to get to me because I prioritize as working people. It doesn't mean they don't have access to me. It just means they're going to have to wait a little bit longer because I'm prioritizing the child care worker. That's why my budget included $7 million to bring about the investments for universal pre-K. 2,000 workers receive raises, SEIU members,

30:17 who are going to continue to make those critical investments. They're mad because they don't have their hand-picked boy or girl or man or woman in this seat because the city of chicago certainly open for business but we're not for sale we're not going backwards i'm wondering i i presume that uh with your law department being involved in the parking meter deal that that you were well aware of it and you had probably set out some parameters for what you would like to have seen in the deal what what part of this deal don't you like

30:50 that may just say you know you're not going to urge people to to vote for it and is there something different that that you wanted to see in there well what i said was is that i'm hopeful that the city council comes to a conclusion where they vote for a package that benefits taxpayers right especially because this deal was so bad previous administrations as you know you've seen them all right they have attempted to figure out a better package after a bad deal obviously was

31:21 moved in the 2000s. The technical assistance and support that was provided with outside legal counsel, the technical census from the Department of Law, was the way my administration put skin in the game to support city council because it's ultimately their decision. So I'm not urging in any particular direction. What I'm simply saying is my only urge is to urge city council to come up with a package based upon the parameters that have been set

31:51 that we can see a better pathway for the benefit of taxpayers after experiencing what was clearly the worst deal in the history of municipal government. Does this deal, working together with the council in the capacity that you did, Does this signal that there could be more cooperation and more working with the council heading into the budget season? I mean, this obviously seems like it's going to pump a bunch of money into the budget,

32:23 but does this signal more willingness to give credit to council when they do something that benefits the taxpayers? Well, listen, the city council has done a number of things to benefit the taxpayers. I just went through many of them, whether it was pay time off. We did that together. Does this signal perhaps something different that we're going to see in the budget, or is it still going to be contentious like last year? Well, listen, as I said, the city council has done a number of things that benefit the taxpayers, right? And whether that's, again, paid time off, whether that's working with me to restore the Department of Environment,

33:02 whether that's increasing our investment in youth employment, whether that's you know again making sure that we had a care program that is actually you know being stood up and you know we're seeing a brand new entity of government deliver a service that did not exist before and so there are many examples where I can point to where city council and my administration have worked together for the benefit of of Chicagoans and even in the last budget i mean think about what the city council did approve they approved our proposal around the

33:37 smart tax they approved our proposal around pplt right these are progressive revenues on larger corporations that are over performing which actually made up for the disagreement that we did have right so if you if you want to highlight again though the the disagreement that we had on one particular measure, I just hope that there's at least a reasonable conclusion that you've been able to draw of why there was a disagreement there. Because if you look at what they did propose

34:08 in place of the one disagreement that we did have none of their proposals panned out. So it wasn't a disagreement around just simply an ideological difference it was a matter of what they put forward was incredibly speculative and it turns out that my concerns were proven to be not just substantiated, but it was also about the harm that it would place on working people. And so these are not disagreements just because, you know, I'm a Cubs fan and some of them are Sox fans, right?

34:40 These aren't disagreements because of anything other than I'm working to build the safest, most affordable big city in America. and I do believe that there are members of city council that have a similar drive or a drive that's like mine but how we get there, there's going to be tussle there. Now we not seen this type of tension since mayor here of washington and i think we all can agree to that but you know even with the disagreements that city council had with mayor here of washington we have

35:11 tiffs because of it we have isfa for instance which helps build stadiums right so there there are tensions and disagreements that have occurred that have helped moved us along the last thing i'll say i'm just going to go back to a time in which when you've been covering city council how quiet it was in city hall but guess where it was loud on the streets right and so even with agreement that previous city councils had with previous administrations what did it get us pension debt

35:46 police settlements and um that has been astronomical um what did it get us a cover-up of a black boy being murdered? What did it get us? Closing down of schools? What did it get us? The quiet time that you're talking about. What did it get us? The closing of mental health clinics? What did it get us? Property taxes raised multiple times, fines and fees? So the point being is that

36:17 I don't want the people of Chicago to come to this conclusion that somehow tension doesn't mean progress. The fact of the matter is there are less homicides. The fact of the matter is we are funding CVI. We weren't doing that before. The fact of the matter is we are going to find a stronger ordinance to protect residents in this city. The fact of the matter is we are expanding care. The fact of the matter is that we are moving structural changes to our budget. The fact of the matter is we have found ways in which we can streamline government

36:50 to make it far more productive. The fact of the matter is, I mean, we're working in partnership with the state of Illinois, with the county of Cook, with water reclamation to address flooding in our city. We're talking about infrastructure that has not been upgraded in over 100 years. So, look, I get that people want to focus on the few things that we disagree on. But look where we are versus where we were when I first got elected. Are we better? Yep. Are we stronger? Yes.

37:21 and you could talk to the 32,500 young people that have jobs that would not have had otherwise. Are we building more affordable homes? Yes. Has the tension been rough? Yeah, I mean, there's been some bruising along the way, but I'm still here. I'm still strong. My marriage is still strong. My kids still call me dad. They love me. And the city is experiencing an economic growth that it hasn't in decades. So I'll take the tension if at the end of that tension we come out better and stronger.

37:55 And so is this cooperation between this particular deal a model for how we have done other good things together? Yes. When there's agreement in our city, there's nothing that can hold us back. And I'm going to continue to work hard every single day that the people of Chicago know that they have a fighter for them, for working people and that if I have to fight a few people because you have individuals on city council that are more interested in protecting corporations they're more interested in protecting

38:27 billionaires that's a fight that's worth having because we have not had that before and we know how destructive our city has been when the billionaire class the corporate class and the so-called ruling class when they get their way the rest of us suffer when working people get their way everyone benefits. All right. Thank you all very much. Is this parking meter deal a good deal for working people in Chicago? Thank you, Craig. Thank you all.

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