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*** UPDATED x1 *** That toddlin’ town roundup
Friday, Mar 10, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * You’ve seen this by now in the Tribune…
How long before he changes his tune and claims this account, like his Twitter account, was hacked? * But go beyond the headline about likes. The campaign did not address Vallas’ actual posts…
That “sexuality education” phrase sounds very similar to what the Awake Illinois types are saying. If he was running for a Palos school board seat, Gov. Pritzker might be targeting him for defeat. /s * Last night’s mayoral debate wasn’t televised, but you can click here for some live coverage. * Crain’s…
Johnson essentially punted the question. * The Chicago Teachers Union just transferred $500,000 in union dues to one of its political action committees. Since the day after the election, their mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson has reported raising almost $1.8 million, while Paul Vallas has reported raising a bit over $2.2 million. That CTU money could bring at least some temporary parity between the candidates. *** UPDATE *** Vallas just reported receiving about $960K in contributions. So much for parity. IBEW Illinois gave him $100K. * Mentioned briefly in Politico…
That “he could fall behind” bit is basically the pollster’s way of pleading with supporters to pony up harder for their client. * We’ve talked more than once about how Brandon Johnson’s radio show produced a treasure trove of oppo. It’s now Vallas’ turn in the barrel…
At least he didn’t claim he was hacked or that somebody else impersonated him. Also, setting aside what he said on the show, people who regularly substitute for Dan Proft are not generally considered liberals or moderates. * Shenanigans…
Keith Thornton was apparently a protester. More on him here. The Northwest Side has some weird political groups, and they’re all-in for Vallas. * Isabel’s Chicago roundup…
* Streets Blog Chicago | Asked about CTA at debate, Johnson focuses on reliability, Vallas calls for more cops: Johnson’s response mostly focused on strategies to make transit operate more efficiently and keep CTA staffing at full strength so as to avoid service gaps. “Right now our public transit system is unreliable and it’s unsafe,” he said. “This is why I’m committed to making sure we’re making critical investments, particularly for working people who overwhelmingly rely on public transportation. So we’re going to increase the number of bus-only lanes… We’re going to make sure that there are traffic signals that give preference to [buses.]” […] In contrast, Vallas’s answer focused on addressing crime through more policing. “The CTA is on the verge of financial crisis,” he accurately noted. Vallas cited a stat (apparently solely reported by the conservative website Wirepoints, in an article that called for cutting CTA service) that CTA farebox revenue is only currently accounting for 18 percent of the operating budget when, under state law, it’s normally supposed to account for 50 percent. * Block Club | Ald. Tom Tunney Goes To Bat For Paul Vallas After LGBTQ Leaders Question His Equal Rights Record: Elected officials and community members said Vallas limited LGBTQ content when he was Chicago’s schools chief, but Tunney said Vallas has fought for LGBTQ rights since the ’90s. * Block Club | Paul Vallas’ Facebook Page ‘Liked’ Comments Calling Chicago A ‘Hell Hole’ And ‘S—cago’ : The page also liked controversial comments about education, including one from Aug. 15 that said, “Shame on the ctu they don’t care about the kids lets get rid of all teachers and start from scratch.” In that same post, Vallas’ page also liked a comment in which a person wrote that “a parochial education is far superior to a public education.” * ABC Chicago | Chicago alderman candidate for 21st ward claims opponent was untruthful on resume: Dantzler, who is a Navy veteran and retired Chicago firefighter, said while cleaning up the ward is his priority, his biggest concern is his opponent’s resume. “He told some lies about graduating from Morehouse College a lie that didn’t need to be told and when you tell lies what else are you going to lie about,” he said. * Tribune | Fires continue to kill people in unsafe buildings as Chicago ignores problems with its inspection system: Chicago’s deeply flawed system for identifying and responding to life-threatening safety issues in residential buildings was exposed in a 2021 investigation by the Better Government Association and the Chicago Tribune. Reporters documented dozens of fire deaths in buildings where city regulators had been warned of potential fire hazards but failed to crack down on property owners in time. * Block Club | As Obama Center Is Built, 5th Ward Voters Overwhelmingly Back Affordable Housing Measures: About 90 percent of voters supported a South Shore community benefits agreement and “truly affordable housing” on a large, city-owned lot in Woodlawn in the Feb. 28 election. * Adam Selzer | Conspiracy theories have long been part of Chicago politics. Consider the 1899 mayoral election: That spring, the incumbent Carter Henry Harrison Jr. squared off against Sanitary Board member Zina Carter, with former Gov. John Altgeld as a third-party spoiler. The Chicago Daily Inter Ocean’s coverage made Harrison sound like a regular Batman villain, with daily stories accusing him of fraud, blackmail, kidnapping and even murder, all aided by men with names like Nobby Clark, Cocoanut Morrisey, and Tommy the Clock. For a week, their pages were dominated by headlines that screamed “Murder For Harrison,” “Mayor’s Thugs Riot,” “Vice and Crime Reign” and “Shall the Scum Triumph?” * Sun-Times | Jim Frost, who captured Mirage tavern bribes as a Sun-Times photographer, dead at 79: Posing as a repairman, Mr. Frost would carry his camera equipment in a toolbox. He’d walk in and say something like “that fuse box again?” and disappear into the back, he recalled for the book “Chicago Exposed” that was published last year.
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- Soccermom - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 11:42 am:
“As mentioned before, Paul does not personally manage the campaign’s social media accounts and this kind of abhorrent rhetoric does not represent his views. He had nothing to do with these actions, but the campaign takes responsibility and has restricted access to the account. These were offensive statements and should not have been liked by anyone.”
Okay — what’s a mayor’s single biggest, most important job?
Hiring people. Full stop.
So if these are the kinds of people Paul Vallas hires for his campaign, these are the kinds of people he will hire for his administration.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 11:43 am:
Personnel is policy.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 11:50 am:
“So if these are the kinds of people Paul Vallas hires for his campaign, these are the kinds of people he will hire for his administration.”
I hear Ald. Gardiner’s former hatchet man is looking for work. Needs another 6 figure city job he can pretend to work, as is the standard on the far NW side.
- Amalia - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 11:53 am:
I’m getting more and more angry about what is being unearthed from the OR Goldmine that is the record of Paul Vallas. it is awful. He cannot keep saying that none of this is his fault. He hires people who do awful things, he makes his mouth move on radio and tv. There should be no way he is close to winning.
- Jerry - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 11:57 am:
If AWake Illinois agrees that books authored by the person who wrote art of the deal should be banned then they can have a place at the table (didnt this author say they wanted to have sexual relations with their children).
I mean why should read books written by this person be available at the public library since we’re a “xtian” nation?
- Roadrager - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 11:57 am:
Paul Vallas didn’t know his “staff” was liking all those incendiary right-wing posts.
Paul Vallas didn’t know what Shannon Adcock was all about when he spoke before Awake IL twice, or when he told her she should run for governor.
Paul Vallas didn’t know about any of his friends or associates using Philadelphia’s public school money for whatever they felt like while he was running the district.
Maybe Paul Vallas didn’t know what kind of radio station WIND is when he repeatedly filled in for Dan Proft on its morning show.
Maybe Paul Vallas didn’t know what kind of operation Dan Proft was running when he took a Chicago City Wire story about CPS teachers at face value on Facebook and ran with it. Or maybe his, uh, staffer did that.
https://twitter.com/Shredded_teat/status/1634174000120098816
Maybe Paul Vallas doesn’t know where he lives right now.
Paul, what would you say you actually do know, be it in a professional or a personal capacity? And you want to be my latex salesman?
(He’s going to win by 15 anyway because Brandon Johnson can’t make an ad)
- Tom - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 12:12 pm:
Is that Celinda Lake poll question before or after push questions? Does anyone know?
- Benjamin - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 12:35 pm:
It isn’t clear if those polls broke down support by who the respondents voted for in the first round, but the numbers are roughly consistent with the idea that Vallas is consolidating the Wilson voters and Johnson is getting support from the Garcia and minor candidates’ supporters.
If–if–that were the case, the Lightfoot voters would be the swing votes, although I’m not sure whether getting an endorsement from the mayor would be a net positive at this juncture.
- Loop Lady - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 12:40 pm:
I agree wholeheartedly with Amalia…
There is something about Vallas I can’t stomach.
It’s not the abortion issue.
His record when he went to Philly is not stellar.
He seems like part of the old Greek right leaning old guard.
If I lived in Chicago, Brandon would be the guy.
- Montrose - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 12:53 pm:
You can attempt to disclaim/explain away only so much. I have never seen this level of gaslighting from a candidate.
I don’t know if the Lake poll is solid, but it could be an indication that growing pieces of evidence that Vallas isn’t what he is trying to sell is getting through to Chicago voters.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:01 pm:
Johnson can win and make a lot of inroads with people because of Vallas’s negatives. But a lot of the popularist policy position he has don’t seem that well thought out. Does the City even have home rule authority to do what he proposes? Why would we tax a worker from Elgin who comes into the City because he could find a better wage here?
- Natty_B - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:06 pm:
Paul co-hosted with Amy Jacobson. That’s a great look.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:07 pm:
2022 was a year of great oppo attack ads. There’s so much negative stuff with Vallas that has passed unanswered. Candidates were fighting each other for the second mayoral runoff spot. Now the TV ads are about hiring more cops/detectives, and that’s great. But as Blago would say, the oppo’s bleeping golden.
Why is Vallas even running for mayor of a city, party and values he apparently despises? People deserve to know this. Just be honest about true thoughts and feelings.
- Arsenal - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:08 pm:
If Johnson had as much money as Vallas, or if all the lefties hadn’t made the strategic mistake of keeping their hands off of Vallas in round one, he’d be doomed. But he doesn’t, and they did, so here we are.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:08 pm:
If the race comes down to which candidate said the dumber things, I think it’s a wash. Vallas’s right wing commentary seems negated by Johnson’s defund the police rhetoric and his desire to create all kinds of new taxes.
Most voters aren’t pining for a progressive urban utopia, although some are. I think most people just want a safe and functioning city. We haven’t had that in some time.
- Amalia - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:10 pm:
“Race is an issue,” shouted one woman from the audience when Vallas said get back to issues. Yep Paul, it’s not just about balance…or in your case unbalanced…sheets. Reproductive choices, issue, LGBTQ rights, issue……
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:10 pm:
Vallas is playing to an “over 50, white, blue collar crowd” while also being accessible to the “Daley-ites” and big money LaSalle Street folks… but Vallas is banking on getting elected by all those that merely want “progress” to go back to the “Daley Days” (Bill Clinton ad?) and all that means, the bad and really bad too.
- Montrose - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:16 pm:
“If Johnson had as much money as Vallas”
CTU, SIEU, and others need to cut their big checks ASAP. Early voting starts in 10 days. Johnson needs to be blasting the airwaves with quotes from Facebook regularly by then.
- Back to the Future - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:16 pm:
With so many of our political leaders endorsing one candidate or the other, I wonder where Governor Pritzker is.
Rather than play “What’s in it for me”, how about showing some leadership.
This is a very important election for voters and hiding out is probably not a good option.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:24 pm:
===With so many of our political leaders endorsing===
lol
I haven’t really noticed all that many coming forward.
- Back to the Future - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:40 pm:
Glad to see former Secretary of State Jesse White and Cook County Board President Tony Prinkwinkle, two successful real leaders in government and the Democratic Party, step up and endorse a candidate.
Perhaps Governor Pritzker will show some leadership in the future.
It would be helpful for voters to learn what policies and candidates our Governor thinks would best serve Chicago.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:46 pm:
===It would be helpful for voters to learn what policies and candidates our Governor thinks would best serve Chicago.===
There’s no upside for the sitting governor of the state wading in to the municipal election where two terrible choice candidates exist to any middle governing.
Jesse is retired, Preckwinkle is an actual colleague of one candidate, both choosing as they chose, no real downside if either are found on the short end of the election.
Pritzker did not endorse the sitting incumbent in the first round. That says quite a bit already.
- low level - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:47 pm:
==I think most people just want a safe and functioning city. We haven’t had that in some time.== 47th Ward
This is simple and absolutely spot on. I’ll just add that I think there is a sizable group of white liberal voters along the lakefront and other similar locations who may agree with Johnson more on the issues but who will vote for Vallas, warts and all, because they dont feel safe anymore.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:49 pm:
===I think most people just want a safe and functioning city. We haven’t had that in some time.===
That’s why Chico works as an endorser, that’s why Clinton works in an ad, that’s why Jesse works in his support
Harkening back.
It’s a great comment to an insight. Appreciate it as it’s honesty to this race is found in these words.
- Anon324 - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 1:55 pm:
==two successful real leaders in government and the Democratic Party, step up and endorse a candidate.==
You left out the part where both of them have long-time, personal ties to each of the candidates they have endorsed. If JB doesn’t endorse anyone, that is in itself a statement of what he thinks of the candidates: he doesn’t like either of them to invest political capital or personal funds to see them elected. And it’s an opinion that frankly a lot of Chicago voters probably have. To that end, bring on ranked choice, please.
- Pundent - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 2:02 pm:
=I think most people just want a safe and functioning city.=
I think this is more or less correct. It really comes down to what voters are willing to overlook in voting for a candidate. And while there’s certainly contrast here the choices are flawed.
And as far as Pritzker attempting to tip the scales, it’s increasingly unlikely to happen. I could see him backing a clear winner particularly if it were Johnson. But I don’t see it happening.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 2:08 pm:
===as far as Pritzker attempting===
We had a long conversation about this the other day. Move along.
- Big Dipper - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 2:18 pm:
Kinda rich that Palos Paul was snarking that the Obamas don’t live in Chicago.
- Jerry - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 2:26 pm:
I think alot of folks would be happy to just stop the smoking on CTA trains and buses.
- Big Dipper - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 2:34 pm:
==I hear Ald. Gardiner’s former hatchet man is looking for work. Needs another 6 figure city job he can pretend to work, as is the standard on the far NW side.==
There’s always Kass too, and I’m sure Vallas won’t care about the Indiana residency.
- Gravitas - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 3:46 pm:
What’s with the 1% prefer someone else in the poll?
There are two candidates. Pick a lane. A write-in is not going to win.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 3:52 pm:
It speaks volumes the most progressive Governor can’t support the most progressive candidate for Mayor
- Shytown - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 4:02 pm:
== Perhaps Governor Pritzker will show some leadership in the future. ==
Where have you been the past four years?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 10, 23 @ 4:29 pm:
===It speaks volumes===
Only if you don’t understand politics.
- Soccermom - Sunday, Mar 12, 23 @ 10:21 am:
Soccermom is driving around in a Prius with a literal bullet hole in it. (And that doesn’t count the bullet hole in the windshield, on the driver’s side. We had to replace the windshield.) So yeah, I have a personal concern about crime in the city.
But the thing is — I don’t think we get safer by hiring more cops who will shoot first and pay millions in damages to bereaved families later. I don’t think I’ll feel safer the next time I drive through the West Side knowing that an avowed racist is sitting on the 5th floor. (And anybody who says white parents can’t discipline their children if the kids learn about slavery is an avowed racist in my book. YMMV.) I don’t think we solve the crime problem with a bunch of empty get-tough rhetoric.
Look - I don’t know what’s going to solve this problem. But I know that cities across the country are seeing rates increasing, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone who has a wise idea on what to do to stop it