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That toddlin’ town roundup
Tuesday, Mar 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From the Vallas campaign…
From the event…
Context…
* Splits are developing all over the city, including in the churches. From the Triibe…
* Johnson campaign press release…
* Notice this is not on TV and it has some really shoddy production values…
* In two stories now, the Sun-Times has yet to disclose that James Franczek, the founding partner of Franczek P.C. which represents the city and the Chicago Public Schools in labor relations, contributed $1K to Paul Vallas’s mayoral bid in 2019 and another $2500 during Vallas’ gubernatorial bid, and his spouse contributed $5,000 to Vallas just last week. Beyond the contributions, he’s likely no fan of the CTU’s candidate because he’s had to bargain with that union during some very contentious times…
* Umm…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Press Release | Brandon Johnson endorsed by coalition of Chicago pastors and faith leaders: “As the son of a pastor, I know the vital role our faith leaders play in our communities as trusted sources of guidance and support,” said Commissioner Johnson. “I’m honored to receive the endorsement of this coalition of pastors who care so deeply for their congregations and communities. I look forward to incorporating their vision and values into my plan to build a safer, stronger Chicago.” * WGN | Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas talks retired police, Brandon Johnson, and potential endorsements: Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, former Chicago Public Schools CEO, joins Lisa Dent to talk about the upcoming runoff election. He addresses how he’d bring back retired police officers, what he plans to do in response to Brandon Johnson’s proposal to reallocate police funds, and whether or not he’s seeking Mayor Lightfoot’s endorsement. * ABC Chicago | Chicago mayoral candidates speak at Black, Latino communities forum as they earn more endorsements: Before a largely Black and Hispanic audience, each candidate committed to keeping Chicago a sanctuary city. But, as crimes like carjackings and robberies on public transit hit nearly every neighborhood of the city, voters are keyed in on public safety. * Triibe | Does Willie Wilson still speak for the Black church?: “There’s always been what Senator Raphael Warnock calls the ‘divided mind’ of the Black church—always been a kind of bipolarity,” said Marshall Hatch Jr., whose father is the pastor of New Mount Pilgrim MB Church on the West Side. He supports Johnson for mayor. “There have been some Black churches that stress political transformation, even revolution, and on the flipside there are conservative churches. You see that playing out in who’s endorsing who in this race.” * Block Club | Paul Vallas Or Brandon Johnson Will Be Chicago’s Next Mayor. Where Do They Stand On The Issues?: Both also have said they would expand the Invest South/West initiative and reduce the number of speed cameras. Neither supports spending public dollars to keep the Bears at Soldier Field as team leaders threatened to move the football team to suburban Arlington Heights. * Tribune | In contentious 45th Ward race, Ald. Jim Gardiner tries to secure reelection over attorney Megan Mathias: The race has hinged in significant part on questions about Gardiner’s fitness. The last four years have been marked by allegations he used his power as alderman to target political opponents, including a reported federal investigation into whether he sought to withhold ward services from some residents who opposed his agenda. … Gardiner’s ward superintendent, Charles Sikanich, was arrested last year on charges he tried to sell an antique machine gun to an undercover ATF agent while he was on the clock for his Streets and Sanitation job. A sworn deposition was made public in January in a federal lawsuit against Gardiner that detailed how a former aide last autumn said the alderman obsessed over Facebook criticism and pledged to rid the ward of his detractors, who he referred to as “rats.” * Block Club | Ald. Chris Taliaferro Faces Challenge From Drug Recovery Activist CB Johnson In 29th Ward Runoff: “He didn’t win his dream of being a judge, so now he’s decided again he wants to be an alderman,” Johnson previously said. “The people need more. We haven’t had a voice speak for us for years, and I know I’m that voice.” * Tribune Editorial | Our choices for City Council: Robinson, Hone, Hall, Chico, Lee, Mosley, M. Scott: Here are our endorsements for aldermanic races in the upcoming runoff, which applies to wards in which no candidate received more than half of the vote in the Feb. 28 election. We begin with the 4th Ward along the lakefront, which encompasses parts of the South Loop, Kenwood and Bronzeville neighborhoods. * Tribune Editorial | Our choices for City Council: Taliaferro, Gutierrez, Villegas, Comer, Mathias, Walz, Dunne: With the following choices, the Tribune Editorial Board concludes its endorsements for aldermanic seats in Chicago’s April 4 runoff election. * Howard Ankin | : To save the Loop, support downtown housing for the workforce: A proposal gaining traction — to tap a portion of nearly $200 million in tax-increment financing dollars to pay landlords to convert office buildings into residential housing — has its share of supporters and detractors in the business community. The Loop’s survival may very well require the city to move in that direction. But before that’s even considered, we should first seek ways to support housing for the Loop employees who are already here — and could be persuaded to live closer to the office. * Block Club | William Hall, Richard Wooten Vow To Restore Public Safety In Race To Succeed 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer: Hall and Wooten have listed public safety, economic development and funding local schools as top priorities if elected. Both candidates have also pledged to support block clubs to reinvest in the community. * NBC Chicago | Al Sharpton to lead get-out-the-vote rally in Chicago ahead of mayoral election: Sharpton told NBC News he was not endorsing a candidate in the race where crime has become the central issue in a city facing a public safety crisis. * Chalkbeat | Want to help draw Chicago’s elected school board maps?: Mapmaker, mapmaker, make me an elected school board map for Chicago. That’s what state lawmakers are asking the public to do using a new online mapmaking portal. The invite comes ahead of a July 1 deadline for drawing up districts for Chicago’s soon-to-be-elected school board. * NBC Chicago | Rush Plans Giant Outpatient Medical Center at Site of Former Sears Store in Chicago Neighborhood: The $70 million center will have 90 exam rooms, providing services ranging from urgent and primary care to imaging and diagnostics. Construction is expected to begin in the fall and the center is expected to open in January 2025.
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- Mark - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:11 pm:
At every Vallas endorsement press conference, is there a guy behind the camera holding a “Lifelong Democrat” cue card in one hand and a loaded gun in the other?
- Hot Taeks - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:18 pm:
Brandon Johnson’s campaign is way way too online and directed towards MSNBC viewers.
- Anon324 - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:24 pm:
The Rush endorsement is interesting, to say the least. Not sure how much value it adds, but there’s a lot going on there. For one, he’s long-since repudiated the current radical left, but Vallas seems to be a lot like Mark Kirk, who Rush once criticized with rather colorful language. It’s also reminiscent of the post-Harold Washington battle in the city.
And that Vasquez post is par for the course for him. He’s popular in the ward because he’s substantially more responsive as compared to O’Connor. But every once in a while he does something like this, the equivalent of Trump NFTs.
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:29 pm:
Vallas can’t be an effective vulture as he is afraid to fly.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:30 pm:
Great to see former Congressman Rush out on the campaign trail.
He looked fit, excited and still ready to make a difference in this mayoral contest.
Vallas picked up a good fellow to have in his corner.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:31 pm:
“Brandon Johnson’s campaign is way way too online and directed towards MSNBC viewers.”
He needs younger voters to get excited and vote, so a robust online strategy is important.
He also has an intense, old fashioned ground game.
- Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:43 pm:
I wonder every time I hear this idea of hiring back retired cops. To do what, exactly? Police work in the field is physically demanding, I’m not sure retirees could cut it if it has to get physical, or require foot chases. Assuming the idea is to put them all on detective work or office duty, to free up younger officers for the street, are we sure that there are enough patrolmen/women and detective-qualifed people willing to come back to work, and for how long? Would they just be doing it to make a pension bump and then retire again? What’s our ROI on this recall idea? Or is it just a p.r. stunt?
- Pundent - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:44 pm:
=Brandon Johnson’s campaign is way way too online and directed towards MSNBC viewers.=
Each campaign has it’s strengths and the demographics couldn’t be any different. What it will really come down to is the GOTV effort and who shows up on election day. I suspect that Johnson needs strong election day turnout more than Vallas does but that’s just a hunch.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:47 pm:
The Franczek non disclosure matter is yet another thing in the list of things that make me think that the regulars are desperately afraid that Brandon will win. the attitude really is take it back, before it’s too late, bring back the band. it’s sad.
- Treefiddy - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:53 pm:
Not gonna lie, I’m actually into that Spider-Man themed comic of Johnson/Vallas. Would be a cool political souvenir to have, even as someone who doesn’t live in Chicago or have any rooting interest in the race.
- low level - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 1:56 pm:
Vallas gets Rush; Johnson gets two unknown Congressmen from PA and LA. Vallas is running a textbook campaign.
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 2:00 pm:
==Police work in the field is physically demanding, I’m not sure retirees could cut it if it has to get physical, or require foot chases.==
It seems like many if not most current officers are in poor shape so not sure what difference that makes. They should have to pass a yearly fitness test and control the BMIs. Way too many pot bellies.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 2:07 pm:
Voting has begun.
The campaigns need to realize days need both campaigning and GOTV… both.
- Forever906 - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 2:20 pm:
== I wonder every time I hear this idea of hiring back retired cops. To do what, exactly? ==
That’s a good question. A high number of sworn officers currently carry out desk duties in districts and other administrative functions at HQ. There are probably a couple hundred at least that could be freed up to go back out on the beat if you hire back retired cops as civilians. It’s a practice that already exists; there just needs to be more of an effort to scale it.
- ChicagoBars - Tuesday, Mar 21, 23 @ 3:07 pm:
From experience (even before pandemic) there’s a lot of on duty time spent processing arrested suspects that takes them off the street. If some retired officers can come back and assist in processing arrestees while younger beat cops get back out on calls even that would be helpful imho.
One classic secondhand Daley era story was the new Police Stations built the last few years of his tenure had lockups built to hold arrestees for several hours until they could be transferred but staff to monitor and manage that prisoner holding were never budgeted for.