* Notice any entity missing from this press release?…
Governor JB Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced their commitment to a joint funding plan to ensure shelter, wraparound services and healthcare remain available for asylum seekers sent to Chicago from the Texas border. Following a long-term planning exercise, State, County and City teams concluded that an additional estimated $321 million is needed to maintain shelter and services this calendar year, on top of previously committed funding. The Governor and President are pledging a combined investment of over $250 million to help close this gap.
In November, the State of Illinois committed an additional $160 million to the asylum seeker response to invest in three critical areas: welcome, shelter, and independence. That commitment was in addition to the $478 million the State has spent since the start of the response. As part of the joint funding plan, the State is pledging an additional $182 million, which will be part of the Governor’s upcoming Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal to the General Assembly.
“With thousands of asylum seekers continuing to come to Chicago in desperate need of support and with Congress continuing to refuse to act—it is clear the state, county, and city will have to do more to keep people safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m thankful to President Preckwinkle for working with us to help close this budget gap and maintain critical services in the year ahead.”
Cook County has already committed more than $100 million in its current FY24 budget for new arrival related costs, primarily for healthcare, and the President will work with Cook County commissioners to commit up to $70 million more for this joint funding plan.
“As critical funding for this ongoing humanitarian crisis stalls in Congress, Cook County stands committed to the well-being of the region,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “We cannot wait for additional resources and Cook County is proud to stand alongside Governor Pritzker in this joint funding plan, ensuring that shelter capacity, healthcare and wraparound services remain accessible to those in need.”
The County, through its Health and Hospital system, has been the primary health care provider for new arrivals and have served more than 25,000 patients and provided for nearly 70,000 visits across the health system. Cook County Health (CCH) provides comprehensive medical exams and care – including physical exams, testing, lab services, standard vaccinations, complete school physicals and pediatric vaccines, as well as behavioral health screenings and counseling, care coordination and prescription medications - and provides follow up care as needed.
This joint funding plan will maintain shelter capacity as well as the continuation of wraparound and healthcare services. More than 35,000 asylum seekers have been inhumanely dropped off in the City of Chicago and surrounding suburbs over the last year and a half.
The city’s deliberately under-funded appropriation runs out in April, but the mayor isn’t announcing any attempt to convince the city council to appropriate more?
I’ve asked the state, county and city for an explanation. So, watch for possible updates.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
We put together these cost projections in collaboration with the county and city. The Governor agreed to step up and cover more than half of this cost at $182 million. The County President also stepped up to cover an additional $70 million. You will have to ask the city what their plans are for the remaining $70 million that all parties have agreed is needed to fund this humanitarian response.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Tina Sfondeles…
According to a source briefed on the discussions, Johnson initially agreed to ask the City Council for more funds, but ultimately backed off.
*** UPDATE 3 *** I’m told the mayor agreed to ask the city council for an additional $70 million during a February 5th meeting with the governor and county board president. And then the mayor apparently changed his mind.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Stay tuned…
*** UPDATE 5 *** Senate President Don Harmon…
“I applaud Governor Pritzker for initiating this needed team approach. Solving this problem is going to require engaged partnership among all government stakeholders. I’m eager to hear more about the governor’s proposed budget and look forward to continued discussions on pairing expenditures on this crisis with investments in longstanding issues facing our communities like homelessness, food insecurity and job opportunities.”
Harmon has said before that he cannot support more migrant funding without more spending on other issues, like the ones he mentioned above.
*** UPDATE 6 *** Mayor Johnson was pressed by Mary Ann Ahern on his flip-flop and he seemed to obliquely deny he changed position…
Mayor Johnson: Were you at that meeting? So you’re making an assertion that I made a promise. Were you at that meeting? … So, whatever conclusion you’re coming to, maybe I shouldn’t speak to whatever conclusion you’re coming to. All I’m saying is, is that no one in this city, let’s make it broader. No one in the state of Illinois, in this country is questioning Mayor Brandon Johnson’s commitment to this mission.
*** UPDATE 7 *** Mayor Johnson continued to resist answering the question…
Q: Are you saying the governor’s staff is lying when they say you committed to $70 million? … Why are those numbers not jiving with what you’re saying? 70 million. Were you in the meeting, was somebody else in the meeting? What’s the disconnect?
Mayor: There is no disconnect. And yes, I was in the meeting. There are a number of matters that need to be worked through. It’s not just about financial resources, as I’ve said before. […]
Q: Did they jump the gun by issuing this press release?
Mayor: [Deflected, blamed the federal government, Texas etc.]
A reporter then tried three times to get a straight yes or no answer about whether Johnson would commit to the new funding. He didn’t get a direct response.
The bottom line is the mayor gave his word ten days ago to ask for an additional $70 million and has now apparently reneged.
*** UPDATE 8 *** Mayor Johnson said he is “not aware” of the details a reporter referenced about the supposed deal. When pressed by multiple reporters to answer the question and then complained that questioning was becoming “quite hostile.”
Here’s the exchange…
Q: Your staff and the staff from the county and the governor’s office had been meeting for weeks and months. And you guys had that meeting last week with Governor Pritzker and President Preckwinkle. They walked out of that meeting believing that you had a deal in place for $321 million in extra funding, the state would provide 50% of that and the county and city would provide 25%. Are you at all concerned that they walked out of a meeting believing there was a deal that you now say you never made a commitment to?
Mayor Johnson: I’m not aware of what you are asserting. I’m not aware of that. So whatever understanding that you all might have about what was discussed in that meeting, because none of you were in that meeting, none of you were, so all I could, let’s keep a little let’s keep a little decorum. Okay.
*** UPDATE 9 *** From Chief Budgeteer Jehan Gordon-Booth and Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, leader of the New Arrivals Working Group…
“We look forward to reviewing the full details of the plan and hearing the governor outline his full budget priorities next week. We will remain focused on continuing to bring stakeholders together to continue making smart and compassionate decisions for our state and all of our communities.”
The House Speaker has said he’s basically in the same position as Harmon. Their respective caucuses want more spending on other priorities in exchange for voting for this appropriation.
- Wally - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:27 am:
Mayor Johnson is a case study on how to burn all your political capital without achieving anything in less than a year. What a disaster. I think back to all those catchphrases he campaigned on that political observers saw right their. Incompetent, unprepared, and unable to meet this moment. You cannot run a city on gimmicks
- Unanimous Choice - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:33 am:
It took Lori a global pandemic and almost 3 years to get here… it took MBJ less than one year. An incredible feat in failed leadership. What’s even more fascinating is MBJ digging his heels in instead of changing tactics and leadership team.
- Lookie Here - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:35 am:
Incoming Jason Lee rambling response in 3, 2, 1…
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:39 am:
Toni talking first before she lets Brandon talk. maybe he’s jumped the shark with her.
- Drury's Missing Clock - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:42 am:
Brandon should resign. Obviously not up to the task.
- Forever Winter - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:46 am:
MBJ has turned the entire press corps against him, soured his relationship with the governor as well as it appears the Board President, and shown zero leadership on the biggest issue plaguing the city.
But he repealed the subminimum wage!
- walker - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:51 am:
Toni is an exceptional manager.
- LastModDemStanding - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:53 am:
- Wally -
I’m no Mayor Johnson fan, but it’s a little disingenuous to say he hasn’t achieved anything; he’s following through the campaign promises he made to the far left contingency who got him elected. Those of who did not support him saw exactly where this would lead, given the lack of high level executive experience and polarizing campaign promises. Unfortunately, enough Chicago voters couldn’t be convinced of this or motivated to vote. So here we are.
- inn of chicago and standard club - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:54 am:
yikes, quick google search on the owner, good of city of Chicago doing sleezy business every chance it gets. google inn of chicago owner and enjoy the rabbit hole of sleaze you will go down.
- Jocko - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:54 am:
==then the mayor apparently changed his mind.==
I have met 14yo girls more decisive than MBJ. Other than the empty ceasefire resolution, what has he done?
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 11:58 am:
I’ve lived through a lot of bad mayors here. He’s the worst. That’s saying a lot.
- Suburban Mom - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 12:15 pm:
Lightfoot at least gave us fun pandemic memes
- supplied_demand - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 12:28 pm:
==shown zero leadership on the biggest issue plaguing the city. ==
Crime (especially murders and shootings) are down significantly since he took over. This has been the biggest issue plaguing the city for my entire lifetime, he should get some credit for that.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 12:38 pm:
=I have met 14yo girls more decisive than MBJ.=
14yo boys would like a word…
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 12:39 pm:
“And then the mayor apparently changed his mind.”
Possible translation: He agreed to group consensus in the meeting, but received different instructions…sorry, I mean advice…from his CTU kitchen cabinet who are experts on negotiating more money from the state…
- West Side the Best Side - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 12:55 pm:
Has the Mayor been learning how to govern by watching the U.S. House Republicans?
- Fav Human - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 12:56 pm:
Toni is an exceptional manager.
She also supported the mayor in the election. So she’s somewhat on the hook for his performance, or in this case, lack thereof.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:00 pm:
===So she’s somewhat on the hook for his performance===
Which is likely why she was at the Feb. 5 meeting and why Johnson agreed to make the ask.
- Back to the Future - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:03 pm:
Agree with Walker.
Toni is an exceptional manager.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:14 pm:
“She also supported the mayor in the election. So she’s somewhat on the hook for his performance, or in this case, lack thereof.”
For all of Toni’s strengths, I’m consantly amazed at how underwhelming her supported candidates end up being for high-profile offices.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:17 pm:
Whatever campaign promisses to the left he’s fulfilled are trivial save the Bring Chicago Home tax referrendum (if it survives court challenges and passes), and even that has been somewhat undone by the police union contract (don’t buy the kabuki that came afterwards with appealing to the arbitrator), his secrecy, unavailability, and double-talk when he does speak with the press. The one thing you can count on him finding money for will be a staggering increase in CTU salary/benefits come contract time.
- Three Dimensional Checker - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:24 pm:
MBJ promised to work collaboratively with the State and County during the campaign. Well, here you go.
I would put the over/under on how many times he references the Governor’s personal wealth at 2.5.
- New Day - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:25 pm:
How Brandon thinks he can get away with reaching an agreement with Toni and JB and then quietly walking away as if nobody will notice is truly mind-boggling. Dude, you’re in charge of the City. Others are stepping up to support your City. You need to be like Toni. Put on the grown-up pants and do your job.
- ChicagoBars - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:49 pm:
Historically the City Council responds well or at least rolls over when a Mayor plays the “We may not like all the details but it’s for the matching funds so we have to do it”.
Why you wouldn’t give that a shot here? I dunno.
- Who else - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 1:54 pm:
Toni made a bad pick with MBJ, but her clean up work here is commendable. She could have gone to great lengths to defend her mentee. But she stepped up and is not making excuses for the city hall team. And it looks like she and gov are in sync. That’s a win for both of them, and for the people who live here, in what is an absolutely unwinnable situation.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 2:12 pm:
Brandon Johnson has got to be one of the most inept Mayors of a big city in the entire country. He seems incapable of making decisions. He wants to be an ostrich and stick his head in the sand on the issue of migrants and pretend the issue doesn’t exist. Leaders have to adapt as things arise. You can’t just expect to become Mayor and have everything nice and neat where you get to go on your merry way and work on your agenda without interruption. He is a case study on how not to be a leader.
- pragmatist - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 2:18 pm:
As Brenden Reilly said on X: the JV Team is running city hall.
- RNUG - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 2:43 pm:
== No one in the state of Illinois, in this country is questioning Mayor Brandon Johnson’s commitment to this mission. ==
Actually, everyone is.
Especially the people who have to write the big checks …
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 2:49 pm:
“For the first time in the history of the world, a city has been asked to build a shelter for migrants.”
Incredible.
- Charles Edward Cheese - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:00 pm:
Mayor Johnson is like a left wing Trump, just full of memorable catch phrases (better, stronger, safer Chicago), extreme hubris, inability to work collaboratively, egregious inexperience that actively harms his constituents, and on and on. Goodness
- Fantasia - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:05 pm:
Progressives can’t govern.
- West Side the Best Side - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:15 pm:
Like another person in the same spot this Mayor also doesn’t like to be “scrutened.”
- DuPage - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:23 pm:
Johnson needs money for the migrant shelters. That might be where his money “saved” by cancelling the ShotSpotter contract will be spent.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:26 pm:
===That might be where his money “saved”===
I wouldn’t jump to that sort of conclusion.
- Shytown - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:27 pm:
Whatever comes after from bad to worse is the hole that the Johnson admin keeps digging for itself.
- Drury's Missing Clock - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:36 pm:
I think I was a little preemptive in calling for Brandon’s resignation before that press conference. *Now* he should resign.
- Monk - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:36 pm:
The level of malpractice/incompetency on the 5th floor is mind boggling. Especially this early into a tenure. Problem now is that anyone with any level of competence, or common sense, won’t touch this administration with a 10ft pole.
- Friday Addams - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:44 pm:
“For the first time in the history of the world, a city has been asked to build a shelter for migrants.”
History of the World … Part 1
Last May …
As migrants crowd El Paso streets, city to open vacant schools as shelters
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/immigration/2023/05/04/as-migrants-crowd-streets-el-paso-to-open-vacant-schools-as-shelters/70183814007/
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 3:45 pm:
Reporters: Now that’s what I call a dead parrot.
Mayor: No, no…..No, ‘e’s stunned!
Reporters: STUNNED?!?
Mayor: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin’ up! Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.
Reporters: Um…now look…now look, mate, I’ve definitely ‘ad enough of this. That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not ‘alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein’ tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.
Mayor: Well, he’s…he’s, ah…probably pining for the fjords.
- Sad - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 4:06 pm:
==Mayor: Well, he’s…he’s, ah…probably pining for the fjords.==
Already waiting for the day we can say “this is an ex-mayor”
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 4:09 pm:
Bob Loblaw no habla espanol.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 4:16 pm:
My guess is that Lori Lightfoot thanks her lucky stars every day that she was replaced by this guy…
- Henry Francis - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 4:40 pm:
It sounds like he added Nathan Thurm to his comms shop.
- OneMan - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 4:49 pm:
The argument clinic sketch also came to mind with his response
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 5:00 pm:
– It sounds like he added Nathan Thurm to his comms shop.–
I’m old enough to appreciate this.
Thank you.
- Jocko - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 5:33 pm:
==We will remain focused on continuing to bring stakeholders together==
Jehan Gordon-Booth was supposed to say “Vandelay Industries” when answering the phone. /S
- Boomerang - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 7:29 pm:
== Crime (especially murders and shootings) are down significantly since he took over. This has been the biggest issue plaguing the city for my entire lifetime, he should get some credit for that.==
Other than hiring a new superintendent, there have been no police policy changes that correlate to any of the Mayor’s actions having decreased crime. He’s just been lucky. And now with his Shot Spotter fumble, his one major crime policy action may actually cost more lives. He can take credit for that.
- Friday Addams - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 9:41 pm:
Can you imagine the voluminous, “In the beginning” Old Testament Tribune fact check piece this is going to inspire?
“For the first time in the history of the world, a city has been asked to build a shelter for migrants.”
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 15, 24 @ 10:29 pm:
===“In the beginning” Old Testament Tribune fact check piece===
Or the New Testament. Bethlehem was overrun with census migrants.