Question of the day
Thursday, Apr 4, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Block Club Chicago…
Speaking to Block Club Tuesday, Johnson punched back at his critics and expressed almost unbridled confidence in his tenure so far, despite “unexpected or unanticipated” crises like the influx of migrant buses and destructive flooding on the city’s West Side.
“Name one thing that I said I was gonna do that I haven’t done. You won’t be able to,” he said.
The mayor, a former public school teacher and union organizer, declined to give himself a letter grade for his performance thus far. Instead, he listed a series of measures he sees as proof he’s fulfilling his campaign promises: phasing out the tipped minimum wage, providing funding to reopen mental health centers, expanding paid time off requirements and not raising property taxes, he said. […]
Also on Monday, an ordinance advanced to the full City Council that would give alderpeople final say on keeping the gunshot detection technology ShotSpotter in their wards — which, if passed, could reverse Johnson’s decision to end the city’s contract to use the devices. Johnson promised on the campaign trail to halt the city’s use of ShotSpotter.
* The Question: Can you name one thing the Mayor said he was gonna do and hasn’t done?
…Adding… Click here to see an archived version of the mayor’s campaign promises.
- 4 eyes - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:05 am:
Remember that time he told President Preckwinkle and he Governor that he would kick in $71,000,000 towards the migrant crisis and then didn’t…
https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-migrants-brandon-johnson-migrant-crisis-news/14445847/
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:20 am:
He doesn’t seem to be or run his office as transparently as he said he would.
- Telly - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:23 am:
Video gaming. Leaving millions on the table.
- Sue - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:27 am:
Manage the migrant crisis- measles and TB outbreak- yea- who couldn’t foresee that happening
- Sharon - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:37 am:
He said he wouldn’t raise property taxes. The Board of Education that he controls raised property taxes to the maximum allowable amount.
- TNR - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:44 am:
Fully elected school board.
- low level - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:46 am:
He hasn’t lead. He has let himself get bogged down in things like Gaza and censure resolutions of Alderpersons which dont help move hus agenda forward. I really thought he would work w other elected officials better given his background as a County Board member.
- Jocko - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:49 am:
His campaign website lists affordable housing, healthcare for all, and fully-funded schools. He’s 0 for three (four when you include Brighton Park).
- Henry Francis - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 11:55 am:
Cancel the shot spotter contractor.
As an aside, his rhetoric is really offensive. In one breath he is commemorating the assassination of MLK. And then he says people who disagree with his policies are trying to assassinate his movement.
- Jurist - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 12:12 pm:
Didn’t he and Waller say they would resolve the Sox game shooting investigation?
- Shytown - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 12:14 pm:
He is in such a bubble that even he believes his own spin.
- Monk - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 12:33 pm:
Talk about total lack of self-awareness…
- Former ILSIP - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 12:40 pm:
He’s inching closer and closer to the “Downfall” meme every day.
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 12:53 pm:
If MBJ can’t give himself a letter grade, I will. It is D for disingenuous. The man lacks the skill set to effectively manage a city with so many components. Moving from one crisis to another, he fumbles in his attempts to lead.
As a former teacher, MBJ should realize that individuals who fail to thrive in society often lack literacy skills. Also, adults who fail to manage their finances like pay their water bills on time lack a sense of responsibility to meet their obligations.
- Roman - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 12:56 pm:
The mayor, with help from his progressive allies in the City Council, has absolutely delivered on many of his campaign promises — and he probably deserve more credit than he’s getting for that.
Then why are his polling numbers in the tank? Because one’s performance as mayor is not really judged on your city council scorecard. Crisis management, delivery of city services, economic development, and crime suppression are the real tests. Needless to say, he’s struggling in many of those areas.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 1:33 pm:
Tax financial transactions, lol.
- From the 'Dale to HP - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 1:34 pm:
Well the CTA is worse and I’m pretty sure he didn’t campaign on that.
- ChicagoBars - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 1:38 pm:
I don’t think it’s (totally) about what he’s done & hasn’t done. At least not yet. It’s how he’s doing it fiscally. He passed on the inflation indexed annual property tax increase LL left him in his first budget. He also gave CPD a generous (by all accounts) new contract. And he wants to bond years of future City property tax revenues from expiring TIF districts instead of letting that money revert to the general budget.
Me (and Mongo) are but pawns in the game of life & municipal finance but it sure seems like unless economy and downtown recover strong and stay strong City will be in a real budget trick box in 2 years and nobody will be going “But what a first year of his term (banned punctuation)”.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 2:00 pm:
It is not clear to me how they are “directing more funds to violence reduction” looking at the budget.
- Charles Edward Cheese - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 2:10 pm:
Well, that was quite an interview from Mayor Johnson. It’s only been one year and I’d say he’s already given Gregory Pratt enough material to write a trilogy for his next book.
- New Day - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 2:15 pm:
“Can you name one thing the Mayor said he was gonna do and hasn’t done?”
Be Mayor. Run the City. Manage the government. He fundamentally hasn’t done the job.
- Frida's boss - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 2:29 pm:
His campaign promise of bringing all of Chicago together.
Haven’t seen that.
- levivotedforjudy - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 2:39 pm:
If you can count what you didn’t do as what you did (not raise property taxes), then I guess that is a win - sort of but a pretty darn weak one. So then he didn’t raise property taxes YET, also counts as a win.
- pragmatist - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 3:46 pm:
bring people together
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 4:11 pm:
===bring people together ===
He has, in a way. Close to 80 percent ain’t thrilled with his job performance.
- Pundent - Thursday, Apr 4, 24 @ 5:22 pm:
He didn’t learn from his predecessor’s mistakes often repeating them. He ignored the legislature and routinely allowed the governor to upstage him and clean up his messes. On a positive note, unlike his predecessor he didn’t alienate his staff, because he didn’t have one.