* Fran Spielman…
A former technology salesman who lives in Lake View has formed a political action committee to raise money and at least begin the formidable challenge of putting a binding referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot asking Chicago voters whether they want the power to recall their mayor. […]
To get a recall referendum on the November ballot, he needs at least 56,464 valid signatures by Aug. 5. If it gets on the ballot, and the question is approved in November, Chicagoans would be empowered to recall any present or future mayor.
But Johnson still wouldn’t be removed. Boland would have to launch yet another petition drive, collecting at least 122,503 valid signatures . If he clears that hurdle, Chicago voters would be empowered to recall Johnson in the next regularly scheduled election — March 2026.
So, it’s not a recall referendum. It’s a referendum asking Chicagoans whether they want the power to recall mayors.
* Keep that explanation in mind when reading this tweet from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new “chief strategy officer”…
MAA’s tweet wasn’t fully accurate, but going full-on patronizing bully right out of the gate against a reporter with a large and loyal viewing audience ain’t exactly strategic.
Apparently, things aren’t gonna change on the Fifth Floor.
- Henry - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:18 am:
Translation; her tweet was wrong. She got called out. Not that big a deal.
- Red Ranger - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:22 am:
I think when Bruce Rauner fired a lot of his team and replaced them with the “Radical Candor” crew, collectively most people stopped being surprised by his lack of ability to do his job and just accepted it as the reality to the situation. It seems to me that we are getting pretty close to that same realization with Mayor Johnson. At some point he’ll do something that crystalizes in peoples minds that hes just not up to the job.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:23 am:
Anyone who is not a sycophant to them is a right-wing authoritarian. It’s crazy town.
- Long time Independent - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:24 am:
Her tweet might not have been accurate but starting a war of words against her doesn’t say much about Joeys ability to help correct the massive amount of bad PR this Mayor and his administration have had since day one. One thing’s for sure he didn’t learn from David Axelrod
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:26 am:
- Translation; her tweet was wrong. She got called out. -
There are ways to do that without disrespecting a highly respected and influential journalist. That’s what separates competent comms staff from morons.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:27 am:
===She got called out. Not that big a deal. ===
Tell us you know absolutely nothing about PR without telling us.
- Rocking Robin L. - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:29 am:
Dumb
- Amalia - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:31 am:
X is and has been filled with must hate on Mary Ann Ahern from the far left. this from the newbie is more of the not useful same.
- Charles Edward Cheese - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:33 am:
Ah yes, the notorious right wing MAGA haven of…Chicago Illinois? This is another example of Trumpian tactics Mayor Johnson and his admin deploys, anyone not for us is a radical enemy & all dissent of any type is “othered”.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:38 am:
===This is another example of Trumpian tactics Mayor Johnson and his admin deploys===
Was thinking about this just last night in relation to CTU.
- Wowie - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:38 am:
This is what happens when a generation of “strategists” have grown up on social media. It’s all about the next burn, the snappiest response.
It’s pathetic. His whole team is pathetic. I’m sorry that I’m being so harsh because I honestly believe the Mayor has a good heart, but this is sad.
- James - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:41 am:
Amateur Hour on the 5th floor. Just so long as everyone continues to be “getting ready” to do something, and so long as all the consultants get paid….
- northsider (the original) - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:42 am:
Joey might need to study up on the historical Chicago differences between liberals and progressives.
- Roman - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:48 am:
Perhaps the perception that Calvello was hired to “clean up” the mayor’s communications mess is flawed. Maybe he’s here to double down.
- Time Is Up - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:52 am:
DC big shots come and go through Chicago with little to no impact. Why? They never check their ego at the door. Regardless of how you feel about MAA, you need her on your side. “Owning” her on twitter over picking up the phone is a horrible start.
- Time Is Up - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:54 am:
=== Was thinking about this just last night in relation to CTU.===
Trumpian tactics or cult tactics?
- low level - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 11:56 am:
== DC big shots come and go through Chicago with little to no impact. Why? They never check their ego at the door. ==
Yes. THIS.
Here is free advice to the mayor and Joe. Next time say something along the lines of “bring it on. We are proud of our record”. Then avoid getting into it w trusted local reporters.
- Jocko - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 12:03 pm:
How does Joe’s snarky reply help MBJ “make that transition from candidate to governing”?
Insert .gif of Judge Smails “Well…We’re waiting (exclamation point)”
- JS Mill - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 12:04 pm:
=Was thinking about this just last night in relation to CTU.=
Is there an operational difference between the mayor’s office and ctu at this point?
Two things occur to me: 1) CTU and the Mayor operate in an echo chamber similar to elements of the ILGOP. There is nobody at the table who is providing any counter narrative or perspective. 2) this crew makes the lightfoot admin look humble. With so little experience or knowledge in governance they are incredibly arrogant. Johnson’s poll numbers are somewhere south of Michael Bilandic post blizzard and yet he operates like he has a mandate.
Baffling.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 12:10 pm:
The real victims are the City’s FOIA Officers.
- Grandpa Bob - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 12:11 pm:
The knee-jerk anger in the discourse is just so tiresome and demoralizing.
- Lakeview Looker - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 1:00 pm:
I’m no megafan of BJ, but Mary Ann was wrong–the ballot initiative would not recall BJ. It would just allow BJ to be recalled.
A journalist’s job to provide accurate information! This just seemed clickbaity and half-baked on her part. It’s popular and trendy to pile on the BJ hate train (for good reason) but c’mon
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 1:00 pm:
“The real victims are the City’s FOIA Officers.”
They’re about to be very familiar with Mr. Calvello’s city email account…
- PublicServant - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 1:00 pm:
=== Was thinking about this just last night in relation to CTU. ===
Unions exist in opposition to the status quo. We now have a union organizer as mayor. His nature is to be an agitator. He needs opponents to rail against. He got huge blowback when he wanted to rid the CPS of selective enrollment schools, so now he and Stacey are cutting their funding to slowly starve them to death.
Mary Ann Ahern is just the opponent of the week. So, are all the alderman demanding transparency from the mayor. He wants to collaborate, but only with people who agree with him, otherwise you’re the enemy, are derided and written off.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 1:16 pm:
Personnel = Policy. Expect more of the same from Team Brandon.
- OneMan - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 1:24 pm:
So I have a hard time figuring out if his administration is under the impression that it is either so beloved or so politically strong that the basics of political blocking and tackling are something they can ignore or they just don’t understand.
Perhaps they are just the thinnest-skinned people around?
Perhaps they and the CTU can’t understand why anyone would disagree or question them.
Because ‘let’s just put the snarky smackdown on the last well-known Chicago TV political reporter left standing’ is a bold strategy.
- ChicagoBars - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 1:42 pm:
The headline works two different ways, love it (banned punctuation)
As for the merits of the PAC’s plan? Probably not a great idea but never say never. Too busy to go look for early term Lightfoot tweets/interviews stating a fully elected Chicago school board would never happen on her watch but 98% sure those exist too.
- Suburban Mom - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 1:45 pm:
===The real victims are the City’s FOIA Officers. ===
This made me audibly snort with laughter in a meeting. A+
- Friendly Bob Adams - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 3:56 pm:
Don’t know anything about Calvello, who may or may not be good at his job. But I think he’s correct in calling the petition a half-baked right wing stunt.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 4:08 pm:
=== But I think he’s correct in calling the petition a half-baked right wing stunt. ===
That would require believing that Pat Quinn is a right winger.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 4:09 pm:
…although the half-baked part with Quinn ain’t surprising. lol
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 5:32 pm:
Right wingers never mow their own yard.
- Just Sayin’ - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 5:34 pm:
MBJ and team act as if they were elected in a landslide with a huge mandate. As we all know the opposite is true.
- Just Sayin’ - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 5:41 pm:
And recalls are not an idea i welcome. Whether it’s Quinn or this guy. Hasn’t served California well. It would only divide the City even further. Brandon won, he’ll do his thing, and then in 3 years let’s see where we are. If he doesn’t have a mope running against him like last time he will face a tough challenge if he doesn’t right the ship.
- Shytown - Thursday, Apr 18, 24 @ 6:12 pm:
Did anyone actually think the new guy would bring any change to the way the 5th floor operates? Nope. More of the same. Someone should have warned him what he’d be walking into.