Between Chicago Johnson’s utter and complete incompetence and New York Adams’s corruption and egomania, American big cities mayors are having a rough time right now.
My alderman. I was concerned when he got elected that he’d be a bomb thrower like CRR. Quite the opposite result, actually. He’s definitely very progressive but also clearly understands the realities of governing.
NIU Grad - CTU can send public messages or private ones or whatever, but none of it will matter. He is crazy-popular in the ward. The more likely result if they did that would be a negative impact to CTU’s reputation.
I respect Ald. Vasquez and think he is a good person and well intentioned. However, if MBJ and Stacy fire Pedro, they will saddle CPS with unsustainable debt and who knows what else. It kind of is that simple really.
Vasquez strikes me as a good example of the next generation of alderman. Practically progressive with a lot of constituent contact. His statements are well put.
Good on him for understanding governance. Love a progressive with morals and an understanding of how to make lives actually better in the real world. I’m sure we’ll start seeing broadsides against him soon, because that would be the worst idea and is therefore the most likely decision to come from the fifth floor, but they really should be taking notes instead.
Vasquez has been chair of the City Council’s “Respectfully disagree” caucus (it’s tiny) for several months now. He and his staff are really good at basic ward service requests which isn’t nearly as common across wards as it used to be.
For now he’s about as safe an incumbent as there is.
This pension debt crisis has many parents, politicians who ignored and or denied that the was a problem. The same group also created budgets that they knew could not be paid for, weren’t needed and hurt students yet they never stopped piling on the problems. More money should not be given to them until they get a plan that helps them to live within their means and pays down the debt. It can be done without hurting students.
CTU can send Vasquez a message but Stacy Davis Gates’s goofiness doesn’t fly for most of his voters. They like teachers but also don’t want the union to wreck the city.
Vasquez has every right to be p***ed because he -is- a genuinely progressive alderperson.
Johnson was supposed to be progressives’ big shot, an alternative to the kind of Daley-Emanuel vision that had predominated. And talk about throwing away your shot.
During the last cycle, CTU pulled funding from Vasquez and tried to run someone against him. It has been the best thing for him. It also shares insights into how some of the older alders might be feeling.
CTU is also seeing the limits of its power, past popularity, and public trust. It was shocking how quickly Stacy Davis Gates and Brandon Johnson squandered all the political capital they built up from the Rahm era. Goofballs.
- New Day - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 12:25 pm:
MAYBE a certain Chicago Mayor is seeing his allies begin to question his judgment and priorities.
MAYBE that’s a sign he should stop digging his hole deeper and get to work solving problems for a change instead of creating them.
MAYBE he should block Stacy Davis Gates on his phone and stop taking her no good, horrible, very very bad advice.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 12:25 pm:
Vasquez has been increasing his public criticism of the Mayor, while being careful not to directly say so.
I’ll be curious if CTU starts sending public messages his way
- TJ - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 12:44 pm:
Between Chicago Johnson’s utter and complete incompetence and New York Adams’s corruption and egomania, American big cities mayors are having a rough time right now.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 12:51 pm:
My alderman. I was concerned when he got elected that he’d be a bomb thrower like CRR. Quite the opposite result, actually. He’s definitely very progressive but also clearly understands the realities of governing.
NIU Grad - CTU can send public messages or private ones or whatever, but none of it will matter. He is crazy-popular in the ward. The more likely result if they did that would be a negative impact to CTU’s reputation.
- fs - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
== American big cities mayors are having a rough time right now==
Might I suggest rephrasing of that:
American big cities are having a rough time with their mayors right now.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 12:53 pm:
I respect Ald. Vasquez and think he is a good person and well intentioned. However, if MBJ and Stacy fire Pedro, they will saddle CPS with unsustainable debt and who knows what else. It kind of is that simple really.
- low level - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 12:56 pm:
Odd that I find myself in agreement with Vasquez but there you have it. I have no disagreement w anything he said.
- Original Rambler - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 1:16 pm:
Vasquez strikes me as a good example of the next generation of alderman. Practically progressive with a lot of constituent contact. His statements are well put.
- VK - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 1:18 pm:
Good on him for understanding governance. Love a progressive with morals and an understanding of how to make lives actually better in the real world. I’m sure we’ll start seeing broadsides against him soon, because that would be the worst idea and is therefore the most likely decision to come from the fifth floor, but they really should be taking notes instead.
- ChicagoBars - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 1:41 pm:
Vasquez has been chair of the City Council’s “Respectfully disagree” caucus (it’s tiny) for several months now. He and his staff are really good at basic ward service requests which isn’t nearly as common across wards as it used to be.
For now he’s about as safe an incumbent as there is.
- Center Drift - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 1:44 pm:
This pension debt crisis has many parents, politicians who ignored and or denied that the was a problem. The same group also created budgets that they knew could not be paid for, weren’t needed and hurt students yet they never stopped piling on the problems. More money should not be given to them until they get a plan that helps them to live within their means and pays down the debt. It can be done without hurting students.
- pragmatist - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 1:45 pm:
CTU can send Vasquez a message but Stacy Davis Gates’s goofiness doesn’t fly for most of his voters. They like teachers but also don’t want the union to wreck the city.
- ZC - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 1:45 pm:
Vasquez has every right to be p***ed because he -is- a genuinely progressive alderperson.
Johnson was supposed to be progressives’ big shot, an alternative to the kind of Daley-Emanuel vision that had predominated. And talk about throwing away your shot.
- Two Left Feet - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 2:12 pm:
MAYBE CPS should authorize a referendum and let the voters decide
- Graeme - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 3:21 pm:
Dude makes sense.
- TruthTeller - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 3:50 pm:
During the last cycle, CTU pulled funding from Vasquez and tried to run someone against him. It has been the best thing for him. It also shares insights into how some of the older alders might be feeling.
- pragmatist - Thursday, Sep 26, 24 @ 4:35 pm:
CTU is also seeing the limits of its power, past popularity, and public trust. It was shocking how quickly Stacy Davis Gates and Brandon Johnson squandered all the political capital they built up from the Rahm era. Goofballs.