“I don’t know anyone in Springfield that believes that we’ve done enough for education for our state. …That’s why the state needs to be here for us. I believe they know what their responsibilities are. They don’t need a reminder from me.”
I see Johnson and CTU as synonymous at this point. And what they are telling me is something I already knew. CTU doesn’t have any answers, just demands for more. When they don’t get what they want then they start yelling at you.
Johnson is an embarrassment and I am not convinced he is actually intelligent. Nothing he has said or done would support that.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 2:21 pm:
Let’s presume there’s a plan. Maybe it’s “Chicagoans, I didn’t WANT to raise your taxes. I did EVERYTHING I could to avoid that. I begged Sprinfield to do its job. You all saw it! But they bowed to their corporate edubusiness masters. Putting kids first, I have no other choice but to raise your property taxes.
The CPS budget has increased 30% since 2018. The Operating budget in 2018 was approximately $5.6B and is now $9M. Total headcount increased by 9,000 in that time CPS enrollment declined. Of the 9,000, one can assume a good percentage are CTU dues-paying members, thus expanding the financial power and political power of CTU. Of course Johnson has to go to the mat for CTU.
MBJ will be remembered as full of rhetoric with no results. Johnson proclaims that since he taught middle school he has all the answers.
Many of us have several decades of experience that surpass his claims. And, we manage our finances to keep or bills current.
Brandon Johnson’s tenure as mayor is a sad chapter in the city of Chicago’s government.
Please list a specific contract demand being made by CTU that is unreasonable, and state what would be reasonable instead. There continue to be a lot of questions over strategy / approach but let’s see if we can separate those from the merits of the request.
There was a piece in The Nation about CTU coordinating with the UAW on a planned general strike for May Day 2028 and it got me wondering if the CTU has the mayor they want and the school board they want what will the CTU even be striking against?
==Please list a specific contract demand being made by CTU==
How is that relevant to this discussion? Besides, I don’t think it’s a winning argument if you’re trying to use CTU’s “reasonable” contract demands as the basis for securing more money for Chicago Public Schools.
- More On That Later - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 4:19 pm:
First, they wait 9 months to fill the critical deputy mayor position while making the same mistakes LL made by trying to negotiate with Springfield via press releases. And then they lose one of the most talented and well-liked people in the business of government affairs replacing her with a neophyte who has to spend their political capital right off the bat apologizing for public comments about police and others. Not to mention the money flushed down the toilet on the toxic waste site where they began building a migrant shelter. If stepping on rakes made money, they could pave the streets in gold.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 12:36 pm:
So why not ask specifically? Does he think his whining in the media about being “owed” money is the way he should ask for more money?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 12:42 pm:
I am pretty sure he means Springfield needs to give him what he wants without him actually asking.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 12:48 pm:
I’ll give it 24 hours …
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 12:49 pm:
Also, this guy has to be one of the dumbest people on the planet when it comes to intergovernmental relations.
- Charles Edward Cheese - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 12:59 pm:
@Demoralized, I would not say he’s dumb, this is simply how a inexperienced, radical, political novice THOUGHT one in power acts. Incredibly Trumpian.
- Fav Human - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 1:07 pm:
Surely he is not stupid.
So, he must feel that if he digs in his heels, someone, somewhere, will step in before he slams into the brick wall at high speed.
And this despite being told, (privately, I am sure) by numerous officials that this is not so.
Some people need to meet reality up close and personal before they believe it.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 1:11 pm:
Mayor to Springfield “I’ll hold your beer “
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 1:51 pm:
I did not think I could be more embarrassed by our mayor than I was under Mayor Lightfoot.
When will I learn.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 2:00 pm:
Maybe the Bear game maid him feel melllow. But wish she would have asked that
- Lurker - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 2:02 pm:
I don’t know anyone in Springfield that Johnson is worth listening to so it seems his silence is best for all involved.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 2:03 pm:
I see Johnson and CTU as synonymous at this point. And what they are telling me is something I already knew. CTU doesn’t have any answers, just demands for more. When they don’t get what they want then they start yelling at you.
Johnson is an embarrassment and I am not convinced he is actually intelligent. Nothing he has said or done would support that.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 2:21 pm:
Let’s presume there’s a plan. Maybe it’s “Chicagoans, I didn’t WANT to raise your taxes. I did EVERYTHING I could to avoid that. I begged Sprinfield to do its job. You all saw it! But they bowed to their corporate edubusiness masters. Putting kids first, I have no other choice but to raise your property taxes.
- Teve DeMotte - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 2:24 pm:
The CPS budget has increased 30% since 2018. The Operating budget in 2018 was approximately $5.6B and is now $9M. Total headcount increased by 9,000 in that time CPS enrollment declined. Of the 9,000, one can assume a good percentage are CTU dues-paying members, thus expanding the financial power and political power of CTU. Of course Johnson has to go to the mat for CTU.
- Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 2:53 pm:
MBJ will be remembered as full of rhetoric with no results. Johnson proclaims that since he taught middle school he has all the answers.
Many of us have several decades of experience that surpass his claims. And, we manage our finances to keep or bills current.
Brandon Johnson’s tenure as mayor is a sad chapter in the city of Chicago’s government.
- Cermak - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 3:03 pm:
Mayor Johnson has a constituency and audience of one. From that standpoint, he is doing just fine.
- Please list - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 3:07 pm:
Please list a specific contract demand being made by CTU that is unreasonable, and state what would be reasonable instead. There continue to be a lot of questions over strategy / approach but let’s see if we can separate those from the merits of the request.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 3:09 pm:
===Please list a specific contract demand===
Moving the goalposts. Who mentioned the contract demands?
- Steve - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 3:12 pm:
I have one word to describe Mayor Johnson’s tenure to date.. Horrific.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 3:43 pm:
There was a piece in The Nation about CTU coordinating with the UAW on a planned general strike for May Day 2028 and it got me wondering if the CTU has the mayor they want and the school board they want what will the CTU even be striking against?
https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/general-strike-2028-unions-labor-movement/
- low level - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 3:47 pm:
I literally didn’t think it could get any worse than it did under Lori Lightfoot. I was wrong.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 4:13 pm:
==Please list a specific contract demand being made by CTU==
How is that relevant to this discussion? Besides, I don’t think it’s a winning argument if you’re trying to use CTU’s “reasonable” contract demands as the basis for securing more money for Chicago Public Schools.
- More On That Later - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 4:19 pm:
First, they wait 9 months to fill the critical deputy mayor position while making the same mistakes LL made by trying to negotiate with Springfield via press releases. And then they lose one of the most talented and well-liked people in the business of government affairs replacing her with a neophyte who has to spend their political capital right off the bat apologizing for public comments about police and others. Not to mention the money flushed down the toilet on the toxic waste site where they began building a migrant shelter. If stepping on rakes made money, they could pave the streets in gold.
- DMC - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 4:19 pm:
Donald Johnson
- Shytown - Tuesday, Oct 15, 24 @ 6:33 pm:
So we are all left to guess and then get smacked on the hand when we don’t do what he wants? This is all so Trumpy.