Two walks down memory lane
Monday, Apr 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Redfield says this session’s resistance is a sign of both changing political dynamics — the withering of Chicago’s political machine has given mayors since Richard M. Daley less political control over the City Council and state legislators — and Johnson’s failure to “bring people on board” in a time of tight city and state budgets.
“If you don’t understand and you don’t respect the guardrails and the mechanics of the process, then you’re putting yourself in a bad situation,” Redfield said. “You’ve got to operate from positions of strength and all I see from Springfield is the mayor taking an awful lot of heat and pushback on doing some pretty basic things within the City Council that, you know, mayors named Daley didn’t have those problems.”
Yeah, they had other problems instead.
* Ralph Martire writing in the Sun-Times…
See, although the pension fund is underfunded today, that wasn’t always the case. As recently as 2001, the pension was fully funded. However, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, who had an aversion to increasing property taxes for political reasons and who also controlled the management of CPS, had CPS zero-fund its pensions for a decade. Ten years, no contribution. So that naturally engendered a huge unfunded liability.
During that 10-year hiatus, revenue that should’ve covered CPS pensions was instead diverted to fund educational expenses. That irresponsible fiscal maneuver benefited city taxpayers because CPS received a higher level of funding for education than what they were paying for in taxes. Folks living in other parts of Illinois didn’t benefit one whit from this mayoral largess.
You really should read all of Ralph’s op-ed, by the way. We’ll revisit it later this week.
- Jack in Chatham - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 11:00 am:
It should be remembered that Mayor Daley got this maneuver room with a deal with Governor Edgar.
- Rory - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 11:01 am:
Plus ça change…
- low level - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 11:22 am:
No one is afraid of this mayor. At all. He makes Mike Bilandic look strong. That is not good.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 11:24 am:
I have absolutely zero sympathy for Mayor Johnson. When he won in 2023, everyone thought he would be the more collaborative Mayor as opposed to Mayor Lightfoot’s absolutist style. Instead of following through, Mayor Johnson choose the “it’s my turn to be the Daley” path. Everything that has happened since is 100 percent his fault and the result of his decision in office.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 11:40 am:
I think Richard M Daley probably did more fiscal harm to the city than any other mayor ever and basically every mayor since has been dealing with his poor fiscal management.
- JS Mill - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 11:47 am:
= had CPS zero-fund its pensions for a decade. Ten years, no contribution. So that naturally engendered a huge unfunded liability.
During that 10-year hiatus, revenue that should’ve covered CPS pensions was instead diverted to fund educational expenses. That irresponsible fiscal maneuver benefited city taxpayers because CPS received a higher level of funding for education than what they were paying for in taxes. Folks living in other parts of Illinois didn’t benefit one whit from this mayoral largess.=
I wish people had some sense of history. They just don’t. Sometimes it feels like if it didn’t happen in the las month or so, it isn’t in the collective memory. Maybe that is the old history teacher in me. And I get this bit of history would not be in the memory of anyone that wasn’t in at least in their 20’s when it started. BUt when CPS complains about funding from the state, I know the really special deals that they have received in the last 30 years and how it diverted money from the rest of the state schools. I also appreciate the fiscal engine that Chicago has been for the state, so I am not a “Chicago hater” like a lot of people are in rural Illinois and even to some extent the suburbs. There will always be a push and pull politically and economically between those three groups in our very diverse state.
But when you are mayor you should know the history and how the process works. In my estimation that means Johnson either hasn’t taken the time to educate himself, or isn’t intellectually mature enough and just wants what he wants without putting in the work. That doesn’t mean he cannot assertively advocate for Chicago, that is in fact his job. He has been even less effective than his predecessor which was a pretty low bar. I agree 100% with @low level, for those of us who can remember poor Michael Bilandic, spot in in the fact that it is not good.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 12:31 pm:
===and basically every mayor since has been dealing with his poor fiscal management. ===
Agreed.
This is what happens when somebody accumulates massive power and influence.
- ZC - Monday, Apr 6, 26 @ 12:41 pm:
>> basically every mayor since has been dealing with his poor fiscal management.
And with the Chicago Tribune through much of this time period constantly calling him a great fiscal steward (Translation: he didn’t raise property taxes hardly ever).