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Today’s quotable

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Illinois

* Background is here if you need it. Tribune…

Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday deflected questions about a City Hall controversy in which a top adviser tried to persuade an alderman to vote for parts of Johnson’s progressive agenda by tying those votes to the administration’s willingness to remove homeless camps in the alderman’s ward.

The mayor was responding to questions from reporters about the proposal, which was made by top aide Jason Lee to Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, a day after the Tribune first reported on the discussion. Conway criticized Lee’s efforts and said it was an inappropriate quid pro quo.

The mayor Wednesday at first sidestepped a question about the exchange, telling reporters, “I am not necessarily privy to every single conversation that happens throughout the city of Chicago.” But pressed further on Conway’s allegations, Johnson said they were “a mischaracterization” and said “pushing for real support around the unhoused (is) what this has always been about.”

* Full mayoral quote…

I am not necessarily privy to every single conversation that happens throughout the city of Chicago. Now, if you’re asking me do I apologize for my administration advocating for working people and making sure that we put forward solutions to do with the unhoused in this city? I’m not going to apologize for that. In fact, I’m going to invest in that and that’s exactly what I’m doing. […]

That’s a mischaracterization. There’s been a lot of mischaracterization of conversations all over the city and that look, I get it, you know, whether it’s tension, whether it’s you know, what someone said or what someone else heard. Here’s the truth. That we have 70,000 people who are unhoused in this city, of which one in four Black students in the city of Chicago go unhoused. This is about advocacy. Whether it’s my senior advisor or whether it’s Ald. Vazquez, or anyone else who’s been pushing for real support around the unhoused. This is what this has always been about. And again, I’m not going to apologize for doing right by the people of Chicago. I said that I was going to bring Chicago home. I said I was going to invest in the unhoused. There is no secret to what I said I was going to do. And my administration carrying that out, is exactly what the people of Chicago expect in their mayor.

And let me just say something to you, Chicago, every promise that I’ve made, I’ve kept it and that includes making sure that we are dealing with the unhoused in this city. And if anyone wishes to stand in the way of the people of Chicago, well, they’re going to get rolled over by the people of Chicago.

Except the unhoused people living under those viaducts by Union Station are still there, without housing, because Ald. Conway refused to vote for a a couple of ordinances which passed anyway.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 1:36 pm

Comments

Didn’t Lee not only admit he tried to strong-arm Conway but also seemed proud of it? This is sad.

Comment by levivotedforjudy Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 1:47 pm
Hard to tell if this was an attempt at a raw power flex or a naive attempt at emulating the old machine ways.
Either way, they wanted Conway “to do them a favor, though.”

Comment by northsider (the original) Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 1:55 pm
I gotta say today is pretty much an L for Brandon and his allies.

The adults had to show up to save him from his own mess.
He’s stuttering about and threatening aldermen who oppose him and still not following through on what needs to be done in the wards.
His mom, Stacey, can’t figure out how to take a win and is now adding another state ally that the City is going to blast.

It would totally track if one of his community organizations or aldermen created a TIk Tok saying Osama was right.
Calling Rosanna- your moment is now.

Comment by Frida's boss Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 2:37 pm
“Political Horse-trading”? People have gone to prison in Illinois for doing that sort of thing.

Comment by DuPage Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 2:43 pm
Brandon “Otter” Johnson: “Well, you can do whatever you want to us, but we’re not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the [people of Chicago]. Gentlemen!”

Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 3:09 pm
Why is this a story? Conway and every other elected official should know this is how the industry works. Nothing out of the ordinary here, just making hype over a daily exercise.

Comment by Matty Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 3:16 pm
===this is how the industry works===

lol

Is that you, Rod?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 3:26 pm
===this is how the industry works===

This is how it works: I really need your vote. Is there anything that I can help you with?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 3:28 pm
Assuming one can trust any poll today maybe this is part of the reason Brandon is down to 29 percent the absolute lowest favorability of any Chicago mayor in the history of polling. They say voters get the politicians they deserve but Chicagoans don’t deserve 3 plus years more of this incompetent

Comment by Sue Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 3:32 pm
=but Chicagoans don’t deserve 3 plus years more of this incompetent=

Elections have consequences, so yes they do.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 4:06 pm
I just can’t figure out why a very unpopular mayor wants to pick a fight with a very popular in the City of Chicago Democratic governor. Didn’t he get like 75% or more in the City?

Comment by New Day Thursday, Nov 16, 23 @ 5:26 pm