Peter V. Bella Posts

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“They’re looking for revenue instead of looking for fat and inefficiency,” Beale said Sunday night. “If they could cut the $300-million increase in half miraculously in a couple of days, it means they’re still trying to hoodwink the people of Chicago instead of making the spending cuts needed to put the city back on track … Johnson said then that he had no doubt that the City Council would ultimately pass a balanced budget that negotiates the “details” while upholding his “values.”  (Sun-Times)

Mayor Brandon Johnson proposed cutting the 3% property tax increase in half. Some alders are still against any property tax increase. Any alder who votes for the property tax increase should not be reelected. The increase would be a disaster for middle and working-class families. Those people that progressives claim they are fighting for.. Brandon Johnson’s staff have no idea how to form a budget. They, like Johnson only have an agenda. At this point, the citizens have no idea what it is.

“The police department has spent $22.6 million in overtime this year for officers working special events — only about $2 million of which has been reimbursed to the city.” (Block Club Chicago)

Events from street fairs to major concerts owe the city millions of dollars for police overtime to patrol and for traffic control. We do not know how much it costs the city for the company who owns the parking meters when they shut down the streets. Not one permit should be issued to any event if they owe the city money, no matter how popular they are or how much other revenue they supposedly bring in. Kill them off until they pay up.

Elected in 2016 with a mandate for reform in the wake of the killing of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer, Foxx has been in the middle of nearly every conversation about safety and justice in Cook County, often with a polarizing fervor. Now she’s on her way out, making way for a successor, Eileen O’Neill Burke, who comes to the office with a different mandate. (Chicago Tribune)

States Attorney Kim Foxx has been making the rounds in the news media touting her failed two terms as prosecutor as a success. She continually refused to prosecute gun possession felonies. Her prosecutors recommended violent felons be released without bail or electronic monitoring. Those violent or illegal gun-toting offenders went on to commit more crimes. Then there was the Jussie Smollett case, which she totally botched. The case is now before the Illinois Supreme Court.

 We should hope her successor, Eileen O’Neill Burke will reverse most of Foxx’s policies and bring the office back to its original purpose, prosecuting criminals.

The Chicago City Council, during a special meeting Thursday, voted down Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $300 million property tax increase. The vote was 50-0, a rare unanimous vote. They should be lauded for standing up to the self-proclaimed Collaborator in Chief. This also shows the mayor does not have a powerful enough mandate to get his way with the council, even with his many allies.

Now the Great Collaborator has to come up with cuts and other revenue to close the hole in his budget. There are ways to cut spending without affecting essential services. The mayor stubbornly and irresponsibly refuses to take those measures. Like his predecessors, he keeps blaming past administrations for his budget woes.

Johnson is the mayor. Last year’s budget was his. The only person he has to blame is himself. He refuses to take responsibility for anything that goes wrong in this city. It is always someone else’s fault, societal failures, or some other nonsense.

Then there is this:

They don’t like that Johnson and the CTU, his former employer, are attached at the hip and that Johnson is doing everything in his power to grease the union’s contract demands. They don’t like that their property taxes keep rising to finance a bloated school system in which one of every three schools is half-empty or worse. They don’t like that a union purportedly representing teachers has morphed into a municipal political machine.(Chicago Tribune)

The Tribune is too polite to use the phrase egregious conflict of interest in Brandon Johnson’s “attached at the hip” relationship with the Chicago Teachers Union. The CTU will demand a ruinous property tax increase to finance their contract demands. Johnson will give them whatever they want. They financed his campaign and own him, lock, stock, and barrel. Citizens should fight this increase too with help from the alders.

“Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday pushed back on criticism that his Chicago police budget plan endangers the department’s compliance with the federal consent decree, despite dire warnings from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the court-ordered independent monitor… On the same day Raoul wrote his letter, Maggie Hickey, the independent monitor for assessing the city’s compliance with the consent decree, warned slashing those positions would be a “devastating blow” to CPD reform.” (Chicago Tribune)

The Attorney General’s office is the plaintiff in the suit that brought about the consent decree. The mayor’s budget plan proposes hundreds of cuts to constitutional policing, community policing and more. The mayor insists he is not going to lay off police officers. It appears Johnson’s chaotic administration is floundering badly over the budget. It must be passed by December 31^st.

The miserable Chicago Bears are now considering the vacant site of the former Michael Reese Hospital for their new stadium. The South Side site is in the Bronzeville neighborhood. It would give a terrific economic boost to the area. It is easy to get to whether driving or using public transportation. It would also save the lakefront from be despoiled by that ugly monstrosity.

There is still no appetite in Springfield for state funding for the stadium. The Bears organization will have to find other means to finance a new stadium or hope the Governor and Legislature changes their minds. Mayor Johnson is on board for a new stadium. He does not have the pull in the state capitol to get it done.

CPD

“I come to you with a heavy heart, because we’ve lost another police officer who was out working, attempting to protect the city, and was tragically taken away from us by gunfire,” Police Supt. Larry Snelling told reporters outside the hospital Tuesday. (USA Today)

Chicago Police Officer, Enrique Martínez was shot and killed yesterday. He was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. Martinez was 26 years old and engaged to be married. He had 3 years on the job.

Over the course of its history of the Chicago Police Department, almost 600 police officers were killed in the line of duty or while performing their duties.

The Chicago Police Department and the city are mourning again. A family is mourning the loss of a loved one. When police officers leave for work, their families fret they will not see them walk through the door again. They may never verbalize it, but the thought is always there.

“Our officers go out and face this type of danger every single day,” Snelling said. “And this work is unpredictable. We never know what’s in store for our officers when they’re out there trying to keep the public safe. And just remember, in a city where our officers are not safe, its going to be hard for everyone else to be safe.” (Superintendent Snelling/5 Chicago)

I attended many wakes and funerals of officers killed in the line of duty or while performing their duties. It was never easy, especially if I knew them. It is not easy to read about their deaths in retirement. We are one family and when a family member dies, we all grieve. It never gets easier.

An offender was taken into custody and charged with murder. It was reported that he had a warrant out for his arrest from Will County and he cut off his mandated ankle bracelet.

The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation aids the families of officers killed in the line of duty or catastrophically injured. Aside from thoughts and prayers, you can donate to assist their endeavors.

I spent hours Saturday trying to vote early. I went to several polling places. The wait times were from one to four hours. Many had lines a block long or wrapped around the buildings. I finally voted yesterday. I was able to walk in with no wait.

Voting is the most patriotic act you can perform. I was proud to see so many people turn out to vote over the weekend and willing to wait hours to perform that act. The reason we have such a bad city government is less than 30% of registered voters cast their votes in the last election.

I have been voting since 1971. I voted for candidates from both parties over the years. My life was rarely affected by the outcome of national elections. Some presidents, congresspeople, and senators I voted for were OK. Some were disappointing. Most were mediocre. My life went on. I care more about local issues. Local and state politicians directly affect my life.

Getting angry, sad, or afraid over the outcome of this election is a useless expenditure of energy. If you do not like the outcome, start doing something, peaceful actions only. Find social or political groups to work with or for. Get involved. Four years will go by fast. Any damage can be undone. Life goes on and is too short to waste energy fretting or being angry. Do something.

But, always remember political logic. All politicians are liars. Not all liars are politicians. Politicians give liars a bad reputation.

When it comes to funding public services sustainably, doing the right thing is not only difficult, it can really make folks angry. For proof, look no further than Mayor Brandon Johnson’s latest budget address. Chicago was facing an estimated deficit of $982 million in its corporate fund next year…  Generating new recurring revenue is never popular, but in this case, it was needed.” (Robert Martire/ Chicago Sun-Times/ Emphasis mine)

Ralph Martire is executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, a nonpartisan supposed fiscal policy think tank. Raising property taxes is not the right thing to do. Martire is one of those people who never met a tax or tax increase he did not love.

The property tax increase is not right. It is not needed. Martire does not care about the severe negative impact another property tax increase will have across the city. He also proposes a tax on services, which is another one of his bone headed ideas. Chicagoans are being taxed to death.

What if the Chicago Board of Education approves a property tax increase to fund the teacher’s new contract? What if the Park District wants a property tax increase to balance their budgets? Chicagoans will be hit with a triple-whammy disaster.

An increase in the property tax is not the right thing to do nor is it needed. When Jane Byrne was mayor, she faced a budget crisis. She demanded that all city departments cut 10% of their budgets across the board. She sold off city properties, raised some taxes, and instituted a bad idea, the head tax on large companies. It took decades before that disaster was repealed.

The ten percent budget cuts did not affect city services, especially in public safety. There were other impacts because many of the budget cuts were in the departments’ goods, services, supplies, and other assorted services provided to the city. Vendors were squeezed to get better terms for their wares and services, If the department heads did not achieve the 10% target, they would face layoffs.

Public safety was not affected nor were any other essential public services. At worst, many services took longer to perform, and other plans were deferred until the finances were available.

What will affect public safety are the numbers of police officers retiring every month and the many young police officers transferring to suburban or other police departments. They must be replaced. The numbers are greater than the positions the mayor is eliminating. Mayor Johnson was a promoter of defunding the police until he was against it when he decided to run for mayor. He still is but will deny it vociferously.

Several alders will not take a pay raise next year. Washington is taking the raise. He is a cheapskate, chiseler, and hypocrite. Instead of leading by example, Johnson is taking the raise. He is grabbing all he can. In a time of austerity, His wife’s ceremonial office was redecorated to the tune of $80,000, a waste of money. There is no skimping when it comes to the mayor. There will be no cuts to his office budget or his lifestyle. We will pay dearly for it.

Many alders are saying they will vote no on the mayor’s budget unless he brings back the ShotSpotter system or replaces it with similar technology.  It is possible the mayor’s budget will be dead on arrival, and he may have to start from scratch to get a budget passed before the December 31^st deadline. His delayed budget talks with the City Council did not help.

Mayor Brandon Johnson created and continues to be a public relations chaos and governance nightmare. He does not care about people. He does not care about the city. He does not care about the business community, especially small and midsized businesses. Johnson only cares about himself.

Johnson is turning taxation in Chicago to grand theft. Steal from all of us to pay for his extravagant pie in the sky with a gilded cherry on top agenda. That agenda helps no one but himself and the cronies and lickspittles he hired or refuses to let go.

“Look, this a very difficult decision, but to be quite frank with you … we’ve just have had irresponsible administration after administration that has kicked the can down the road, and now it’s in front of my door,” Johnson said about his backtrack when talking to reporters Tuesday about the tax hike.” (Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Brandon Johnson did what he always does. He blames others for the city’s woes he is creating. He has no clue that he is to blame now. He wears the hat. The past is the past. He stubbornly refuses to take responsibility or accountability for anything.

He pulled the trigger pointed at all our heads. He is raising property taxes to balance his budget. The projected raise is 4%. Homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes will be impacted by his foolishness. Rents and mortgages will go up. If properties are paid for, owners will pay more out of their pockets. Prices for goods and services will go up. All of us will suffer this perfidy. He promised not to raise property taxes. He broke that promise like a typical politician.

Property taxes are already too high. That is partly because the Cook County Assessor’s Office inherited and uses the Ouija Boards and Tarot cards from Joe Berrios to over assess property values.

Johnson is cutting Chicago Police hiring, defunding the police. It was his position before running for mayor. The police department is undermanned. Public safety will be impacted. Police officers may have to work more overtime to compensate for shortages, impacting their physical and mental well-being. Response times to calls will be negatively impacted.

Johnson also wants to raise taxes on alcohol. Those taxes are already too high. What will he tax next? He is also taking away the two cents retailers keep from the seven-cent bag tax, causing more pain.

During the 1980s Mayor Jane Byrne had budget problems. She solved them by demanding every city department to cut their budgets by 10%. Johnson is only asking for a measly 3% budget cut from department heads. Better to make people suffer than cut the fat from bloated payrolls.

“Maybe it’s time for the City Council to step into the power that they have always had, but never exercised before and be a true co-equal branch of government that actually comes forward with alternatives that do involve shared sacrifice,” Ferguson said. (Sun-Times)

Johnson needs 26 alders to pass this atrocious budget. There is only one thing to do. Write, call, or email your alder now. Demand they do not vote for this travesty, or you will not vote for them. As for Johnson, some people have an excellent opportunity to start running against him now. The campaign slogans should “Bye Bye Brandon.”

People are already primed for a tax rebellion. You’re gonna come into that environment with a significant property tax increase proposal? It’s folly. I don’t see how he gets 26 votes.” (Ald. Brian Hopkins/Sun-Times)

The city council and the mayor need to fear for their jobs. They need to feel the heat now. Johnson guaranteed he is a one-term mayor over the property tax increase.

“Johnson campaigned for mayor on a pledge not to raise property taxes, but has said in recent months that the possibility is on the table due to the huge deficit.” (Chicago Tribune)

The feckless flailing Mayor Brandon Johnson is going to raise property taxes to balance his budget. Too many people are holding on dearly trying to keep their homes due to high property taxes. Bye Bye Brandon will be the political slogan if he raises property taxes.

Furthermore, his Chicago-based collective of rappers — called “Only the Family,” or OTF — is described by the LA-based U.S. attorney’s office as “a group of individuals who engage in violence — including murder and assault — at Banks’ direction and to maintain their status in OTF.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson refused to comment whether he will give back a 2023 $150,000 campaign contribution by Chicago rapper, Lil Durk, real name Durk Devontay Banks. Banks was arrested last week while trying to leave Miami for Italy over an alleged murder for hire plot. It was the largest individual political contribution aside from unions.

“You are asking me if I should make a judgment on a Black man before a full trial has actually come to fruition,” the mayor said at a news conference after touring Collins High School. “I hope you do understand why it is not my position to determine the outcome of someone’s life…  Asked Friday if he felt he should give back the money, Johnson said, “I don’t operate in feelings, I operate in truth and justice.” (Chicago Tribune)

Once again, instead of answering the question, Johnson contributed his usual racial word soup and salad. It is par for the course. Aside from the optics, there probably is another reason Johnson will not return the money. He is a typical political cheapskate and chiseler.

Johnson does not care about optics. His overblown ego and false belief in his competency are on display every time he opens his mouth. Johnson thinks he is popular, even though his popularity rating is in the toilet. His performance rating is tanking in the polls.

Other politicians returned donations when the donors were accused of crimes or caught in scandals. Johnson is not other politicians. He does not care what people, or the press think about him. He only thinks about how he views himself.

Politicians are supposed to have higher ethical and moral standards. Too many Chicago politicians, including Brandon Johnson, are devoid of ethical and moral standards. They only care about the money. $150,000 is a lot of money to give back, especially since Johnson is so unpopular, even among progressive voters. Small and large campaign contributors will shy away from financing his run for reelection.

Johnson should return the money proving to the people he is bigger and better than others. Returning the money is no reflection on Durk’s guilt. Durk is presumed to be innocent in court and in the public eye. Johnson returning the donation does not imply guilt. It is just the right thing to do.

“Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters this week that “everything is on table,” including the potential layoff of city workers, which Johnson said he hopes to avoid, as the city grapples with how to address a nearly billion-dollar budget shortfall.” (NBC 5)

Chicago is facing a financial crisis, yet it found $80,000 to renovate the office of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s wife in the Cultural Center. The mayor is trying to fill an almost billion-dollar hole in the city budget and raising property taxes is on the table. Yet, he found $80,000 to renovate his wife’s ceremonial office.

“One invoice shows the city was billed more than $43,000 for furniture, including a $2,200 high-back executive chair and a $4,400 desk that’s referenced on the invoice as “First Lady’s Desk.” Another $4,600 is listed for what appears to be the desk for a staffer. The same invoice shows more than $8,300 was spent on two club chairs.” (NBC 5)

Past mayor’s spouses had that office in the Cultural Center. Former mayor Lori Lightfoot did not renovate the office for her wife. With property tax increases on the table, this sends a wrong message of wasteful extravagance to the citizens. The public should be outraged. Hopefully editorial writers will be writing poison pen screeds.

The real question not being asked by the news media is, why does the mayor’s wife have or need an office? Why waste money on this? The mayor’s wife has no civic responsibilities requiring an official office.

Brandon Johnson has no concept of optics. This extravagance makes him look worse than he already does. His approval rating is in the toilet at 27%. 62% of people polled disapprove of his performance.

“As for the $80,000 spent on his wife’s office, Johnson told NBC 5 Investigates, “if I were to allow my leadership to be based on someone’s opinion of me, it would be a derelict of duty. I never question my position to invest in people. I don’t do this for optics; I do this to transform lives.” (NBC 5 Investigates)

How does spending $80,000 on refurbishing and furniture for a ceremonial office transform lives? How does it invest in people? Johnson cannot even defend himself against any criticism without going on the attack. He can’t even give a reasonable honest answer to simple questions. As for Johnson’s leadership, it is nonexistent. He is not leading, Johnson is floundering.

If Johnson raises property taxes, he will alienate more alders. Johnson will anger property owners who are already overburdened by property taxes. Johnson will become the next one term mayor. Property taxes in Chicago are already too high and many people are struggling to keep their homes or pay higher rents.

Brandon Johnson is failing the people of Chicago. In his almost two years in office, he had no major accomplishments. Johnson has been derelict of his duty to the people of Chicago. His lack of concern for the optics of his wife’s office make over is startling. Politicians are supposed to care how things look when spending/wasting the people’s money. In this case, $80,000 was wasted. How much money will Johnson waste next?

“We can’t imagine how Johnson and his allies could have been more irresponsible in recent weeks regarding Chicago Public Schools, creating a terrible look for City Hall and destabilizing the district when it sorely needs managerial competence, not chaos.” (Sun-Times Editorial Board)

“Editorial: Brandon Johnson’s reckless Chicago Public Schools maneuvering must be vehemently opposed.” (Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Brandon Johnson shot himself in the foot when he demanded and got the resignations of all the Chicago School Board members. He then shot himself in the other foot when he tried to justify his actions. If the current School Board fires CPS CEO Pedro Martinez per Johnson’s order, it will be another self-inflicted wound.

Both the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times Editorial Boards scorched Johnson for his actions. Johnson wants the Board to take out an over $300 million-dollar high interest loan, considered a payday type loan. CPS, like the city, is already heavily saddled with debt. The loan would be a disaster, especially since the chances are slim it could be paid back or refinanced. Johnson also wants the teacher’s union contract settled on their terms.

“The parents of this city elected one of their own, and I’m going to do everything in our power to ensure we don’t go back to a time of chaos,” Johnson said on WTTW.” (WGN TV)

Exactly what does that mean? All the people who elected Johnson were not parents. The only reason he is the mayor is because less than 30% of voters voted. This was just more word soup and salad. Chaos? Johnson is the chaos. His administration is chaotic. In his time in office, he accomplished nothing except sowing chaos. Brandon Johnson should be the first definition of chaos in the dictionary.

41 alderpersons, many of them allies of the mayor, signed a letter over the debacle, condemning the mayor’s machinations over the school board and Pedro Martinez. He is losing support fast. I know people who voted for him and are sorry they did. Some are beyond angry.

Johnson is doing the bidding of the Chicago Teacher’s Union, who wants Pedro Martinez fired. He is bought, paid for, and owned by the union and will do what he is told. Martinez days are numbered. Johnson’s blatant conflict of interest with the CTU is egregious and appalling.

Johnson has no managerial skills. After over one year, he still does not know how the city operates and what those operations cost. It appears most of his appointees lack the same skills.

This administration is plagued with turmoil and chaos caused by Brandon Johnson. He has no one to blame for himself. Instead of surrounding himself with knowledgeable people, he hired political hacks and lickspittles to do his bidding. Johnson thinks he knows everything. When you think you know everything, you are wrong. Johnson’s only defense or answer to questions is expressing his grievance. Any simple question is an attack on him. If a reporter asked him the time, Johnson would go on a grievance fueled rant.

When cornered, Johnson makes accusations of racism. He hopes the media will not ask him the tough questions. If he claims racism enough, he can shut them down. He has no answers, only accusations and grievances. If this keeps up, Johnson may go down as the worst mayor in Chicago history.

Johnson is going to London to watch the Bears play this weekend. When asked about the trip, he angrily reproached the reporter, claiming he was going to London to bring business to Chicago. Yeah, right, on a weekend? Johnson cannot even tell a credible lie. Who is paying for the trip, hotels, game tickets, and other amenities for Johnson and his team?

Johnson cozies up to and has a bromance with Bears president and CEO, Kevin Warren. Johnson wants the Bears stadium on the lakefront and will do anything to get it, even if it means destroying the lakefront. Warren will do anything to get the mayor to get the funds for the Bears lakefront folly.

The 8^th Police District is the largest district in Chicago. It covers 23 square miles with a population of 250,000 people and quickly growing. There are only 9 police officers for every 10,000 citizens making the district the worst in the city.

There have been proposals to split the district. A former National Guard building became available. Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar sponsored a law to transfer the building to the city to specifically be used as a police station for $1. The bill passed and was signed by the governor. If the building is not used as a police station, it will revert back to the state.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has other ideas. Johnson proposed an ordinance to use the building for storage, maintenance, and operation of police vehicles. Evidently Johnson believes he has the power to override state law. The districts two alders, 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn are not happy. Johnson also claimed, without proof, that the federal government must sign off on the deal.

It is clear that Brandon Johnson does not care about state laws. He believes he is omnipotent above the law and can do whatever he wants. It is also clear that he does not take public safety seriously, contrary to his word soup and salad claims. He is playing his agenda games with public safety and that is a prescription for disaster(s).

Johnson is also playing games with the Chicago Public School System. He wants Chicago School Board President, Pedro Martinez, out, though he has no power to fire him. The Chicago Teachers Union wants Martinez gone. They bought and paid for Johnson, and he is controlled by them when it comes to public education. It is an egregious conflict of interest, as Johnson is also a former organizer- whatever that means- for the union.

Only the Board can fire Martinez, and it must be for just cause. Refusing to do the mayor’s bidding is not just cause. Martinez and the Board refused to take out hundreds of millions of dollars in what are considered payday loans for pension payments. The mayor does not want that money coming out of his budget, which will be facing another huge shortfall.

Johnson seems or chooses to forget he is management. He proverbially sits across the table from the union not on the same side. He has a total lack of management, fiscal, and budgetary skills. All he knows is his agenda. All he gives the citizens in this city are meaningless platitudes. Chicago needs sensible intelligent leadership. It is not getting it from Johnson and his team. Instead, the city is getting a chaotic administration.

Some in the news media claim these continual missteps are self-inflicted. If Johnson was competent, they would be. Johnson is not competent, and his team of political hacks are not competent. Competent leaders pick or keep people who are smarter than they are or who have expertise in the areas they are responsible for. Johnson picks political hacks.

“The building at 401 N. Wabash Ave. operates without a proper state environmental permit, does not accurately report water discharge levels and violates at least three other laws, according to the lawsuit. Wilson said those facts were “well founded” and “not materially challenged.” (Sun-Times)

Sun-Times Former Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan filed suit Trump Tower in 2018 over the issues. The suit has been bouncing around the court for six years. It is past time the owner/operators of Trump Tower were held accountable and held to the same legal standards as any other entity.

“Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) is in almost constant contact with business leaders, and “all they want to talk about” is finding a candidate to defeat Johnson in 2027.” (Sun-Times)

Ald. Brendan Reilly represents downtown business interests. He is in contact with business leaders daily. Those leaders are disappointed in Mayor Brandon Johnson. Some who supported Johnson have buyer’s remorse and feel they were scammed. What did they expect, this is Chicago where all fairy tales begin with “If elected I promise…”

Economics is not Johnson’s strong point, nor is it a strong point of any in his administration. From its inception as a swampy trading post through today, Chicago has always been a city of commerce and industry. Johnson does no service to that history. Businesses contribute and generate taxes to the city. Businesses employ people who in turn pay taxes. Johnson does not have a clue how the economics of a big city work.

“Three members of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s City Council leadership team and the police union president are demanding that Johnson fire a top mayoral aide for calling police “f—ing pigs” and talking openly about defunding and even “abolition” of police.” (Sun-Times)

Kennedy Bartley, the former executive director of United Working Families, which worked to get Johnson elected was appointed to a cushy job created just for her. Now she is being appointed to the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. This triggered the resignation of several key people in that office. Mayor Johnson does not care about optics. Bartley has to get along with the governor and legislature in Springfield as well as the City Council. Her firebrand reputation will not play well. Johnson needed a salesperson for this position, not a loose cannon. This appointment was nothing more than a typical Chicago Machine payback hiring a political hack.

“We sympathize with those who wish this financially strapped city did not have use for an expensive system designed to get police officers more quickly to a bloody scene on its streets. We dearly wish the same. But the data is clear. Need it we do. To remove it will cost the lives of Chicagoans.” (Chicago Tribune)

Follow the money. Speed cameras make money for the city. Red light cameras make money for the city. ShotSpotter helps save lives but does not make money for the city. Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to eliminate ShotSpotter. ShotSpotter saves lives by getting the police to shooting victims before they bleed to death. According to the Chicago Tribune 85 lives were saved because of ShotSpotter.

The mayor and his minions in the City Council do not care about lives and bloodshed. They only care about money. They do not care about people. They only care about green backs.