Brandon Johnson finally got what he wanted. Johnson’s newly appointed Chicago School Board fired Chicago Public School’s CEO Pedro Martinez. The lickspittle hacks Johnson put on the board did what they were chosen for and ordered to do. Johnson wanted Martinez gone, He got what he wanted. Johnson’s childish attitude is now on full display. His tantrums over Pedro Martinez were finally heeded.
Martinez, per his contract, will stay on for six months. The board is considering hiring a co-CEO, which may not be legal. But this is Chicago, and this is Brandon Johnson’s board. Laws do not apply to them until some judge slaps them down.
Martinez refused to have the Chicago Public Schools absorb a 175-million-dollar pension debt from the city for non-teaching CPS employees and he refused to take out a high interest $300 million dollar loan, described as a pay day type loan, to “balance” the budget. Martinez did not do what he was told. Hid did what was fiscally responsible.
Johnson did what he was told to do by the Chicago Teachers Union. He fired Martinez. Johnson is bought and paid for by CTU. He does whatever they tell him to do. Johnson is their lickspittle. Brandon Johnson is an egregious walking talking conflict of interest when it comes to the CTU.
“The mayor is prepared to give the CTU the North Pole and the taxpayers get coal in their stockings in the form of property taxes,” said Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, who recently wrote a letter to Illinois state authorities asking for an investigation into the extent that school board members are involved in ongoing teacher contract negotiations.” (Chicago Tribune)
There were news reports that members of the School Board were inserting themselves into contract negotiations with the teacher’s union. By law, only the CEO and his staff can negotiate union contracts. Johnson’s school board cares nothing about the law. They will do what they are told or whatever they want to appease the Chicago Teacher’s Union, as they are supporters of the union. They are no longer management. They, like the mayor, are labor, another conflict of interest. It appears no one, including Brandon Johnson, knows what their job is.
Mayor Johnson is the epitome of the Chicago Way. He thinks he has the power to do whatever he wants without repercussions. He believes he is powerful. He is deluding himself. Johnson is not popular. His approval rating is around 14% and will tank even further after firing Pedro Martinez. He is not powerful. No one in political power listens to him, heeds him, fears him, or cares about him. He has nothing to offer other politicians. He cannot do anything for them.
Johnson is on the path to destroying the City of Chicago. He does not care about the people, the alders, or anyone else, including the City Council. He alienated many of the alders, including many of his progressive allies, over the city budget process. He wanted to tax the people into oblivion. Johnson is not done yet.
Johnson only cares about what the CTU wants, and he better get it for them. Who knows what other damage Johnson will do during his term? One thing is clear. Johnson is out of his element. He does not know what he is doing. Johnson has no knowledge of governance, no fiscal responsibility or fiscal knowledge, no leadership skills, no management skills, or any other traits needed to run a city or any organization. He proves it every day and every time he speaks. His mayoral staff is right behind him on the lack of knowledge scale. The Fifth Floor of City Hall is being run by less-ons, lower than morons.
When the CTU contract is negotiated there will be an attempt for the Chicago School Board to raise the property tax. CTU President, Stacy Davis Gates touted this several times. The people of this city and businesses of all sizes will need to fight hard to prevent a property tax hike. Martinez did that with the fiscally responsible budget he passed.
We need to fight any increases in property taxes. We need to start now. Write your alder. Write to the members of the board. Write your Illinois legislators. Put the heat on Johnson and his lickspittle school board.
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