Author: pvbella

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.

“The celebration started the moment National Baseball Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch said “1963 to 1977” as he began to unveil the results of the classic baseball era committee voting on television. Richard Allen Jr. jumped out of his seat and was swallowed in a sea of hugs. His father, the late Dick Allen, had just been elected into the Hall of Fame.“I wanted to hear it, I wanted to see it,” Allen said at a watch party … We saw it, just so much to take in.” (Chicago Tribune)

Former White Sox player, Dick Allen, finally made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 81% of the votes. His nomination was long overdue. Allen played for the White Sox from 1972 to 1974.  Allen died in 2020 at the age of 78. His legendary exploits and explosive batting are still talked about.

“There’s no second-guessing the coach this time around. The Bears (4-9) were outcoached, outplayed and outclassed.” (Brad Biggs/Chicago Tribune)

The Bears once again proved they are an embearassment. They lost their seventh game in a row to the 49ers. The Bears are a pathetic 4 and 9 so far this season. I have no pity for Bears fans. They keep cheering for pathetic losers and the McCaskeys. New coaches will not produce a winning team. The only way the Bears will ever be winners again is when the McCaskeys sell the team to owners who want to win games and championships.

“Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to balance his revamped $17.3 billion budget with a $68.5 million property tax increase — and by raising taxes on everything from cloud computing, streaming services and parking to downtown congestion and plastic bags — squeaked through a City Council committee Tuesday.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

The City Council Finance and Budget Committees approved Mayor Brandon Johnson’s tax package, including a property tax increase, to balance the city budget by slim majoritys. Not one alder who voted for this horrendous package should get reelected.

The mayor refuses to make necessary cuts and seek more efficiencies. The mayor’s office budget alone ballooned by $50 million dollars. What are the citizens getting for that $50 million dollar increase? Where is the benefit for the city? The only people benefiting are the high paid do nothing patronage workers in Johnson’s office.

Brandon Johnson is proving every day he is incompetent and not fit to be the mayor of Chicago. He is feckless with his my way or the highway method of administration. Johnson will go down as being the worst mayor since Big Bill Thompson.

There will be a final vote on the budget Friday. If any more alders supports this fiasco people should start working next week to find, support, and campaign for candidates to replace them. The incumbents do not deserve to be reelected as they are not serving the people. They are serving themselves while bankrupting us.

The Johnson administration will do more harm to taxpayers with his future budgets. Write/email your alders. Tell them enough is enough when it comes to increased property taxes and other taxes and fees. Demand cuts and more efficiencies. Demand they cut the extra $50 million dollar increase from the mayor’s office.

Doing nothing is like not voting. The reason we have this horrible mayor is that less than 30% of registered voters showed up at the polls on Election Day.

“RFK jr. is a one man plague … RFK Jr. is an active agent of misinformation and lies. Hiring him to oversee health policy would be like hiring an arsonist to put out a fire.” (Sun-Times)

Finally, a news media editorial scorched Donald Trump’s pick, Robert F. Kennedy jr. to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. All the other national and local media tap danced around the Kennedy nomination. Kennedy is a charlatan, fraud, quack, con artist, and has no scientific, medical or administrative qualifications for the position.

There is one other disqualification. A disqualification the news media glosses over. It is mentioned in one sentence here and there, yet there has been editorial or opinion piece for this disqualification. No hue and cry. No call for his nomination to be torched.

Robert F. Kennedy jr. is a convicted felon. Kennedy was convicted of felony heroin possession in 1984. He was granted probation and successfully completed it. A convicted felon cannot get a menial federal job, yet Kennedy is being appointed to lead a major department. It is also a wonder he still has a law license with his felony conviction.

The news media, including the Sun-Times, is not editorializing against his appointment due to his felony conviction. No Democrats are arguing against his appointment based on the conviction. Neither are those phony law-and-order Republicans.

Why you may ask? The Kennedy name is sacrosanct and royalty in politics and the news media. Thou shalt not disparage the Kennedy name under any circumstances. Kennedy is not fit for the position he is being appointed to. He could not even get a federal job mopping floors with that conviction on his record. Yet a convicted felon may oversee the country’s health systems. Go figure. We no longer have a robust, fierce editorial media in the country. It is a pity how low the news media has gone. The Democrats? They are as useless as the Republicans when it comes to governance.

Back in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson, AKA “The Great Collaborator,” refuses to make necessary cuts to balance the budget. He still wants a real estate tax hike, against the wishes of the people and most alders. His other revenue raises are also harmful to businesses and consumers. He stubbornly refuses to cut jobs, especially patronage jobs. He claims city services would suffer, which is not true if done right. Alders are looking for other ways to make cuts but are being stymied by Johnson.

Johnson’s approval ratings are dropping faster than a greased anvil on steroids. But there is more to fear. Johnson’s appointed school board still has to negotiate and finalize the Chicago Teacher’s Union contract. That will probably include a property tax hike. We should oppose any property tax hike, especially since there will be reassessments next year. Since the County Assessor inherited the Qujiu Boards and Tarot cards from his predecessor, taxes will go up, on top of whatever the teachers want.

The problem is Johnson waited until the last minute to collaborate with the alders. Now the December 31^st deadline looms. If he and the City Council cannot pass a reasonable budget by then, the city will shut down. The city’s credit rating will be further damaged and city services will suffer.

Brandon Johnson does not care about city services. He does not care about the people in this city. He only cares about his narrow-minded agenda.

What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s really for everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from.” (Chef Daniel Humm)

Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Thanksgiving is the only holiday that celebrates gratitude. No patriotism, memorials, or presidents’ birthdays, or gifts. The day is to celebrate gratitude.

Humans have celebrated a “holiday” related to gratitude since ancient times. After the harvest, people celebrated the bounty in various ways. That whole garbage about the Pilgrims and Native Americans being the first Thanksgiving in America is pure horse droppings. Native Americans had been celebrating a harvest festival for ages. They just celebrated that one with their new neighbors. The feast was wild game, fish, and whatever the Pilgrims and Native Americans cultivated.

“The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about?” — Nora Ephron.

We also dedicate the day to the feast. It does not matter what you prepare for the feast, no matter how lavish or meager. You are sharing the love. There is no rule that turkey must be on the menu. Make whatever you want. It is your choice how you celebrate. Just do not forget why we celebrate. To thank God, some other deity, the Great Comedian, or your friends and family for whatever you are grateful for.

By the way, it is said that Ben Franklin wanted to have the turkey be the national bird. Fortunately, the Bald Eagle won out.

I get nostalgic this time of year. I remember the great feasts my family put on for Thanksgiving. Aside from the turkey, there was ham, pans of dressing, yams, lasagna, salad, fruits and nuts and dessert. My parents and aunts would spend the whole day cooking to feed us. They had a look of joy on their faces while doing all that work. I miss my family, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They are gone or moved throughout the country.

I remember other Thanksgivings at friends’ homes. I am grateful for the Thanksgivings I had while working the holiday. A local restaurant would send a whole turkey and ham with dressing and all the other trimmings to the police station. We would come in and feast. We got to celebrate with each other, at least for a short half hour before we hit the street again. To this day, I am still grateful to that restaurant owner.

We live in troubled times with real or contrived issues swirling around us. Sometimes it appears there is more anger and angst than joy in our lives. We forget all we must be grateful for. Setting aside one day to celebrate gratitude. Is a quaint but necessary concept.

Maybe Thursday when we gather, we can leave the tumult outside, not allowing the outside world into our homes. Gather with your family and friends, enjoy the feast, share the love, and be grateful for all you have, especially the people sitting at your table.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Photo: PV Bella

“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.