Chicago Megathread: With CTU on strike, Lightfoot lays out her budget

[Donerail]

Lightfoot will take office on May 20th. Does anybody know where the Inauguration will be held at ?

I doubt it'll be held on the grounds of Chicago City Hall.

They usually do somewhere like Millennium Park or the Chicago Theater

[Mr. Illini]

Still trying to make sense of Lori winning all 50 wards. It is really unprecedented and I am not sure how she pulled it off. I expected Toni to at least win a number of the plurality black wards given what I perceived to be her inroads in that community.

Did those wards go to Lori because of her message? Or is Toni really that unpopular? She won re-election in the 2018 primary, though looking back, I suppose that 60-40 was not overly convincing.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Still trying to make sense of Lori winning all 50 wards. It is really unprecedented and I am not sure how she pulled it off. I expected Toni to at least win a number of the plurality black wards given what I perceived to be her inroads in that community.

Did those wards go to Lori because of her message? Or is Toni really that unpopular? She won re-election in the 2018 primary, though looking back, I suppose that 60-40 was not overly convincing.

Maybe it has to do with her former occupation as President of the Chicago Police Board. I'm sure she was able to win over many conservative white males who usually bring odium on blacks, women and homosexuals.

[Mr. Illini]

Still trying to make sense of Lori winning all 50 wards. It is really unprecedented and I am not sure how she pulled it off. I expected Toni to at least win a number of the plurality black wards given what I perceived to be her inroads in that community.

Did those wards go to Lori because of her message? Or is Toni really that unpopular? She won re-election in the 2018 primary, though looking back, I suppose that 60-40 was not overly convincing.

Maybe it has to do with her former occupation as President of the Chicago Police Board. I'm sure she was able to win over many conservative white males who usually bring odium on blacks, women and homosexuals.

I expected her to win those areas. What I can't figure out is how she did so well among black voters despite Preckwinkle's inroads and establishment support from within that community.

[Mr. Illini]

It's just so unprecedented. Even when Richie was winning with 70% margins, he typically would lose a block of wards that would go to his challenger along racial lines. Same with his dad. Chicago has truly not seen anything like it in at least the last 50 years.

Still trying to figure it all out.

[PSOL]

It's just so unprecedented. Even when Richie was winning with 70% margins, he typically would lose a block of wards that would go to his challenger along racial lines. Same with his dad. Chicago has truly not seen anything like it in at least the last 50 years.

Still trying to figure it all out.

Historically poor turnout along with voter apathy from knowing that your outnumbered anyway since the runoff?

[Donerail]

It's just so unprecedented. Even when Richie was winning with 70% margins, he typically would lose a block of wards that would go to his challenger along racial lines. Same with his dad. Chicago has truly not seen anything like it in at least the last 50 years.

Still trying to figure it all out.

Since 2007. Daley won every ward in both 2007 and 2003.

[Green Line]

Its a municipal election, and has been previously stated, there is precidence for this..

I'm glad Lori won and hope she is successful.  This is not a big deal though.

[Mr. Illini]

It's just so unprecedented. Even when Richie was winning with 70% margins, he typically would lose a block of wards that would go to his challenger along racial lines. Same with his dad. Chicago has truly not seen anything like it in at least the last 50 years.

Still trying to figure it all out.

Since 2007. Daley won every ward in both 2007 and 2003.

Interesting - I guess my assessment was not correct. Where do you get the maps for these years? I typically reference Chicago Democracy Project, linked below, but they only go through 1999.

Between when they started mapping and 1999, no candidate won every ward in the primary (back when it was partisan).

I wonder why Daley was able to do it two times in a row when he and his dad were unable to do it for many decades prior. Less racialized politics? Technology making things less localized?

I would still argue that a non-incumbent winning all wards is much different than an incumbent of two decades winning all wards, but alas, we haven't had that many elections with non-incumbents.

[Mr. Illini]

Council members confirm Ed Burke is organizing council against Lightfoot

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicago-mayor-elect-lori-lightfoot-alderman-edward-burke-organize-against-her/

Reminiscent of the Vrdolyak 29 days against Harold Washington. Difference is that Vrdolyak and Burke are on their way to the pen this time.

I'd like to keep this thread going to discuss Chicago political affairs if that is good with everyone else.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The economy is in the dumps in IL. This change will do some good; however, Richard Daley stayed there too long.

[Sestak]

Council members confirm Ed Burke is organizing council against Lightfoot

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicago-mayor-elect-lori-lightfoot-alderman-edward-burke-organize-against-her/

Reminiscent of the Vrdolyak 29 days against Harold Washington. Difference is that Vrdolyak and Burke are on their way to the pen this time.

I'd like to keep this thread going to discuss Chicago political affairs if that is good with everyone else.

Oh joy.

Is Burke himself still denying?

Also, given the ridiculous mandate for Lightfoot, wouldn’t she have a massive public support advantage in any Council Wars 2.0?

[LoneStarDem]

Let me guess: Burke & Co., is serving up a special diet of race-baiting Council Wars 2.0 ?

I'm assuming they're plotting to undermine her before she even has taken the Oath of Office on May 20th.

Will outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) be attending the Inauguration festivities ?

[PSOL]

Council members confirm Ed Burke is organizing council against Lightfoot

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicago-mayor-elect-lori-lightfoot-alderman-edward-burke-organize-against-her/

Reminiscent of the Vrdolyak 29 days against Harold Washington. Difference is that Vrdolyak and Burke are on their way to the pen this time.

I'd like to keep this thread going to discuss Chicago political affairs if that is good with everyone else.

Oh joy.

Is Burke himself still denying?

Also, given the ridiculous mandate for Lightfoot, wouldn’t she have a massive public support advantage in any Council Wars 2.0?

Not if that public doesn’t react and vote out the Burke faction. Considering the poor turnout and how hard it was to get progressives over the line, mayor Lightfoot is going to need an effective PR campaign to sideline him.

[LoneStarDem]

I note the Establishment will fight her on term limits as well.

[Mr. Illini]

Last last night, the Mayor-elect notified the Mayor of her request that he delay a committee vote on the controversial Lincoln Yards TIF project that Mayor Emanuel has championed. Lightfoot campaigned on the idea that there should be a cost-benefit analysis done on the TIF system before proceeding with any new TIF districts.

The Mayor agreed to do so, but a handful of council members, most vocally Brian Hopkins of the 2nd, whose ward the project would fall in, threw a fit. They motioned to hold the vote, but Chairman and outgoing 40th ward alderman Pat O'Connor denied it.

O'Connor signaled that there will be another hearing on Wednesday morning and he is hopeful that the Mayor and Mayor-elect can come to an agreement before then so that a vote can be held.

It's only been a week, but if this start is any indication of what her tenure as Mayor will be like, I'd say she will not have a good relationship with the council.

That's a huge plus, btw. A huge number of council members are criminally crooked at worst and owned by developers at best. She just has to identify how she's going to get her agenda through if that relationship isn't there, given that the council has a number of methods it can use to block the Mayor's agenda. She'll have a more cooperative council as of 5/20 than what is currently in place, though.

[MAINEiac4434]

I was with Preckwinkle, because I trust sjoyce when it comes to Chicago, but I do like the sound of Lightfoot bringing the most odious members of the council to heel.

[Donerail]

Yes, it's mostly a charade at this point -- longtime Alderman professes his respect for the new mayor's power by holding a lengthy hearing and pushing a vote back by all of two days

[Mr. Illini]

Sure enough, the vote will take place today. Lightfoot issued a statement last night saying she secured stronger commitments from the developers on MWBE and giving the green light to the vote.

Yesterday, it appeared that the vote was going to take place today regardless, so it seems that this is Lightfoot is trying to save face by giving the green light. She may appear weak if the council is steamrolling her wishes before she even takes office.

[Mr. Illini]

The cynic in me wonders if Lightfoot and Emanuel came to an agreement to have it go down this way in order to both save face politically.

[LoneStarDem]

Sounds like the Establishment is taking pages out of the Mitch McConnell Playbook in undermining Lightfoot.

[PSOL]

There are now 12 votes separating the candidates in the 33rd ward, per the recent Sun Times edition today.. I’m literally not going to get good sleep till that race is called, even with my gal in the lead.

[Mr. Illini]

It became pretty clear today that Lightfoot misplayed the Lincoln Yards/78 deal. Progressives are now pissed that she has given the green light, yet she looks equally weak in front of the council having come out against it and then caved.

[LoneStarDem]

It became pretty clear today that Lightfoot misplayed the Lincoln Yards/78 deal. Progressives are now pissed that she has given the green light, yet she looks equally weak in front of the council having come out against it and then caved.

The Establishment is going to exploit this & up the ante even further against her.

[Mr. Illini]

Lightfoot's May 20 inauguration will be at Wintrust Arena and is open to the public. A City Hall open house will follow.

This week, she was in Washington. She met with Ivanka Trump (representing the WH), Nancy Pelosi, and other officials, as well as the Illinois delegation. She also held a fundraiser, telling the media that she wants to have a presence in 2020 to help her allies/early backers. Can't think of who that would be, though - no one is in trouble.

Additionally, liberal/reformist firebrand Scott Waguespack says he is one vote away from having enough to take Finance chairman. More moderate alderwo/men have gotten behind Tom Tunney. Both were Lightfoot endorsers, though Waguespack was an early backer (Tunney very late) and key ally and adviser to the ME throughout the campaign.