BREAKING: Delayed property tax collections have forced emergency lending into Chicago’s pension funds in order to avoid asset sales.

The Chicago firefighters’ pension fund did not have the cash on hand to pay *current retirees.*

This is what insolvency looks like.

And it’s exactly why Chicago CFO Jill Jaworski and Mayor Brandon Johnson should have been screaming from the rooftops to oppose the pension sweetener bill just passed in Springfield that dropped the police and fire pensions to 18% funded—the worst in the nation. Outstanding reporting by @shrutidatesingh ⬇️

https://twitter.com/business/status/1968002489191424192

The longest political battle of Brandon Johnson’s tenure as mayor of Chicago came to an end on Thursday.

And despite stacking the deck heavily in his favor, the mayor lost.

How did that happen? And what happens next?

Let’s dive in. 🧵 Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union have pushed Chicago Public Schools to take out a $200 million, high-interest loan for more than a year – leaving a trail of charred political capital in their wake.

Consider what happened instead of support for Johnson’s loan ⬇️

• The entire school board resigned in October.

• CPS CEO Pedro Martinez endured a months-long smear campaign by the CTU, which culminated in his firing just before Christmas.

• A majority of school board candidates who won their elections in November vocally opposed the loan on the campaign trail.

• Johnson’s new CEO, Dr. Macquline King, refused to include the loan in her proposed budget.

• The powerful SEIU Local 73 broke from the CTU and opposed the loan.

• A majority of City Council members signed a letter opposing the loan, including staunch Johnson allies like Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Jeanette Taylor.

• Chicago Public Schools’ chief budget officer warned the loan would trigger a “downward spiral” of credit downgrades, higher borrowing costs and cuts.

NEW: The Chicago Teachers Union just unveiled a $6 billion statewide tax increase package.

Illinois households earning the median U.S. income of $79K already pay the highest state and local tax burden in the country.

Here they are 🧵 Digital ad tax: $725M

This won’t punish big tech. It would punish Illinois small businesses and consumers by driving up ad costs.

BREAKING: Chicago’s Inspector General just dropped a report exposing Mayor Brandon Johnson’s secret gift stash. Jewelry, whiskey, handbags, and shoes—all stored in a “Gift Room” hidden from investigators as well as Johnson’s personal office. Just as scandalous: The report reveals a system with no real checks on the power of the mayor’s office. 🧵 2/ Chicago’s Government Ethics Ordinance (GEO) prohibits city officials, including the mayor, from accepting gifts over $50. One exception is that officials may take gifts that are “accepted on behalf of the City.” These gifts are supposed to be approved in advance by the Board of Ethics, then promptly reported to the Board of Ethics and city comptroller after they are received. The comptroller is then supposed to add these gifts to the city’s inventory. But that’s not what’s happening.

In her current term as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, Stacy Davis Gates has ⬇️

🚩 Threatened a principal and former CTU delegate with physical violence

🚩 Insulted critics as “slow”

🚩 Labeled a respected local journalist as a “stalker” for reporting on her actions as the president of the single largest spender on Chicago politics

🚩 Mocked a prominent public official by comparing him to a “terrible” special education student who can’t be suspended

🚩 Called the Chicago Tribune “bullshit” and the Illinois Policy Institute “freak shows”

🚩 Killed a school choice scholarship program serving thousands of low-income Chicago children, including several who attended the same private school as her own child

🚩 Took an illegal property tax break on a home in Indiana

🚩 Failed to pay $5,700 in city trash, sewer and water bills despite making more than $269,000 a year

🚩 Improperly funneled CTU member dues into Brandon Johnson’s campaign for mayor, forcing teachers to file an unfair labor practice complaint

🚩 Spent $400K on Johnson’s signature ballot referendum to hike taxes on Chicago real estate transfers and lost

🚩 Pulled CPS students out of class for the explicit purpose of voting “yes” on that referendum, in clear violation of CPS ethics rules

🚩 Pushed for a $300M high-interest payday loan to fund a new CTU contract

🚩 Won just three of nine competitive school board elections. Nationwide, school board candidates backed by the local teachers union win 70% of the time.

🚩 Spurred local and national backlash after claiming standardized testing is junk science rooted in white supremacy

🚩 Claimed supporters of a bill to protect against closure of selective enrollment CPS schools were “racist.” The bill then passed the Illinois House 92-8.

🚩 Hid four years of union audits from CTU members. Then bullied teachers who were forced to file a lawsuit to see those audits, calling them “extreme right wing” and claiming they were associated with Project 2025.

Receipts 🧵 🚩 Threatened a principal and former CTU delegate with physical violence

https://twitter.com/austin__berg/status/1752870017392071028

BREAKING: Chicago City Council has approved Brandon Johnson's record-spending $17.3 billion budget on a 27-23 vote. The budget does not include a property tax hike. It does include these tax and fee hikes ⬇️
🔴Personal property lease tax hike from 9% to 11% ($128M)
🔴Amusement tax hike on live events and streaming services and Netflix from 9% to 10.25% ($12.9M)
🔴Parking garage tax hike from 22% to 23.35% on weekdays and a 20% tax on weekends ($11.3M)
🔴Checkout bag tax hike from 7 cents to 10 cents ($5.2M)
🔴Expanding congestion surcharge on rideshare apps ($8.1M)
🔴Hiking an array of license fees, transfer fees and fines, and resident parking permits ($4.6M)
🔴More automated speed ticket cameras ($11.4M) My statement on the budget ⬇️

“Thousands of Chicago taxpayers voiced their concerns to aldermen and escaped a $300 million property tax hike this year. However, it’s disappointing to see Mayor Brandon Johnson balloon the city’s spending problem instead of committing to sustainable changes. Johnson and his allies in council have worsened the tax and fee burden on already-struggling residents and businesses. Their decisions to grow the debt and rely on one-time gimmicks will be disastrous for future budgets. 

“Residents should be encouraged by the unprecedented independence of the City Council in pushing for commonsense reforms throughout the budget process, and in particular Ald. Gil Villegas’ call on the floor today for a city charter. Chicago is the only major city that lacks a city charter, or municipal constitution, which would ensure crucial guardrails and greater transparency in future city budgets. 

“Unfortunately, as the last of the pandemic relief runs out, City Hall has yet to meaningfully address the city’s over-spending problem, opting instead to hit residents and businesses with more taxes and fees. Residents have repeatedly voiced opposition to new taxes. City leaders would’ve been wise to listen.”

NEW: Chicago faith leaders are calling for a city charter! This is a must-read if you care about the future of our city.

https://twitter.com/chitribopinions/status/1850497286637248798

Chicago faith leaders Rabbi Seth Limmer, the Rev. Otis Moss III, the Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain and the Rev. Michael Pfleger begin by revealing one of the most flawed mental models in all of Chicago politics.

That power rests solely with the Chicago politicians who win elections, rather than the people who elect them.

“Throughout Chicago, the people are raising their voices about a host of issues. We fear those voices are going unheard and not just because of political expediency. A fundamental flaw in the design of our city allows the voice of the people to be ignored.”

NEW: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s newly appointed president of the Chicago Board of Education Rev. Mitchell Johnson appears to have been permanently disbarred in the state of Ohio for “conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.”

According to court documents, Rev. Mitchell Johnson told one of his clients he needed $1,000 to hire an economist as an expert witness. The client paid Johnson the money. But then Johnson never hired the witness. So the client asked for his money back. But Johnson wouldn’t return it.

Mayor Johnson appointed Rev. Johnson as president after ousting the entire Chicago school board, which rejected the mayor’s efforts to issue a $300M high-interest payday loan in order to fund contract demands from the Chicago Teachers Union.

Mayor Johnson’s new school board is expected to fire CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, who has also criticized the $300M loan.
See: Cleveland Bar Association v. Mitchell ⬇️

“Given the undisputed facts in this case, we agree with the board that disbarment is appropriate. We therefore adopt the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the board. We hereby permanently disbar Mitchell L. Johnson from the practice of law in Ohio.”

WATCH: Three key members of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration discuss defunding and abolishing the Chicago Police Department.

Head of Intergovernmental Affairs Kennedy Bartley ($192,000 salary): “As an abolitionist, when I say defund the police it is through an abolitionist lens.”

Senior Advisor on Community Safety Alyx Goodwin ($103,488 salary): “The thing I would add here is that the demand to defund is like also an anti-capitalist demand.”

Deputy Budget Director of Community Safety Adam Slade ($135,084 salary): “I agree 100% with both of those views.”

Footage source: Panel discussion held April 7, 2021, hosted by Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Ice Miller LLP Goodwin is also on record saying she hopes ShotSpotter’s stock continues to drop. She is reportedly involved in the city’s current Request for Information process related to gunshot detection technology.

https://twitter.com/austin__berg/status/1844196113424785598

BREAKING: All seven members of the Chicago Board of Education have announced they will resign. This is unprecedented.

The move comes after weeks of heavy pressure from Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union, demanding board members do two things ⬇️

1. Issue a $300M payday loan to fund the union's contract demands.

2. Fire CPS CEO Pedro Martinez for his refusal to support that loan.

So now what happens?

Johnson is expected to appoint seven CTU loyalists to the board in order to borrow the money to pay off the union. And fire Martinez.

All just a few weeks before elected school board members take office.

So rather than respecting the will of Chicago voters, Johnson is hot swapping the entire school board in order to give a massive, taxpayer-funded gift to his largest campaign donor (CTU).

This is what happens when a radical teachers union is on both sides of the bargaining table.

Early voting is now open in the Nov. 5 election for Chicago's school board. I encourage you to vote for an independent, reform candidate against a CTU-backed candidate. Our city depends on it.

Will drop the list of reform candidates below. Reform candidates ⬇️

https://x.com/illinoispolicy/status/1842282509368733865

WATCH: Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates joined the city’s largest Black news radio station @WVON1690 this week. Host Atiba Buchanan asked her to address critics of the union who point to low reading and math scores in Chicago Public Schools. Davis Gates responded by saying standardized testing is a tool of white supremacy designed to fail Black students. Listeners were not pleased with that answer. Caller: “I’ve passed every standardized test and I want my children to be able to do it. Even though I’m Black that does not mean I cannot achieve on standardized testing. And our children need to do that so that they can be competitive. Our focus needs to be on the literacy gap Black children have that’s not being addressed.”

BREAKING: 15 Chicago aldermen are calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to strip Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez of his leadership role as Chairman of the Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

Sigcho-Lopez is under fire for partnering with far-left extremist group Behind Enemy Lines, which has openly called for disorder and violence at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Full text of the resolution ⬇️

WHEREAS, The City Council of the City of Chicago has adopted its 2023-2027 Rules of Order and Procedure; and,

WHEREAS, Rule 36 of the 2023-2027 Rules of Order and Procedure all for the Members of the City Council to adopt a resolution codifying standing committee membership and leadership; and,

WHEREAS, The City Council adopted its committee structure resolution on May 24, 2023, thereby installing Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez as Chair of the Committee on Housing and Real Estate for the 2023-2027 term; and,

WHEREAS, Recent actions by Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez call into question his judgment and fitness to serve in that capacity; now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, That, in accordance with Rule 36 of the 2023-2027 Rules of Order and Procedure, Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez is hereby immediately removed as Chair
of the Committee on Housing and Real Estate; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That such removal will be effective immediately and that the Vice Chair of the Committee on Housing and Real Estate shall assume leadership of the committee until the City Council of the City of Chicago installs a permanent Chair for the remainder of the 2023-2027 term.
Here are some recent public comments from Behind Enemy Lines.

“Make bruises from Chicago police batons the 2024 back to school Fall fashion!”

…

“It's no coincidence that the organizations that are asking people to thank Brandon Johnson, are the same organizations that are refusing to call for the DNC to be cancelled, and are instead working to channel dissent into forms that are acceptable to the imperialists: perfectly peaceful permitted protests and electoral lobbying.”

…

“In the spirit of 68, where protestors said ‘Stop the DNC!’ and looked to the leadership of the Chinese revolution…”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Tuesday he was discontinuing the city’s ShotSpotter contract after a six month extension through the summer months. But he didn’t have the contract extension signed before saying that. Meaning he gave away all the city’s leverage to cut a deal.

ShotSpotter is now (predictably) rejecting the mayor’s extension offer and is expected to flip the off switch on Friday, throwing a wrench in Chicago’s public safety infrastructure.

Regardless of what you think about ShotSpotter, this is the worst rollout possible for such a consequential decision.

Recall that top Johnson aide Jason Lee blamed an auto-pay feature for the administration’s $10 million contract extension with ShotSpotter last summer.

@nbcchicago reports ⬇️ If you’re wondering how this person became mayor of the third-largest city in America, join 650,000 others in watching the @illinoispolicy documentary “Local 1: The Rise of America’s Most Powerful Teachers Union”

chicagoteachersunion.com

THREAD: Michael Madigan has held the speaker’s gavel for 35 of the last 37 years.

The state's median age is 37 years old, meaning one man has served as speaker for the vast majority of most Illinoisans' lives.

How did this happen? How do we make sure it doesn't happen again? Here’s a headline from Jan. 13, 1983, the day after Madigan’s peers in the House elected him speaker for the first time.

Madigan had just led Illinois' legislative remapping, which meant many of those voting owed their jobs to the 40-year-old from Chicago’s SW Side.