Ooops someone has gone and woke up the city council
The mayor's migrant flip flops have roiled the legislators into action
No one is taking credit for it yet, but someone has stirred the Chicago City Council out of its slumber; and they woke up grumpy. While we might not know who woke them up, we know the what is the ongoing migrant issue. More than 12 alderpersons, including Daniel La Spata and Byron Sigcho-Lopez, both considered allies of Mayor Brandon Johnson, signed a letter last Thursday telling Johnson to put the brakes on his scheme to remove migrants for shelters after they had been there 60 days.
The letter was effective, as the mayor pushed back the evictions another month, until March. That coalition of alderpersons is a strong indication that the legislative side is done tolerating Johnson’s floundering approach to the crisis.
Two times previously, the mayor extended the evictions. In those instances, he cited the extreme cold the city was experiencing. History should have told him that sub-freezing temperatures are the norm, not the exception in Chicago in December, January and February. So, the initial target date for evictions was not well thought out.
The cliche is in full effect in Chicago
Even those who are not fans of cliches must admit this one fits - “he’s playing chess and you’re playing checkers.” The he in this instance is Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the other participant is Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.By sending the migrants here, Abbott is repeatedly forcing Johnson to spend money the city doesn’t have. Ironically, the State of Texas has a gargantuan budget surplus of $33 billion. Additionally, Abbott’s moves are a not-so-subtle assault on President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
Undoubtedly, Abbott also is targeting Chicago in a big way as Chicago will host the Democratic National Convention this August. The Texas governor sees this a means to embarras the sitting President, as well as Gov. JB Pritzker whose name is in the rumor mill as a potential contender if President Biden opts out.
The mayor recently shifted $95 million from federal funds meant for COVID 19 relief to the migrant line item. Johnson and the Chicago City Council dispute if the mayor has the authority to direct those dollars where he wants without first obtaining council approval. The transfer falls into Abbott’s plot to weaken the city. The kind of money grab the mayor just completed obviously will have an adverse impact on the city’s budget and services provided. There is no indiccation Abbott will stop exporting migrants; and with minimal state or federal funding assistance, Johnson is forced to use money on migrants that was intended for something else
Even with that shift in funding, it is well-documented that Chicago will still fall millions of dollars short of $300 million estimated to address this crisis for the rest of the year.
The federal dollars and some other fiscal chicanery were the reasons Johnson was able to balance this -his first budget as mayor. Many of the one-time throughs he took money from will not be available for the following year’s budget.
Even with the latest transfer of funds, The budget-strapped city is still scrambling to secure safe housing for the growing number of migrants.
Chicago taxpayers already footed the bill to the tune of $850,000 for plane and bus tickets, as well as ride share services for migrants to travel to other cities, according to ABC 7 Chicago. About 10 per cent or 4,300 migrants have decided they did not want to be here and left. This $850,000 is on top of $1 million wasted at 38th Street and California, where the Johnson Administrtation planned to build a base camp for migrants. The site was deemed unsuitable by state environmental officials.
As has been shared in this space several times, we are well beyond the days when we sit quiet while the mayor pretends he understands fiscal matters and digs Chicago deeper into a negative budget position. Regardless of the politics of the Civic Federation and the Better Government Association, Johnson needs travel to both offices and begin discussions on how each can help and who else can be brought in to help shore up the city’s finances. Major and helpful insights also could come from the city’s business community.
From the outside looking in, it appears dollars coming in, are only a smattering of what city officials are doling out. At this rate, the increase in property tax Johnson said he’d avoid, cuts in city services and hundreds of city workers losing their jobs are all on the horizon.
