The mayor is misreading the tea leaves
The times and track record indicate Brandon Johnson should not send people packing
Let’s give Mayor Brandon Johnson the benefit of the doubt and agree with his assessment that “the people of Chicago elected me to disrupt the status quo.” And even in agreeing with that assertion the fact that when the status quo is disrupted the people want and expect it to be replaced by something better, or at least more palatable. Citizens are hoping there will be a new stability, and things will improve in a post-disruption scenario.
And with Johnson’s latest proclamations that he intends to remove more top staffers and replace them with people who are loyal to him (ala Donald Trump); the people of Chicago will be getting anything but stability. Four key key staffers have resigned or relocated in the past two weeks.
It is not unusual at all levels of government to have turnover at the midway point. People become burned out or feel they have achieved what they set out to do in terms of policy or programs. And there are some who learn that working in government isn’t what they thought it would be. Usually, everyone in these groups give the top executive plenty of notice in order to help their boss find a suitable replacement. But the boss pushing them out on short notice just doesn’t happen.
As Johnson whittles the ranks of top personnel, he also is removing something he will never have and desperately needs - long term institutional memory. It can be commendable to take things apart; but it is key to know how to put them back together. With than two years of municipal government experience the mayor just isn’t at that point; however he repeatedly acts as though the election imbued him with new knowledge about running a municipality.
The only ones who benefit from parachuting new employees now are the employees themselves. They will be guaranteed a paycheck. However, with a boss who is burdened with a 14 percent approval ranking; they likely understand that they won’t be around for a re-election party. Money, and not the opportunity to be loyal to a rookie mayor is the only attraction.
Johnson also is overlooking the reality that he will be embroiled in a re-election campaign- a first for him. He can fool himself and think it won’t take away greatly from his mayoral duties, but he will soon learn otherwise. Those attributes, not loyalty, will keep the ship from crashing into the rocks.
The best time for a disruption is when there has been stability. Johnson’s tenure has been pockmarked with a rash of reversals and rejections; from canceling gunfire detection technology and then scrambling to replace it; and ignoring warning of trying to push a massive property tax increase that resulted in an historic vote with every council member voting against the proposal; and voters sent his hallmark alleged homeless ballot issue down in flames. So, there is no reason to believe anything new he introduces - including personnel will deliver the kind of disruption that will benefit Chicagoans.
Disruption would also look like a feasible plan to eliminate the looming half-billion-dollar budget deficit the city is facing in the upcoming fiscal year. Johnson has been crickets on disrupting that.
Johnson continues demonstrate that he is a man who had a plan to get elected, but none to actually govern.
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