Three things Johnson should strongly consider

The city's future hasn't looked bleaker in many, many decades

On the cusp of what should be its proudest moment, Chicago is teetering on the edge of financial doom. A projected municipal budget deficit that even Daley-type tactics couldn’t eliminate; the city’s school district is grappling with its own $450 million shortfall; and the tussling match with Mayor Brandon Johnson over its refusal to take out a short-term loan to cover that deficit. Old time neighborhood philosophers who spend their days sitting on their front porches espouse ‘you can’t borrow your way our of debt.’ Even the individuals Johnson appointed to the board oppose the idea-a rarity for mayoral appointees to counter their benefactor.

Johnson, early in his term, made the gaffe of believing that he and the Governor of Illinois were on equal footing. The problem there was the governor knows the mayor is a rung below-especially politically.

With that snapshot of the city’s lack of financial strength; it is patently clear Johnson should first of all declare a moratorium on any national or international events that want to come to Chicago. Events such as the NASCAR Street Race have a contract that allows them to rob the city. Even the revamped deal earns Chicago less than $1 million; as well as the decline in the quality of life as Chicagoans have to alter routes to and from work. Can the family who lives on 15th/Racine or 78th/Stewart afford to pack up and attend the race? Tickets are priced out of the range of the average West Side or South Side family. So, if everyday Chicagoans can’t fully participate and the city essentially loses money, why do we need or want it? Prestige? That can’t help the budget deficit.

The Chicago Police Department officers hit an overtime bonanza for the event. Businesses don’t capitalize on the throngs of spectators who show up. So, there is no real value.

Johnson also should take into consideration swallowing that enormous ego and make a sincere and sustained effort to mend fences with Gov JB Pritzker. Every time the mayor decided he was going to take on Pritzker, the governor subtly but convincingly slapped Johnson into his place. Johnson thought he could force the governor’s hand by deliberately leaving a $150 million hole his budget, proclaiming the state would cover it. That didn’t happen.

The city spent roughly $1 million to remediate a site at 38th/California and declared the State of Illinois could pay the additional millions to establish a base camp for migrants. Without a word from Pritzker, the state nixed the idea of the location stating it didn’t meet environmental requirements. It was clear where that directive came from. Chicago now has what amounts to a new parking lot at that site

What is surely to be a contentious discussion is that Johnson should resign before he makes things worse. If he cares about Chicago like he often claims, he will step down. The reality is quite impossible to leave the city better than he found it-even with two years-plus left in his term.

Finances continue to be Johnson’s Achilles heel. There is no evidence he can correct that-especially with the Federal COVID-related largesse running out next year. Even if he breaks his promise not to increase property tax, a bump in that category won’t cover what the Feds gave Chicago.

Johnson rode into office on a commitment to raise $800 million, and we saw voters reject the linchpin aspect of that plan-a restructured transfer tax. City officials could have cut department budgets by 10 percent and easily raised more than $1.8 billion.

This mayor, unlike his predecessors, is dealing with a Chicago City Council composed of a dozen first time members. Not only are they divided among themselves, but Johnson also can’t corral them into unanimously backing any of his substantive proposals. Even his backers can’t point to one Johnson initiative that has had a favorable citywide impact.

It is very likely that if he does the honorable thing and steps down now, the Chicago Teachers Union, the only authority to which he answers will have a cushy water boy job for his since he did such a superb job of carrying theirs all these months.