I'm a business owner in Chicago. I'm in the thick of it.
We are on the precipice. And I think for the first time many residents here can see it, and there is a realization that the CTU progressives are not here to fix things, but to destroy them. They are not socialists, but communists, and that is not hyperbole. They do not believe that the business community is the source of good things, and they believe that the City and its institutions are inherently repressive. They take a warlike mentality to civics, and they are nasty about it. There is something wrong with a lot of these teacher's psyches, but that's another discussion for another day.
After Lori was elected and saw the day-to-day reality of the city, she had to move rightward in order to attempt to salvage the economic engine of the City. Her rhetoric during her original campaign was not far off from Brandon Johnson's. The only difference, I believe, is that BJ will have to govern the way he campaigned, because the CTU is his boss, not the constituents. Lori was not elected by the insiders, but by populism.
With BJ, CTU will finally have a chance to enact every policy they can dream of, and I think it will make Portland look like a red city in comparison. Our business community is smart and savvy, having thrived for many years with various pols and ideologies. Many will see that CTU cannot be bargained with, and plans for alternatives will be made. CTU is full of true believers.
All of the horrible things about corruption, combined with the repressive structures of communism will come to Chicago, and if you don't know anyone, you aint gettin' anything. This is a potential landmark change and the future looks very, very dire.
I would say that the opposite is true of Vallas, but I'm not sure. Yes, he understands the structure and the tribal lines, but does he have courage? Can he resign himself to be a one-termer and do the right things? I don't know. Like Lori, he will have lots of enemies on Day 1, and he will have to learn to fight angry and tough and not be a victim. I think CTU and the new machine will use that pressure to get him to do what they want, anyway, and he'll be twisted into a pretzel. Most of the high income white people in Chicago are liberals who would prefer not to see the ugliness of the politics, and DEFINITELY don't want to see tough decision-making that looks "right wing" in nature. They want "equity" but don't understand that only merit is going to get things done. They want businesses to locate there, but want high taxes and regulation, too. It's a very schizophrenic constituency that will not back Vallas when the going gets tough. They will complain and simply look down the road, or move. At no point will they realize that its the ideology that is the problem, and that it presents no realistic solutions to Chicago's ills.
Chicago used to be known as the city that got things done. Forget calling the SEIU people Marxists, Marxists would at least talk economics. These people are Maoists and are all about the perks that come w/power.
Mar 1, 2023·edited Mar 1, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Carter
I count my blessings every day since we decided to leave in 2012 and never look back. First year in Tennessee I saved almost $30k in property and (no) income taxes.
Under threat of divorce i attended a wedding in Oakbrook a few years ago and that was as close as I came to the city limits
Your analysis is spot-on. I think Vallas supporters assumed a runoff with Lightfoot or Chuy, not CTU's guy. Johnson is a charming but full-throated Marxist who will promise tons of free stuff while attacking Vallas as a ... you guessed it, a racist. If Johnson wins it's over for Chicago. Period.
I generally agree with Jeff’s points. I too voted for Lightfoot and was sadly very disappointed in her leadership, or lack of leadership. I think Paul Vallas will win the run off 2:1. Besides the overwhelming crime issue the other major hurdle is the stress inducing property taxes being leveled. How retirees on a fixed income are supposed to cope is incompressible. Even working Chicagoans are facing a Herculean task. Downtown developers have to step up, and a few pennies tax on marker trade transactions can help reduce our property taxes that are strangling homeowners. Undoubtedly there are stealth vampires that are just waiting to to buy up defaulted property tax index numbers, take over properties, then utilize their political connections to have their new found properties taxes lowered thus maximizing their profits.
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." - HL Mencken
Chicago is going to put this one to the test in April. I think the crime stuff will push Vallas over the top. Remember the CTU backed Preckwinkle and she lost, bitterly. The risk is that the Preckwinkle machine will hobble him the way they hobbled Lightfoot.
"Chicago is a tribal city. It is not racist." Mostly agree, but I think a better word might be balkanized. The battle between the black and the Hispanic groups during re-alignment of ward was something to behold. It was and is the Chicago way of racial spoils.
I don't think that much. Besides crime I think there are enough sane people that realize increasing taxes isn't a very good answer. The machine isn't what it used to be - see Lightfoot vs Preckwinkle. But it still has enough power to totally screw things up. As I said in another comment there's not much room to maneuver for whoever "wins" the election. The only bright side to a Johnson win might be to hobble the city's tax base enough to get the banks to turn off the spigots sooner than they otherwise would. Which would be a short-term fiasco. But is needed in the long run.
Yes, I think Thompson will win too. The CTU is about the only organized force in the city, and they are dedicated. Lori made noises that she didn't like CTU, so she had to go. What's coming next will not be better.
I don’t think Vallas has a chance. He can’t match the ground game and resources of that corrupt organization known as CTU. Also doesn’t seem legal that a government union can use their own resources for political campaigning for a candidate who will further line their pockets. RICO charges should be explored.
I have a nephew in Chicago. His in-laws are firmly planted there, but I hope he and his wife have the good sense to get out. I'm with you on the outcome of the runoff. Brandon Johnson is a sure thing.
Great analysis. However, the CTU is not 100% voting for Johnson...many teachers are absolutely disgusted by what they have seen and do not support the CTU at all. A percentage of those votes will vote Vallas. Still, I hear what you are saying. Hopefully Willie Wilson will endorse Vallas. Your insights on Garcia are interesting. Yes, everyone needs a contingency plan!!!
Is it 99% then for the CTU? Don't forget the SEIU. More power than the police and fire union. The real power for the police union is to get the blue flu after Johnson is elected for a month or two.
Commies gonna fascist🤷🏼♂️ Kiss your ass goodbye Windy City. It’s for the children, I guess. Was “Escape From Chicago” a movie that was ever made? If not, it will be now.
On the climate change front, Blizzard conditions in Prescott AZ right now. Supposed to get 24” in the next day by Flagstaff. 9” in Sedona where we are staying.
I cannot imagine why this hasn't gotten more coverage in the national news. AZ was second place for us. Phoenix has more traffic than Vegas. In the summer, it's ten degrees hotter and in the winter, ten degrees hotter....which is nice in the winter. LAS airport is better and the streets don't roll up at 9pm...but you have way better medical in AZ and Spring Training, lot of Chicagoans.
It is. We got some pics. It melts pretty quickly. Just got back to Sedona from Prescott and it’s not even raining. The weather forecasters should all be fired.
I'm a business owner in Chicago. I'm in the thick of it.
We are on the precipice. And I think for the first time many residents here can see it, and there is a realization that the CTU progressives are not here to fix things, but to destroy them. They are not socialists, but communists, and that is not hyperbole. They do not believe that the business community is the source of good things, and they believe that the City and its institutions are inherently repressive. They take a warlike mentality to civics, and they are nasty about it. There is something wrong with a lot of these teacher's psyches, but that's another discussion for another day.
After Lori was elected and saw the day-to-day reality of the city, she had to move rightward in order to attempt to salvage the economic engine of the City. Her rhetoric during her original campaign was not far off from Brandon Johnson's. The only difference, I believe, is that BJ will have to govern the way he campaigned, because the CTU is his boss, not the constituents. Lori was not elected by the insiders, but by populism.
With BJ, CTU will finally have a chance to enact every policy they can dream of, and I think it will make Portland look like a red city in comparison. Our business community is smart and savvy, having thrived for many years with various pols and ideologies. Many will see that CTU cannot be bargained with, and plans for alternatives will be made. CTU is full of true believers.
All of the horrible things about corruption, combined with the repressive structures of communism will come to Chicago, and if you don't know anyone, you aint gettin' anything. This is a potential landmark change and the future looks very, very dire.
I would say that the opposite is true of Vallas, but I'm not sure. Yes, he understands the structure and the tribal lines, but does he have courage? Can he resign himself to be a one-termer and do the right things? I don't know. Like Lori, he will have lots of enemies on Day 1, and he will have to learn to fight angry and tough and not be a victim. I think CTU and the new machine will use that pressure to get him to do what they want, anyway, and he'll be twisted into a pretzel. Most of the high income white people in Chicago are liberals who would prefer not to see the ugliness of the politics, and DEFINITELY don't want to see tough decision-making that looks "right wing" in nature. They want "equity" but don't understand that only merit is going to get things done. They want businesses to locate there, but want high taxes and regulation, too. It's a very schizophrenic constituency that will not back Vallas when the going gets tough. They will complain and simply look down the road, or move. At no point will they realize that its the ideology that is the problem, and that it presents no realistic solutions to Chicago's ills.
A bleak future indeed.
Chicago politics are jaw-dropping! Thanks for sharing and be well, my friend.
The problem with all the taxes is they are playing catch up. No sooner are these taxes instituted than they will need even more taxes.
Sometimes a corrupt and ill managed enterprise has to actually go bankrupt to find its new footing.
Chicago is in need of a barbed wire enema.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Chicago used to be known as the city that got things done. Forget calling the SEIU people Marxists, Marxists would at least talk economics. These people are Maoists and are all about the perks that come w/power.
The city that works......which accounted for the corruption...since there is a cost to it which they are paying today with no voter participation
I count my blessings every day since we decided to leave in 2012 and never look back. First year in Tennessee I saved almost $30k in property and (no) income taxes.
Under threat of divorce i attended a wedding in Oakbrook a few years ago and that was as close as I came to the city limits
Your analysis is spot-on. I think Vallas supporters assumed a runoff with Lightfoot or Chuy, not CTU's guy. Johnson is a charming but full-throated Marxist who will promise tons of free stuff while attacking Vallas as a ... you guessed it, a racist. If Johnson wins it's over for Chicago. Period.
Great insight Mr Carter! There really is no good choice other than to bide my time till I can escape this place!
No more biding. Escape plans must be made and hardened.
I generally agree with Jeff’s points. I too voted for Lightfoot and was sadly very disappointed in her leadership, or lack of leadership. I think Paul Vallas will win the run off 2:1. Besides the overwhelming crime issue the other major hurdle is the stress inducing property taxes being leveled. How retirees on a fixed income are supposed to cope is incompressible. Even working Chicagoans are facing a Herculean task. Downtown developers have to step up, and a few pennies tax on marker trade transactions can help reduce our property taxes that are strangling homeowners. Undoubtedly there are stealth vampires that are just waiting to to buy up defaulted property tax index numbers, take over properties, then utilize their political connections to have their new found properties taxes lowered thus maximizing their profits.
What sort of tax are you proposing?
Directly related to what's coming::
Embattled David Brown resigns as Chicago police chief
https://link.chicagobusiness.com/click/30700215.31055/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2hpY2Fnb2J1c2luZXNzLmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy9jaGljYWdvLXBvbGljZS1zdXBlcmludGVuZGVudC1kYXZpZC1icm93bi1yZXNpZ25pbmc_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1icmVha2luZy1uZXdzJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPTIwMjMwMzAxJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWFydGljbGUxLWhlYWRsaW5l/5f4c04f21f845574446642b4B509cf65d
Imagine that!
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." - HL Mencken
Chicago is going to put this one to the test in April. I think the crime stuff will push Vallas over the top. Remember the CTU backed Preckwinkle and she lost, bitterly. The risk is that the Preckwinkle machine will hobble him the way they hobbled Lightfoot.
"Chicago is a tribal city. It is not racist." Mostly agree, but I think a better word might be balkanized. The battle between the black and the Hispanic groups during re-alignment of ward was something to behold. It was and is the Chicago way of racial spoils.
Not disputing. Very possible Vallas gets it. What does he have to give to get it?
I don't think that much. Besides crime I think there are enough sane people that realize increasing taxes isn't a very good answer. The machine isn't what it used to be - see Lightfoot vs Preckwinkle. But it still has enough power to totally screw things up. As I said in another comment there's not much room to maneuver for whoever "wins" the election. The only bright side to a Johnson win might be to hobble the city's tax base enough to get the banks to turn off the spigots sooner than they otherwise would. Which would be a short-term fiasco. But is needed in the long run.
Yes, I think Thompson will win too. The CTU is about the only organized force in the city, and they are dedicated. Lori made noises that she didn't like CTU, so she had to go. What's coming next will not be better.
“First mayor in 40 years to lose re-election…”
Left out Eugene Sawyer 1989
True. Forgot. Was Sawyer ever really elected or was he just a Washington successor placeholder?
I don’t think Vallas has a chance. He can’t match the ground game and resources of that corrupt organization known as CTU. Also doesn’t seem legal that a government union can use their own resources for political campaigning for a candidate who will further line their pockets. RICO charges should be explored.
Let me say if he does win I would consider it a bigger upset than lightfoot beating preckwinkle. She lost because of that idiotic soda tax.
I think that people are really ticked on crime. How Johnson moves to the center on crime could define the election.
Heh. Thanks. I'd forgotten about Bilandic, Mike Royko's "The Taxidermist's Fish".
I knew his widow Heather very well. She was a very nice person. Had dinner with her many times.
I have a nephew in Chicago. His in-laws are firmly planted there, but I hope he and his wife have the good sense to get out. I'm with you on the outcome of the runoff. Brandon Johnson is a sure thing.
Gonna be close. I don't know if he's a sure thing but I wouldn't count him out.
Great analysis. However, the CTU is not 100% voting for Johnson...many teachers are absolutely disgusted by what they have seen and do not support the CTU at all. A percentage of those votes will vote Vallas. Still, I hear what you are saying. Hopefully Willie Wilson will endorse Vallas. Your insights on Garcia are interesting. Yes, everyone needs a contingency plan!!!
Is it 99% then for the CTU? Don't forget the SEIU. More power than the police and fire union. The real power for the police union is to get the blue flu after Johnson is elected for a month or two.
Commies gonna fascist🤷🏼♂️ Kiss your ass goodbye Windy City. It’s for the children, I guess. Was “Escape From Chicago” a movie that was ever made? If not, it will be now.
On the climate change front, Blizzard conditions in Prescott AZ right now. Supposed to get 24” in the next day by Flagstaff. 9” in Sedona where we are staying.
Sedona would be beautiful under some snow.
This is incredible. Worth a read. I might have liked to move to AZ… https://elizabethnickson.substack.com/p/is-katie-hobbs-arizonas-governor
I cannot imagine why this hasn't gotten more coverage in the national news. AZ was second place for us. Phoenix has more traffic than Vegas. In the summer, it's ten degrees hotter and in the winter, ten degrees hotter....which is nice in the winter. LAS airport is better and the streets don't roll up at 9pm...but you have way better medical in AZ and Spring Training, lot of Chicagoans.
I wish I could send you a picture of the 9” of snow we have in Sedona this morning.
I wish Substack would let photos go into the comments!
It is. We got some pics. It melts pretty quickly. Just got back to Sedona from Prescott and it’s not even raining. The weather forecasters should all be fired.