CHICAGO | Politics and Current Events - Page 165

the urban politician · #**3281** Posted **Apr 7, 2022, 9:34 PM**

^ Yeah, good point. I honestly don't know why anyone would want to be mayor of Chicago these days.

Mayor of NYC? Sure. They have problems but they still seem to have their shit together.

Mayor of Chicago seemed like a damn good gig during the Daley years and even the early Rahm years. But ever since the CTU started going bananas, the Laquan McDonald incident with the fallout, the issues with ballooning pensions, and throw in COVID---fuck that!

left of center · #**3282** Posted **Apr 7, 2022, 10:04 PM**

Definitely a thankless job, and requires someone with thick skin to take criticism from literally *everyone*. Even Rahm, who's brash, unapologetic and tough as nails, bailed after his 2nd term.

I don't know much about Lopez. I'll wait until a few more horses enter the race before I begin researching the candidates. I am not against voting for Lori again, if there's no better candidate. She got dealt a crap hand with the pandemic and the riots, and had a lot of damned if you do/don't choices that were bound to piss people off no matter the decision. In an alternate universe, she may have been a great mayor. But in this universe, while I won't go as far as to say she is unelectable, she has some pretty long odds.

thegoatman · #**3283** Posted **Apr 8, 2022, 2:21 AM**

We need Rahm back

bnk · #**3284** Posted **Apr 8, 2022, 4:49 AM**

I'd love Rahm back too... I don't think he would be interested anymore.

• Video Link

the urban politician · #**3285** Posted **Apr 8, 2022, 1:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegoatman

We need Rahm back

Yep, Rahm was awesome. Sorry, but it’s true

Chisouthside · #**3286** Posted **Apr 8, 2022, 2:26 PM**

A friend of mine worked on Rahm's staff, Ill relay the message you guys want him back haha.

OhioGuy · #**3287** Posted **Apr 12, 2022, 5:42 PM**

With the publicity of his free gas events, Willie Wilson is back at it again attempting to become Mayor of Chicago.

NBC Chicago: Willie Wilson Joins 2023 Chicago Race For Mayor

Quote:

With a burst of good will generated by his $1.2 million gas giveaways, millionaire businessman Willie Wilson on Monday joined the race to send Mayor Lori Lightfoot into political retirement after a single term.

Wilson vowed to repeal Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate, hire four or five different police superintendents to combat the unrelenting surge of violent crime and eliminate red-light and speed cameras squeezing motorists who can least afford to pay the fines.

As he has in all his political races, Wilson also declared he will blow the caps on fundraising in the 2023 mayoral race by making six-figure donations to the Willie Wilson for Mayor campaign fund he created in March 2018 and declared “active” on Monday.

That could make it easier for Lightfoot to raise the $15 million some political observers believe she will need to raise to defend her record and boost her dismal public approval rating.

With the election less than a year away, Lightfoot has just $1.7 million in her primary political account — even after her best quarter of fundraising. For the most part, big money interests remain on the sidelines, apparently waiting for a candidate, possibly U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago).

Four years ago, Wilson won 13 of 18 Black wards on the strength of his charitable giving. In the runoff that followed, Lightfoot won all of those wards — and all 50 wards citywide — after Wilson endorsed her over County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

left of center · #**3288** Posted **Apr 13, 2022, 10:30 PM**

Ugh, this guy's a clown. Hopefully he loses, and hopefully he will give up on this idea by the time the next election cycle rolls around. He's 73 now, and will be 77 in 4 years if he's still around.

thegoatman · #**3289** Posted **Apr 13, 2022, 10:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by left of center

Ugh, this guy's a clown. Hopefully he loses, and hopefully he will give up on this idea by the time the next election cycle rolls around. He's 73 now, and will be 77 in 4 years if he's still around.

He's very popular with the black demographic (which is now less than 30% of the city's population), iffy with the latino population, but there's no way in hell he's garnering any white(majority)/asian (fastest growing demographic) votes, very little at best.

He supports Trump, opposes gay marriage, doesn't care about public transit, wayyy to religious, old, etc. Don't see him winning

Randomguy34 · #**3290** Posted **Apr 14, 2022, 1:48 AM**

With Arne Duncan declining to run, there doesn't seem to be a serious challenger to Lightfoot at the moment. Willie Wilson, Raymond Lopez, and John Catanzara all use conservative talking-points with reactionary rhetoric and will eat at each other's voter share.

SIGSEGV · #**3291** Posted **Apr 14, 2022, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

With Arne Duncan declining to run, there doesn't seem to be a serious challenger to Lightfoot at the moment. Willie Wilson, Raymond Lopez, and John Catanzara all use conservative talking-points with reactionary rhetoric and will eat at each other's voter share.

I voted for Mendoza in the first round last time... wish she'd run again!

moorhosj1 · #**3292** Posted **Apr 15, 2022, 3:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

With Arne Duncan declining to run, there doesn't seem to be a serious challenger to Lightfoot at the moment. Willie Wilson, Raymond Lopez, and John Catanzara all use conservative talking-points with reactionary rhetoric and will eat at each other's voter share.

Rep. Quigley would likely be a legitimate challenger, based on history and demographics alone. He has been dropping hints that he's interested.

OhioGuy · #**3293** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 2:46 PM**

Sun-Times: Mike Quigley will not run for Chicago mayor in 2023

Quote:

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley announced Thursday that he has decided not to run for mayor in 2023.

Quigley, a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, cited the war in Ukraine as a factor in his decision.

“On this most recent trip with my colleagues from the Intelligence Committee, it became clear our work will continue for months, if not years. After much consideration, I simply cannot walk away from my duty to safeguard democracy, fight for American values abroad, and stand up for the brave Ukrainian people in their time of maximum peril. Campaigning to serve as Mayor of Chicago would not allow me to fulfill this critical obligation.

“The great city I love faces unprecedented challenges on crime, schools, equity and fiscal matters that demand 100% full-time commitment from our mayor. At age 53, I would have relished the opportunity to get Chicago back on track. If I’m being completely honest, at 63, I don’t think my family and I can make this kind of commitment.”

ardecila · #**3294** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 2:54 PM**

Damn. That's too bad, now we're stuck with the Three Stooges of Lightfoot/Lopez/Wilson.

I'm hoping Kam Buckner joins in the race... he's young but seems to have some good ideas. He isn't routinely making a fool of himself, which is good (although he does have two DUIs...)

the urban politician · #**3295** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 2:55 PM**

It's too bad because I think Lori Lightfoot sucks. The potholes in Chicago are about the worst I've ever seen them

Is she the worst of the worst? No. We dodged a bullet by not getting Preckwinkle.

But I don't think the city is better off with her leadership. The city just seems to......exist....with her. With Rahm and Daley you felt like the city had some zest--like it was striving to be great. But with Lori it's all about equity, social justice, social equity, justice social, inclusion and diversity, equity & justice & inclusion and social diversity & equity and more justice with a dash of inclusion and........ just never ending equity & inclusion and justice. And did I mention that she hired another female to lead another department? YAY that makes our lives better

the pope · #**3296** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 4:11 PM**

Quote:

Heather Cherone
@HeatherCherone

Lightfoot: On "planet reality" people have to drive, and cannot take the @cta

https://twitter.com/HeatherCherone/s...0RE6gb7KwCV9tw

F Lightfoot so hard for this. That and the gas card giveaway, for shutting down the CTA in 2020 and just for her general zero fs given in transportation and trying to move the needle on the transportation and the environment. Biagi can go to.

I'm not saying Quigley was the answer, but I at least felt that he "got it" when it came to non-personal vehicle transportation. And he would have tried to push things forward. I didn't love Rahm, but him and former commissioner Gabe Klein did actually try to make this city a better place

ardecila · #**3297** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 4:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

But I don't think the city is better off with her leadership. The city just seems to......exist....with her. With Rahm and Daley you felt like the city had some zest--like it was striving to be great. But with Lori it's all about equity, social justice, social equity, justice social, inclusion and diversity, equity & justice & inclusion and social diversity & equity and more justice with a dash of inclusion and........ just never ending equity & inclusion and justice. And did I mention that she hired another female to lead another department? YAY that makes our lives better

I agree Lightfoot is a failure, but it's not because she cares too much about social justice. She does just enough so that people don't accuse her of being a closet conservative, even though she clearly is, and she leans on her Black and lesbian identity to insulate herself from criticism from the left. She's from a small town in Ohio, so it shouldn't be surprising that her politics are fundamentally conservative. She's failed the city in terms of safety, health, education, transportation, etc.

That said, the Invest South/West program is truly exciting, with the city partnering with developers to do bold architecture in neighborhoods with little or no new investment in decades. The original idea came from Rahm and David Reifman, but the bold architecture is entirely because of Lightfoot and Maurice Cox.

Of course, we're nearing the end of her first term and they still exist as renderings only. But Cox has also overhauled DPD, so the city is pushing private projects into better planning and design as well. Those will certainly get built.

the urban politician · #**3298** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 5:28 PM**

^ Dude, what? LL is NOT a closet conservative.

Steely Dan · #**3299** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 8:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

That's too bad, now we're stuck with the Three Stooges of Lightfoot/Lopez/Wilson.

What a sad state of affairs for our city.

hopefully some new faces step forward soon.

OhioGuy · #**3300** Posted **Apr 29, 2022, 3:56 PM**

Not exactly shocking news...

Sun-Times: Lightfoot tells Sun-Times she will run for second term

Quote:

Intending to make it “official” sometime “soon,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday she will seek a second term in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.

Regarding her reelection bid, Lightfoot said, “The issue is when is the announcement, and that will come soon. I mean, I’m giving you every indication of what the future is going to hold. The question is just formally announcing it. And we will do that soon.”

Lightfoot is in Washington for the African American Mayors Association annual conference. She was also scheduled to meet with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to discuss getting federal funds to deal with broadband deserts in Chicago.