Brandon Johnson has big plans now that he is stepping into office as mayor. Will this work with what Lori Lightfoot has left for him?
Currently, the state of Chicago is rough. Lightfoot has left Johnson with a tight budget, troubled youth, and a struggling economy. Therefore, the public is curious as to how Johnson will execute his progressive plan. Stepping into the election Brandon has proposed a lot of plans and ideas. If they are to work, they would greatly benefit the city. The only question steps in when we think of how. Although he has a solid plan, we have to acknowledge the plans have to go through a process before being approved and enforced.
Some of Brandon Johnson’s plans are to focus on the youth in order to battle crime within Chicago and to focus more on schools and jobs. Another progressive idea of his is to not battle inflation by raising taxes in Chicago. Although this is seen as difficult by many he wants to stick to this plan. The reason why things relating to money seem so difficult is because of the budget Brandon Johnson has been left with. Lori Lightfoot, after leaving office, has left Johnson with a budget of $85 Million for his first year. Whereas Lightfoot came into office with a budget of $838 Million for her first year.
What Has Lori Left Brandon?
Noticing this difference makes it very clear that Johnson has been left with little wiggle room for his plans. Considering that sometimes the progressive look is seen as overstepping, a lot of people assume his plans can’t work, but he promises to see his pledge through.
Lori Lightfoot has suggested that in order to keep a positive fiscal status, taxes need to be tied to it. She also says that in order to keep Chicago’s economy positive Johnson needs to stick to the budget. “Don’t screw it up, we’re delivering this up on a silver platter: Continue to work, stay the course, and things will continue to shine bright for the city of Chicago,” Lightfoot stated.
In order to aid Johnson’s efforts Lori Lightfoot has plans to sign an executive order that will keep the pension policy in place. This will dedicate revenues to bolster funding. The city predicts it will create $2.6 billion in reduced pension payments as long as Johnson maintains this plan.
Brandon Johnson and Police
Some of the biggest promises made by Brandon Johnson have to do with the youth in Chicago. Amid the rise of crimes, he has stated that he wants to invest more in social workers than the police force. It was greatly believed that Johnson wanted to defund the police but he disagreed with this statement.
“As far as my vision for public safety, I’m not going to defund the police,” Johnson said in an interview with the Block Club Chicago last month. “But what I am committed to doing is to make sure that we are actually investing in a smart way.”
He plans to invest more in schools and housing to reach the root causes of crime. Furthermore, he plans to have social workers and mental health professionals respond to some 911 calls; this is due to the belief that not all calls are situations that police would be trained for.
Public safety was a big reason why Lori Lightfoot didn’t get elected again. It is important that other people of different professions are included in trying to decrease crime.
Brandon Johnson and Taxes
Although Brandon Johnson doesn’t support raising taxes, he does recognize that this may need to happen. He has been proposing different ideas to generate more revenue in Chicago but hasn’t been able to lock in on a plan yet. One idea was to tax public transportation, but this idea was aborted after receiving a lot of backlash. His other ideas include adding taxes on money transactions, high-end property sales, and jet fuel for planes at the airport. Overall, these sound like good plans and could possibly be implemented if the public agrees.
Overall, it looks like Brandon Johnson has been put in a tough space with what Lori Lightfoot has left him. But considering how he has stayed positive and hasn’t backed down on his plans, many feel he is prepared.
by Cynthia Thomas
Washington Examiner: What is Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson inheriting from Lori Lightfoot?
Fox News: 5 ways left-wing Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson has promised to transform city
Fox32 Chicago: Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson: ‘Not constructive to demonize youth starved of opportunities’
ABC7 Chicago: EXCLUSIVE: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot opens up about election defeat, reflects on past 4 years
Top and Feature Image Courtesy of SHYCITYNikon‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of SHYCITYNikon‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
