CHICAGO | Politics and Current Events

[ChiMIchael]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

100% agree. Crime was at decades low with Rahm in office. He wasn't perfect, but he was the centrist, law and order democrat Chicago needed. Which I think Vallas can be the continuation of that. Progressives hated Rahm because he refused to bend over to their wing of the democrat party. CPD needs to stop being handcuffed and be able to do their job efficiently. Definitely need a new police chief. No more leaders who pander to woke white liberals who say dumb shit like "defund the police" meanwhile they live in safe neighborhoods LOL. It's funny cause when the protestors came to Englewood shouting that BS, the Englewood residents told them to GTFO. It's like the people residing in these dangerous neighborhoods want proactive policing that keeps crime low

You can only argue the crime was less bad with Rahm and even then the statement you made before this one was still very true with him. The Laquan Mcdonald situation didn't exactly do him any favors.

FTR, I would love a tough on crime mayor, but I can't exactly trust the candidates to provide that nor I am sure if enough voters want it.

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

100% agree. Crime was at decades low with Rahm in office.

And then it wasn't. In 2016 and 2017, he was in his second term and we had sky high murder rates. We haven't had fewer than 500 murders since.

Originally Posted by thegoatman

No more leaders who pander to woke white liberals who say dumb shit like "defund the police" meanwhile they live in safe neighborhoods LOL.

Meanwhile, the police were never "de-funded", their funding was increased, so that has no relevance on today's crime.

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

Compare Chicago to NY, LA, Boston, SF, DC, Miami, Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, etc. The only large city I'd say is worse is Philly.

DC and Atlanta LITERALLY have higher homicide rates than Chicago and always have. But they're not "shitty" rust belt cities, so they don't fit your world view. Please fact check before you make idiotic and wrong statements.

Again, crime is a complex issue. If adding more officers was the solution, then DC should have very low crime rates with how many public, private, and federal forces there are in the city. Clearly that's not the case. And as moorhosj1 pointed out, CPD's budget has always increased, it's now $2 billion at this point.

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by ChiMIchael

But what leaders have been so great with crime here?

I think Lori and Kim needs to stop pandering the SJWs that don't live here, but we need to address parts everyone plays (especially the CPD) in the bad blood amongst the each other.

CPD needs to be completely and totally overhauled. Top to bottom it's a complete and utter disgrace. Same goes for the FOP, that union does nothing but protect their own and perpetuate the continual degradation of the police force. Foxx is an imbecile, unfortunately the mayor can't do much about her. .

Too much blame is being put on the easy target, not enough blame is being put where it fucking belongs.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by glowrock

CPD needs to be completely and totally overhauled. Top to bottom it's a complete and utter disgrace. Same goes for the FOP, that union does nothing but protect their own and perpetuate the continual degradation of the police force. Foxx is an imbecile, unfortunately the mayor can't do much about her. .

Too much blame is being put on the easy target, not enough blame is being put where it fucking belongs.

Aaron (Glowrock)

I agree on one thing, public employee unions are leeches all should be banned.

[Randomguy34]

Chuy a while back said he donated his $2,900 contribution from SBF. It looks like though he took nearly $200k in campaign contributions. This is not a good look

Mayoral foes rip Chuy Garcia over crypto ties

The Lightfoot comments came in a statement her campaign released from an ally, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago.

"The federal charges against Sam Bankman-Fried raise serious questions about his bankrolling of Chuy Garcia's campaign to the tune of nearly $200,000," Kelly said. "Samuel Bankman-Fried has done real harm, and the implications of his donations must be taken seriously. Voters deserve to know the facts when making important decisions about who they can trust. Unfortunately, it seems that Chuy Garcia will bring back the old way of doing Chicago-style politics."

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/chuy-garcias-ties-crypto-ftx-founder-blasted-opponents

[jtown,man]

Crime isn't complex:

Immediate- Lock up criminals. There is a finite amount of them. Lock em up and keep them locked up as long as possible.

Long range- Poor communities need investing and they also need social change. When we have neighborhoods that are 80% single parent households, there's a recipe for disaster. Less money, less time paying attention to your child, and most likely women raising the kids, and young boys simply don't respect their moms like they do dads.

The Right only wants to talk about my immediate plans and the Left only wants to talk about money. If you don't lock up horrible people today...today, your issues will continue. If you don't focus on the root causes of crime, then you'll keep the crime.

[Handro]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Crime isn't complex:

Immediate- Lock up criminals. There is a finite amount of them.

Lmao! My man, crime has existed everywhere since the concept of law was invented. There will always, everywhere, be crime and criminals. The issues is actually incredibly complex, which is why “crime” has never been eradicated. The naïveté of your post is almost charming.

[Tom In Chicago]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Crime isn't complex:

Immediate- Lock up criminals.

I like it. . .

. . .

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by Handro

Lmao! My man, crime has existed everywhere since the concept of law was invented. There will always, everywhere, be crime and criminals. The issues is actually incredibly complex, which is why “crime” has never been eradicated. The naïveté of your post is almost charming.

Yes, I meant that we can lock up 100% of criminals, obviously.

No, ask anyone in law enforcement, they KNOW the people that commit most of the crime by their first names. That is what I am talking about. A tiny percentage of people, even in our worst neighborhoods, are causing a huge majority of crime.

[Klippenstein]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Yes, I meant that we can lock up 100% of criminals, obviously.

No, ask anyone in law enforcement, they KNOW the people that commit most of the crime by their first names. That is what I am talking about. A tiny percentage of people, even in our worst neighborhoods, are causing a huge majority of crime.

Aw yes, so easy. Why didn’t anybody think of that?

[CrazyCres]

Lightfoot Trails Chuy García, Brandon Johnson And Paul Vallas In New Mayoral Election Poll

Lightfoot is facing a crowded field of challengers as she seeks reelection this February. And a new survey from The Daily Line and Crain’s Chicago Business shows Jesus “Chuy” García, Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas ahead of her among respondents.

Link: https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/01/05/...aul-vallas-in-new-mayoral-election-poll/

[Kngkyle]

Chuy's website has a total of 308 words with no policy or plan for anything as far as I can tell. What gives?

I'm leaning more and more towards Vallas.

[Tom In Chicago]

So who should I vote for? Vallas? I just want someone that's gonna let the cops arrest the bad guys, clean up the CTA and keep downtown healthy. . . it's really that simple. . . everything else will fall into line after that. . .

. . .

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

I just want someone that's gonna let the cops arrest the bad guys, clean up the CTA and keep downtown healthy. . . it's really that simple. . . everything else will fall into line after that. . .

. . .

I don't disagree with your points, but it does feel like we have prioritized "keeping downtown healthy" for me entire life. Will it ever be healthy enough for us to focus on the neighborhoods (where people actually live)?

Quality of life starts and ends in the neighborhoods, I would love a mayor to focus wholly on those parts of the city. We are already talking about a giant pot of money to help developers turn old Loop office buildings into apartments. Why can't downtown be subject to market forces like the rest of the city?

[Handro]

Chuy is the perfect blank slate politician for machine politics to hum along in Chicago. Great way to entrench stagnation in the city.

[Handro]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

So who should I vote for? Vallas? I just want someone that's gonna let the cops arrest the bad guys, clean up the CTA and keep downtown healthy. . . it's really that simple. . . everything else will fall into line after that. . .

. . .

Kam Buckner actually has policy outlines on his website for crime and CTA improvements

[bnk]

For Vallas its his number one issue.

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[twister244]

I think Vallas is using the crime aspect to propel his run for mayor.

As noted - Buckner has his own plan to address crime in the city. Given he grew up on the South Side, he seems to have a viewpoint worth at least listening to:

https://kamformayor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22_Kam-Buckner-Safer-77-Deck-6.9-1.pdf

What I like about Buckner vs other Vallas is he is proposing a platform for all issues, not just crime or transit. But, I wish Buckner had a little more of an economic plan - His site doesn't really have much, but neither does Vallas.

Right now, my needle is moving towards Buckner, but would love to hear more from the other candidates on all of the issues. Are there any debates between now and the election?

[Randomguy34]

Another one bites the dust

Ald. Roberto Maldonado Drops Out Of 26th Ward Race

HUMBOLDT PARK — Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) has dropped out of the February election and will not seek a fifth term in City Council.

The alderman submitted paperwork Friday to withdraw from the race, said Max Bever, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Maldonado could not immediately be reached for comment.

Maldonado has held the seat since 2009, when he was appointed by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley and was reelected three times.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/01/06/ald-roberto-maldonado-drops-out-of-election-race/