CHICAGO | Economic & Business Development

[Vlajos]

Griffin is the bad guy? While Kim Foxx refuses to prosecute murder if it involves "mutual combatants".

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2...orner-hustlers

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Of course it's political. So what? We don't have a graduated income tax partly because of KG. He fought it with his own money. Kudos to him.

What other states already have a graduated income tax?

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Griffin is the bad guy? While Kim Foxx refuses to prosecute murder if it involves "mutual combatants".

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2...orner-hustlers

No, those two are equal shitty people, just for different reasons. But both abuse their respective powers to the point that it actively causes harm to others, literally and financially.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by sentinel

What other states already have a graduated income tax?

I don't care what other states do. Illinois has been fiscally mismanaged for decades and I don't want the Springfield pols to have more taxing power until they get their act together.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I don't care what other states do. Illinois has been fiscally mismanaged for decades and I don't want the Springfield pols to have more taxing power until they get their act together.

Your opinion is noted, but it doesn’t answer my original question.

[the urban politician]

^ Sending less money to Springfield is, by definition, the default position all level headed people MUST have until this State gets its financial shit together. As far as I'm concerned, there is no other position to have.

And I'm obviously not alone, because Pritkzer's Constitutional amendment got rejected by the voters.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by sentinel

Your opinion is noted, but it doesn’t answer my original question.

Uhhh yeah, I can spot rhetorical questions a mile away. Your question was answered.

If you want to know who has graduated State taxes, and it's an innocent question, then use Google like the rest of us

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Uhhh yeah, I can spot rhetorical questions a mile away. Your question was answered.

If you want to know who has graduated State taxes, and it's an innocent question, then use Google like the rest of us

The pot calling the kettle…

And no, the question was not answered

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Griffin is the bad guy? While Kim Foxx refuses to prosecute murder if it involves "mutual combatants".

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2...orner-hustlers

I admire KG way more than Foxx, but I think he's being slightly over dramatic. Though I do agree with his underlying points that crime needs needs be addressed but calling the entire city "Afghanistan...on a good day" is bullshit. I also have an issue with him basically doing nothing about it. I agree with him about schools and him giving money won't make up for mismanagement. I understand why he wouldn't want to give CPS money. However, there are actually good orgs out there with success for violence reduction. If he wanted to make an impact, he could probably donate some money to one of them. I sympathize with him bit he's being a bit over dramatic IMO with some of his jabs even though I agree with underlying points of various crimes being too high (even if some are actually legitimately decreasing).

My point about him though..he doesn't have to spend billions. There are some orgs out there where even $5M would go far for violence reduction. He can spend his money however he wants but I do have an issue with him making these comments yet he can't donate a single penny to some legitimate orgs doing successful violence prevention work.

I can also understand why he and others wouldn't even want to until now, because by and large it wasn't affecting the "green areas." Now it is a little bit and companies should be stepping up and helping to identify solutions instead of threatening to just leave a place theyve been for years with success.

At the same time, those in government (Lightfoot, Pritzker, Foxx, etc) should grow the fuck up and work towards actual solutions instead of giving each other crap.

[Kngkyle]

I don't really mind Ken Griffen making a scene about crime. He wants our political leaders to do something to solve a problem that the city has suffered greatly for and is using his stature to push the issue. To me this sounds like someone who cares deeply about Chicago and wants it to be better.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

I don't really mind Ken Griffen making a scene about crime. He wants our political leaders to do something to solve a problem that the city has suffered greatly for and is using his stature to push the issue. To me this sounds like someone who cares deeply about Chicago and wants it to be better.

to me he sounds more like the spoiled brat on a playground.

"if you don't give me what i want, i'm taking my ball and going home"



FTR, yes, kim foxx is also terrible.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Chicago is a "middle class city" ?

Marothisu shows us data on a regular basis how quickly that is changing.

But sure, hang on to old ideas

…Yes.

The 100K-200K household group is definitely increasing at a good pace.

But overall, median Chicago remains much much closer to the middle-class and upper middle-class American household. That’s not going to be dramatically different within the next 10 or 20 years.

The city of Chicago has a long way to go to reach DC, Boston, Seattle or San Francisco as far as per capita household income goes. There’s also not a dominant elite social scene of the super wealthy and celebrities like NYC (or LA which is a poorer metro)

As for Griffin, he’s actively meddled in media and politics to the point where the average folk are allowed to have not-so-nice opinions about the man.



https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/progra...icators/trends

Or Business Insider for a rough ranking of metros.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bus...-2018-12%3famp

[Kngkyle]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

to me he sounds more like the spoiled brat on a playground.

"if you don't give me what i want, i'm taking my ball an i'm going home"



FTR, yes, kim foxx is also terrible.

Eh, I don't see it as a real threat. Just a call to action.

Some of the responses here remind me of the bullshit argument that conservatives make when liberals criticize American healthcare, education, infrastructure, etc. "You hate America!"

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

I don't really mind Ken Griffen making a scene about crime. He wants our political leaders to do something to solve a problem that the city has suffered greatly for and is using his stature to push the issue. To me this sounds like someone who cares deeply about Chicago and wants it to be better.

^ Yep, my read as well

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

to me he sounds more like the spoiled brat on a playground.

"if you don't give me what i want, i'm taking my ball an i'm going home"

^ People should be able to use what they have at their disposal for coercive action against stuff that isn't right. You obviously have a problem with that, well so be it. You had the same reaction last year to Elon Musk threatening to move his HQ out of California because they wouldn't let him run his factory due to COVID. Using the threat of moving a HQ is exactly the kind of thing that should be done to goad intransigent and stupid municipal leaders into action. Money talks, bullshit walks. If they want their tax dollars, then they should get their shit together.

Many of you here go gaga about companies moving to Chicago. Many of you go gaga about how "great" Chicago is in attracting companies, because it is such a "wonderful" city. Yet when the opposite potentially happens, I see the same bratty attitude around here that you all attribute to KG.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by sentinel

The pot calling the kettle…

And no, the question was not answered

While you are looking for the answer to how many states have a graduated income tax, let is know how many have a flat tax or NO income tax. Also, feel free to send as much additional money as you like to the pols in Springfield. I have no desire to give them an additional penny until they get their fiscal mismanagement in order

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Money talks, bullshit walks.

or in KG's case, his bullshit talks, while he walks (away with his money).

using the pulpit of the ECC to rant "Yo, politicians, crime in this city is like totally out of fucking control. fix it or i'm outta here!" is a tantrum, not leadership.

real leaders spend a lot more time building than they do making threats.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

or in KG's case, his bullshit talks, while he walks (away with his money).

using the pulpit of the ECC to rant "Yo, politicians, crime in this city is like totally out of fucking control. fix it or i'm outta here!" is a tantrum, not leadership.

real leaders spend a lot more time building than they do making threats.

We have no idea what KG is doing or talking to behind the scenes, we can only read headlines and react. We do know for a fact that he's been in contact with Pritzker about this issue, and I would guess it has taken place numerous times.

This was almost certainly the case with Elon Musk. It's more than evident that both of these people probably spent years going back and forth with municipal leaders, and eventually realized that they were getting nowhere. Threatening to move one's headquarters is usually a last resort. But sure, if calling them brats makes you feel better, then knock yourself out. But I think you'd just like to assume the worst about these people, for reasons that only you would know.

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

We have no idea what KG is doing or talking to behind the scenes, we can only read headlines and react. We do know for a fact that he's been in contact with Pritzker about this issue, and I would guess it has taken place numerous times.

We also know that he lied about his interaction with Pritzker. In this speech he complains about Pritzker not using the National Guard. We know that Pritzker did, in fact, use the National Guard. It was a big news story, someone who cares so deeply about the city would have surely noticed.

Originally Posted by the urban politician

But sure, if calling them brats makes you feel better, then knock yourself out. But I think you'd just like to assume the worst about these people, for reasons that only you would know.

As you do with any Alderperson, Mayor, Rep or Senator who has differing opinions.

[left of center]

Ken Griffin isn't to blame for the state and city's problems (the usual suspects apply here, corrupt/ineffective budgeting in Springfield, Kim Foxx being too lenient, etc.) but just complaining like he is without offering or proposing a different tactic or possible solutions comes off as childish, and that he is just attention seeking. And considering the heat that Citadel is facing, perhaps that was exactly the point of his tantrum, a move to distract people from his operations.

In either case, the city's gun violence surge isn't happening in a vacuum. All major cities are seeing the same thing. Chicago just gets more attention because of our overall high murder count (highest total count in the country, although as we all know, nowhere near the highest rate per 100,000). It definitely is a problem in this city, but not one that is unique to this city. Instead of crying about it, how about we talk about solutions, Ken? Isn't it the responsibility of all citizens to better their community? Especially one with the means to do so? He can use his billionaire bully pulpit to get ideas out there, instead of just threatening to move his corp HQ, or that he cannot recommend Chicago as a city for people to move to like he was doing 20 years ago. The irony of that last statement is that homicides were pretty similar in 2000 as 2020, and were significantly worse just a few years prior to that.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by left of center

Ken Griffin isn't to blame for the state and city's problems (the usual suspects apply here, corrupt/ineffective budgeting in Springfield, Kim Foxx being too lenient, etc.) but just complaining like he is without offering or proposing a different tactic or possible solutions comes off as childish, and that he is just attention seeking.

Yeah, my sentiment is “Shit, or get off the pot”

Many of the city’s troubles are intractable issues that takes decades to resolve or would otherwise require mass incarceration (5% of the young male population in some neighborhoods) beyond even the 90s tough on crime policies or the complete elimination of certain voting constituencies (unions will want their constitutionally guaranteed pensions)

But kowtowing to billionaires and corporations is also terrible policy, looking at WI and Foxconn.

Sorry that Chicago is filled with tons of flawed, self-interested people, but it is what it is. The whole “Why I’m Leaving NYC” genre is quite insufferable, and not more tolerable when it comes from a billionaire.