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* Normally, I would praise something like this. Crain’s…
Johnson is proposing contributing $307 million in advance pension payments on top of the actuarially required amount
But here’s Fox 32…
Outlined in his 2024 budget proposal, Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to spend at least $150 million for what he’s calling “new arrivals services.”
That’s it?
* More from Crain’s…
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget allocates $150 million for the city’s ongoing migrant response, down over $50 million from the city’s estimate released a month ago even as city officials expect an increase to the number of daily buses arriving in the city. […]
The city currently estimates it is spending more than $31 million a month on its migrant mission and has struggled to receive its full funding requests from the state or federal government. […]
The move, which also helped the city close its $538 million budget gap, also ramps up the pressure on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the federal government to provide additional funding to the city in 2024.
Um, the city cuts its anticipated new arrivals spending, which was woefully inadequate to begin with, while spending $307 million on advance pension payments? And that’s supposed to somehow put pressure on the state?
Sure, Jan.
*** UPDATE *** House Speaker Chris Welch was asked about his meeting with Mayor Johnson last week. Speaker Welch said they talked about the migrant situation and how the federal government needed to step up. Asked about whether he was asked about a supplemental budget to help the city, Welch said…
At that time, there was no request made specifically because I think I made it clear that we were not expecting to do a supplemental budget in the veto session.
…Adding… Yes, he’s reading it right. The mayor proposes cutting the budget to the committee overseeing this issue…
Am I reading this correctly? Because it sure looks like @ChicagosMayor thinks that the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights
and ONLY that Committee
will somehow need LESS FUNDING than last year pic.twitter.com/4wcFGL2fWZ
— Anthony Moser (@mosermusic) October 12, 2023
You gotta wonder what signal he’s trying to send here.
…Adding… From Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa…
The 2024 budget proposal reduces the budget for the committee by $10,000, all in “contractual services,” which can go towards things like part-time contractors or newspaper subscriptions. I haven’t looked into it, but my guess is the committee didn’t make use of the $10,000 for “contractual services” in the prior year, hence why that line item was zeroed out. […]
I don’t think it sends any message because the committee isn’t involved in direct services, just oversight of the city’s migrant mission. And the committee is currently fulfilling that oversight role without making use of the funds allocated for contractual services.
Also, the city is creating an Office of New Arrivals within DFSS — the city is beefing up personnel where it’s needed. What message does it send that the city is creating a dedicated team of people within DFSS to support the migrant mission?
The Latino Caucus and Immigration Committee members advocated for additional staffing to assist with the migrant mission. We didn’t advocate for additional committee funding because we know that’s not where the funding is needed.
…Adding… Ald. Andre Vasquez just called. He said he caught that budget number the night before the budget was released and was told the appropriation was in error and he’s now in talks with the city on a revised number that isn’t a cut.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 11:15 am
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So they don’t have an answer?
And they’re just going to cross their fingers that the state will feel bad seeing pictures of migrants and just pony up?
This is a clown car driving straight over a cliff.
Comment by Frida's boss Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 11:43 am
Outrageous.
Comment by Stephanie Kollmann Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 11:46 am
Mayor Johnson and his administration is really the dog that caught the car.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 12:04 pm
Maybe Mayor Johnson can find $500 in that budget for a subscription to Capitol Fax? He might learn some things.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 12:32 pm
@47th Ward, that would be the best money the administration has spent so far.
When talking about the funding, let’s also not forget that volunteers are contributing a tremendous amount of time, money and goods to help the new arrivals. What happens when they simply wear out and can’t do it any more? When the bicycles and hot meals and bedding and on and on stop coming? I’m sure neither the city or state have a plan for that (since they don’t seem to have a plan even with all that help).
Comment by Leslie K Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 12:48 pm
==And they’re just going to cross their fingers that the state will feel bad seeing pictures of migrants and just pony up?==
Knowing this administration…probably try to get all the “activists” riled up to put pressure on Springfield. Currently trying to do this with the Congressional delegation and White House, and it’s not getting anywhere because well, adults like to see policy, strategy, audits and plans before (most of the time) handing out tens of millions of dollars after hundreds of millions dollars have been handed out.
Comment by LastModDemStanding Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 12:51 pm
Governing with accountability is necessary for Johnson and his leadership team. They have not shown they are serious adults beyond winning elections. His Floor Leader thinks Twitter is how to govern and is scattered in 1,000 ideological battles while supposedly running the Floor.
I’ll say it again, as many here have, he has 1 person in his press room. He can’t even communicate his policy and is letting everyone else create the narrative for him.
It was all fun and games when it was “Keep our name out your f-ing mouth, you don’t live here”. Now it’s becoming a bit too real that children have been given the keys to the car and none of them know how to drive a stick.
Comment by Frida's boss Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 1:03 pm
===he has 1 person in his press===
He now has 2. He apparently hired a guy who worked at an Amazon warehouse and had unsuccessfully tried to organize a union in Staten Island https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/18/technology/amazon-labor-union-alb1.html
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 1:10 pm
The Johnson administration has a communications and legislative team issue. There is no strategy or plan. Governing requires behind the scenes work and education of the public along with PR savvy.
===He now has 2===
There is no other way to say it. Ronnie is way over his head. His strategy of having the mayor remain quiet is failing astronomically. He does not get back to reporters. He has failed to promote or highlight other Johnson initiatives they have made progress on. The Johnson administration is getting their butt kicked. Rich and Jason need to hire a team with relevant communications experience ASAP. Time is running out.
Comment by DisappointedVoter Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 1:37 pm
To be clear they are reducing the budget for the a legislative committee. This committee is not responsible for any direct assistance to the new arrivals. Also, the actual difference between is ‘23 and ‘24 is less than 6K. Seems like we are making a big deal out of the wrong thing here.
Comment by ChicagoMom Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 1:52 pm
===He now has 2.===
Ronnie is not the right fit for the communications leader job. His strategy of remaining quiet is failing astronomically. Add him ignoring reporters requests and emails; major issues making everything worse. Rich and Jason have to move urgently to hire a team with relevant experience. Time is running out.
Comment by DisappointedVoter Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 1:56 pm
== You gotta wonder what signal he’s trying to send here. ==
Really good question given that this issue is badly splitting Johnson’s base. Is he signaling to the traditional west and south side political establishment (Ald Taliaferro, Sen Preston, Rep Nichols, et al) that he’s listening?
Although, given the 5th Floor’s performance on this and other issues, we should also allow for the possibility that no message is being sent at all and this is merely the result of more administrative incompetence, like some mid-level bureaucrat in the budget office moving money around and no one in the political operation catching the significance of it.
Comment by Telly Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 2:18 pm
==the city cuts its anticipated new arrivals spending, which was woefully inadequate to begin with, while spending $307 million on advance pension payments==
A pension is a promise
Comment by Ucha Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 2:35 pm
Yeah, no need for any oversight with this Garda contract. They got everything under control.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 3:46 pm
==This committee is not responsible for any direct assistance to the new arrivals.==
They are charged with oversight and it’s possible the administration didn’t appreciate the 5 hour long hearing a couple of weeks ago.
To add to Rich’s point, the administration is signaling that they actually also don’t care about providing direct assistance to new arrivals either.
==we should also allow for the possibility that no message is being sent at all and this is merely the result of more administrative incompetence==
The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights received a cut where all other committees received increases.
Impact > Intent
Comment by Chicago Voter Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 4:19 pm
=== Speaker Welch said they talked about the migrant situation and how the federal government needed to step up.===
The Speaker is not wrong.
===I think I made it clear that we were not expecting to do a supplemental budget in the veto session.===
The Speaker is not realistic. Is he expecting that the United States House of Representatives is going to swoop in with a solution to all of this before people start freezing to death on the streets of Chicago in tents that aren’t actually supposed to be heated to survivable temperatures under the contract?
Where the buck stops is a different place than where the blame for frozen dead children rests. That should probably figure into their calculus.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 5:01 pm
==Sure, Jan==
Jan who?
Comment by Lloyd Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 5:50 pm
The mayor must start bringing in government pros and stop relying on organizers who have spent their entire careers fighting the power. The fighters have power and still act like they are fighting the man. Grow up. Hire good people outside of the bongo circle.
Comment by Pragmatist Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 6:21 pm
===outside of the bongo circle===
Sir, it’s called a drum circle.
Otherwise, you may not be wrong, although he hasn’t even hired all that many drum circle types, either.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 7:03 pm
===Jan who? ===
Brady.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 7:06 pm
via GIPHY
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 7:08 pm
Rich: my bad.
Comment by Pragmatist Thursday, Oct 12, 23 @ 9:18 pm