The editors of the Chicago Tribune via Yahoo urge corporate leaders to intercede with the mayor to negotiate a more sensible budget for the city:
What counts as “savings and efficiencies” in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s government?
In the 2026 budget the mayor presented last week, the two biggest items in that category were a $118 million reduction in how much the city planned to contribute to its woefully underfunded pension plans and a cap on how much overtime the Chicago Police Department could accrue.
That’s akin to an individual or household saying they’re tightening their belts by paying the minimum on their credit cards.
After explaining why we can’t expect any relief from the City Council, they continue:
So business community, if you are reading us, this is a dire moment.
Deals and investments that have been in the works in parts of the city still attractive to business are teetering, we hear. “Capital is fleeing,” one alderman tells us.
It’s a time now for high-profile corporate leaders to make clear to the mayor and council members what the stakes are. That could well mean that some household names threaten to close Chicago offices or reduce their city workforces. If that’s something these corporate leaders are contemplating behind closed doors — and we’ve little doubt it is — now’s the time to make those plans public.
The mayor has made it quite clear that he sees businesses as cows to be milked or slaughtered to feed the ravening maw of city services. There’s scarcely a sign of cutting expenses in the budget and a host of new pet projects.
I think they’re pleading in vain. Business leaders have an option they’re more likely to take than playing hardball with City Hall: get out of Dodge.
My question remains as it has been for nearly two years. What did people expect? The Chicago Teachers Union “brung” Brandon Johnson. He’s maintained what little popularity he retains by funneling more money to public employee union members. The solutions the editors envision, economic and population growth, play hardly any role in the mayor’s thinking.
