If you’re not familiar with it, In These Times is a venerable explicitly leftwing publication. I recommend you read Wesley Lowery’s profile of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson there. It has a number of significant insights including some differences between Mr. Johnson and other members of the left. Here’s his conclusion:
“It will be fair to judge my administration around what our investments look like,†the mayor-elect tells me a couple weeks before his May 15 inauguration. ​“It will be fair to assess my administration around how those investments have impacted the neighborhoods more harmed by disinvestment. When my term is over, how did we manage our resources? I’m confident …â€
That explains as well as anything why I’m not leftwing. I judge results based on outputs more than I do inputs. Although I’m willing to give him a try, I don’t think the first month of Mayor Johnson’s term has been particularly propitious. My judgment would be predicated on
- Rate of violent crime.
- Number of people and businesses leaving Chicago.
to name just a couple of things. I don’t much care how good his intentions are or how hard he tries.
