David Greising of the Better Government Association takes note of the lessons which Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson has yet to learn in an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune:
The truth is hard to discern in the rhetorical arm wrestle between a progressive-minded prosecutor like Foxx, the pragmatists like Lightfoot and the law-and-order absolutists like many of Chicago’s cops on the beat.
That struggle between the ideals of the progressive agenda and the complexities of actual governing are worth keeping in mind as Johnson prepares to take office on May 15. The platitudes about Chicago’s role as an economic engine for Illinois and progressivism as a panacea for the state quickly will run into the real-world struggle to get legislation passed in Springfield.
If Johnson expects to implement his real estate transfer tax for homes worth $1 million or more, he’ll need Springfield’s help. If he hopes to begin taxing securities trading, he’ll need to outmaneuver Chicago exchanges that previously have beat back such measures — and persuade Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reverse a publicly stated aversion to the idea.
Perhaps Johnson is right that, with his election, Illinois has established itself in the vanguard of progressive politics. He need look no further than the experiences of Lightfoot and Foxx to see what that means in practice. Lightfoot compromised abundantly, lost her progressive support and lost her job. Foxx’s steadfast refusal to compromise brought on pressures and criticism that may have contributed to her surprise decision to exit office.
Progressive principles will take Johnson only so far. Decisions he makes and actions he takes when his progressive ideals crash into the reality of governing will determine his legacy in office too.
If experience is any gauge, he will take those lessons to heart no more than did Lori Lightfoot, the mayor whom he succeeds, and Kim Foxx, the Cook County States Attorney, who presided over a substantial increase in violent crime in Chicago. If Mr. Johnson is lucky, the crime will subside on its own but luck is a risky basis for an incoming administration.
