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Chicago Tribune: Mayoral candidates sound off on CTA, crime: ‘I am … pissed off that buses are dirty’

By Gregory PrattAlice Yin and A.D. Quig, February 8, 2023

Three 2023 mayoral candidates sit behind microphones, Lightfoot sits center in focus with Vallas on her left and Garcia on her right.

Chicago mayoral candidates spoke out about dirty trains, late buses and low homicide clearance rates in the Police Department during the latest debate as Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended her record.

The latest mayoral forum, moderated by WBEZ Reset host Sasha-Ann Simons, largely focused on public safety, transportation and education. U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, state Rep. Kambium “Kam” Buckner, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Ald. Sophia King shared the stage with Lightfoot, while the remaining four candidates are expected to participate in a second event Thursday.

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Block Club Chicago: Homelessness Crisis At O’Hare Shows More City Support Is Needed On NW Side And Beyond, Advocates Say

By Ariel Parrella-Aureli, February 7, 2023

The city's 2023 budget and recent national grants are allotted to address homelessness, but advocates say the city isn't spending the money where it's most needed.

CHICAGO — On a recent Tuesday morning, a group of people huddle outside a homeless outreach center at O’Hare International Airport, eager to get warm with a cup of hot ramen noodle soup and talk with friends.

A man who only wanted to be identified as Shorty woke up early to get a meal after spending the night in the airport’s Terminal 2.

Shorty, who is from Chicago, is one of several homeless people who take shelter at O’Hare in the winter, especially during frigid temperatures. Facing a complex medical condition and substance abuse issues, he said life has been extra challenging in recent months.

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Reader: Chaos theory

By Ben Joravsky, February 7, 2023

How far will Chicago dare to go in its experiment with democracy?

A black and white photo of City Hall with politicians in suits standing to mics while others against the wall and around the room watch on.

One of the more revealing scenes in City So Real—Steve James’s insightful documentary about Chicago politics, takes place in a Gold Coast penthouse.

It’s 2019. And James, chronicling the last mayoral election, is filming a dinner party hosted by Christie Hefner.

They’re talking politics and one of the guests—Norman Bobins, a retired banker—opines that no matter who wins the upcoming election, he hopes we don’t return to the days of Mayor Harold Washington.

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Chicago Mag: Red Wave

By, EDWARD ROBERT MCCLELLAND, Dec 12, 2022

Illustration of houses cut and paste style sit in the background on a paper texture. In front of them 4 people in low saturation colors are situated. From left to right: a man behind smiling, a man at front looking off to the distance, a women behind speaking, and a man off to the side speaking into a microphone.

Democratic socialists see the upcoming City Council elections as a chance to build an influential bloc.

Mueze Bawany, who is running for alderman of the 50th Ward, is a high school teacher, a son of Pakistani immigrants, and a Muslim who keeps a prayer rug in his campaign office, a converted used-car showroom on Western Avenue. If he succeeds in his campaign to unseat Alderman Debra Silverstein, though, it may not be because of any of those qualities, but because he has the support of the Chicago chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. Every Sunday, in a tactic borrowed from the machine, a dozen socialists from around the city knock on doors in West Ridge for Bawany.

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WGN 9: City Council doesn’t pass vote for homelessness relief bill; progressive caucus slams mayor

By Sean Lewis, Nov 14, 2022

CHICAGO — There was a hope that delaying the start of a city council meeting, there would be enough aldermen present to vote on a homelessness relief plan.

The Bring Chicago Home plan would plan to increase the city transfer tax on property sales more than $1 million, generating approximately $160 million a year to fund homelessness programs in the city.

The resolution planned to also offer mental health and employment services for the estimated 65,000 homeless people living in Chicago.

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WBBM: Grassroots groups say mayor Lightfoot has failed on a promise

Grassroots groups say mayor Lightfoot has failed on a promised to help tens of thousands of people in Chicago who are homeless. April Harris with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless says the mayor dropped her support for a measure that would have hiked the real estate transfer tax to raise needed funds to tackle homelessness it was a one-time payment which would raise 175 million. We need a dedicated revenue stream. The she has claimed there's only 6000 people homeless, there's over 65,000 plus all Mayor Lightfoot's administration has offered to meet with them, but only after the mid-November deadlines fast forgetting the measure.

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WTTW: Lightfoot Uses 2023 Budget to Tout Progressive Credentials as She Gears Up for Challenges from All Sides

Heather Cherone, Oct 11, 2022

Mayor Lori Lightfoot won a commanding victory in the 2019 race for Chicago mayor after campaigning on a progressive political platform that vowed to remake the city, but she will run for re-election after having spent nearly her entire term at odds with Chicago’s progressive political community.

With less than five months before Chicago voters will decide whether to make her the first woman to be re-elected as mayor, Lightfoot has touted her $16.4 billion budget for 2023 as the best way build on what she says are her progressive accomplishments.

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