MILLER: Chicago looking to state for bailout and money for Da Bears

It’s been an open secret for weeks that at least some members of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Intergovernmental Affairs staff would be leaving after the Democratic National Convention, including its director, Sydney Holman.

That happened last week. Holman quit and two others were forced out of the IGA office, which liaisons with both the city council and the Illinois General Assembly.

Holman is well-known to state legislators. She started on the House Democratic staff and did a stint as Gov. JB Pritzker’s House liaison. She’s well-liked, even though the mayor isn’t exactly popular at the Statehouse.

Holman leaves as the city is gearing up to face what is estimated as at least a $982.4 million budget deficit next fiscal year.

But the city has long known this massive deficit was coming. Almost a year ago, the city released a two-year budget forecast with a “base outlook” that projected a $986 million deficit in Fiscal Year 2025, which is only a few million dollars away from the current city projection. The city’s 2023 budget report predicted a “negative outlook” of a $1.14 billion deficit by 2025.

And now the city is apparently hoping to convince the General Assembly to help it out. One outlet reported the other day that city officials are “talking to state lawmakers about its budget concerns,” although I personally couldn’t find anyone who has had any serious talks with the city. Gov. Pritzker said the city hasn’t spoken with him, either.

A Chicago-only bailout is just not in the cards, and a broader bailout of municipalities would cost exponentially more than the billion dollars that Chicago needs.

Chicago is already asking for an immediate increase of about $5 billion for statewide and Chicago-specific school funding and $2.5 billion in state help to build a new Chicago Bears Stadium. So, we’re talking about a total ask of $8.5 billion, not including money for every other municipality, which would have to be included if Chicago got any more cash, and not including the $730 million mass transit bailout for next year, which will eventually rise to $1.32 billion.

Good luck with all that.

Syd Holman has been superseded by Kennedy Bartley, who was hired by the mayor earlier this year as a liaison to progressive groups and unions. Crain’s Chicago Business reported last week that the mayor’s office had circulated an organizational chart showing that Holman and her staff would report to Bartley. Holman, as long expected, did not want to work for Bartley, so she left.

Bartley comes from United Working Families, a progressive group that is closely allied with the Chicago Teachers Union.

Bartley spent quite a bit of time organizing on behalf of the “defund the police” movement. Two days after the terror group Hamas attacked Israel, Bartley tweeted, “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free. Amen!” which is considered by many to be a call to eliminate Jews in Israel. Bartley also called police “f-ing pigs” in a 2021 interview

In other words, Bartley may have some problems lobbying the Illinois state legislature.

While most of the people stepping up to criticize Mayor Johnson for elevating Bartley are the usual Johnson critics, state Sen. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) is a longtime Johnson friend, is very tight with the Chicago Teachers Union (where the mayor worked) and endorsed the mayor’s election last year. Sen. Martwick sent out a critical press release last week which focused on the “f-ing pigs” comment.

“The comments made by Kennedy Bartley serve only to disparage our valued public servants and diminish the progress that we have made,” Sen. Martwick said in the release. “Our government leaders should be working toward a greater sense of safety through unity, not chaos through division and insults. I condemn these comments, and I implore our Mayor to ensure accountability for the harm they have caused.”

That doesn’t portend well.

Johnson’s elevation of Bartley could also be seen as a sort of war declaration. The CTU and the mayor have strongly indicated that they plan to blame Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly if they cannot achieve the union’s contract goals. And Mayor Johnson, who comes from the CTU, may be wanting the same bogeyman to justify his own deficit problems. Bartley would likely be a good fit for that sort of role, even though that confrontational path will undoubtedly lead to no good end.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.