Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson: WCPT 820 Interview

You know, Mayor Johnson, one of the things that you say often, a- and, and I think a lot of people have to just understand this, whether they favor you or they don't favor you, it's, it's less about picking, uh, who they like for mayor or not like for mayor, or what you've done or what you haven't done, and how that measures for whoever's measuring it.

But one thing that you have been consistent in saying is that there's a, there's still lots to be done.

And, and that, that just objectively as, as objectively as I can be, or I should say as objective as I can be, that says to me that you have, you, you have a sense, and now that you're running for re-election, that there's a, there's, there's a lot to get done, and we're not there yet, whatever there is defined to be.

So how is that guiding you right now in this re-election campaign? There's still-

Yeah

... a lot to be done.

done.Hey, that's a great question.

Well, look, first of all, you know, even with our youth employment, 33,000 young people had jobs.

We hired over 120,000, almost 120,000 of these last three years.

But this summer, 56, almost 57,000 young people applied, right? So I won't-- It's-- We're not done until every young person between the ages of 14 and 24 that want a job, that they can actually get one.

You know, when we think about affordable housing, yes, we built 10,000.

That's the most that has been accomplished in a three-and-a-half-year period.

But we need 100,000, right? That's why I've instituted the Green Social Housing, um, uh, operation, right? Where we're gonna build sustainable housing, cut the cost of utilities.

We're not done until our schools are fully funded.

You know, I've given over a billion dollars into our public schools these last three years.

That's the-- I've given more to public schools in three years than my predecessors combined.

However, the State of Illinois funds our schools at 25% versus the State of California that funds their schools at 70%.

So we're not there yet, right? I mean, when we think about public transportation, yes, we were able to secure, you know, almost three billion dollars to finally extend the red line.

Uh, but that project is just underway, right? Until the far South Side has access to, uh, the opportunities throughout the rest of the city, we're not there yet.

And so-- And then, and then finally, I mean, when we think about safety, you know, there are still too many families, as-- though we're down, there are still too many families that have empty, you know, chairs at the dinner table.

There's too many classrooms where there's one less student in a classroom because they've been gunned down or, or, or harmed by violence.

And so until all of our communities have all that they need, where they can really afford to live in this city, uh, we're not there yet.

And, uh, you know, we've accomplished quite a bit.

Two billion dollars on the West Side, $2.6 billion on the South Side.

And this also is on top of [chuckles], you know, a fascist resigne- regime-

You know, Mayor Johnson, one of the things that you say often, a- and, and I think a lot of people have to just understand this, whether they favor you or they don't favor you, it's, it's less about picking, uh, who they like for mayor or not like for mayor, or what you've done or what you haven't done, and how that measures for whoever's measuring it.

But one thing that you have been consistent in saying is that there's a, there's still lots to be done.

And, and that, that just objectively as, as objectively as I can be, or I should say as objective as I can be, that says to me that you have, you, you have a sense, and now that you're running for re-election, that there's a, there's, there's a lot to get done, and we're not there yet, whatever there is defined to be.

So how is that guiding you right now in this re-election campaign? There's still-

Yeah

... a lot to be done.

done.Hey, that's a great question.

Well, look, first of all, you know, even with our youth employment, 33,000 young people had jobs.

We hired over 120,000, almost 120,000 of these last three years.

But this summer, 56, almost 57,000 young people applied, right? So I won't-- It's-- We're not done until every young person between the ages of 14 and 24 that want a job, that they can actually get one.

You know, when we think about affordable housing, yes, we built 10,000.

That's the most that has been accomplished in a three-and-a-half-year period.

But we need 100,000, right? That's why I've instituted the Green Social Housing, um, uh, operation, right? Where we're gonna build sustainable housing, cut the cost of utilities.

We're not done until our schools are fully funded.

You know, I've given over a billion dollars into our public schools these last three years.

That's the-- I've given more to public schools in three years than my predecessors combined.

However, the State of Illinois funds our schools at 25% versus the State of California that funds their schools at 70%.

So we're not there yet, right? I mean, when we think about public transportation, yes, we were able to secure, you know, almost three billion dollars to finally extend the red line.

Uh, but that project is just underway, right? Until the far South Side has access to, uh, the opportunities throughout the rest of the city, we're not there yet.

And so-- And then, and then finally, I mean, when we think about safety, you know, there are still too many families, as-- though we're down, there are still too many families that have empty, you know, chairs at the dinner table.

There's too many classrooms where there's one less student in a classroom because they've been gunned down or, or, or harmed by violence.

And so until all of our communities have all that they need, where they can really afford to live in this city, uh, we're not there yet.

And, uh, you know, we've accomplished quite a bit.

Two billion dollars on the West Side, $2.6 billion on the South Side.

And this also is on top of [chuckles], you know, a fascist resigne- regime-