Chicago politics 2023: the self-preservation mayoral election
by John Kass
April 2, 2023
Chicago is in a tight mayoral election centering on uncontrolled violent street crime and progressive Democratic Party resistance to upholding the law, I half expected raw and ugly race rhetoric from the candidate underperforming and under pressure.
And because this is Chicago, the city of tribes and unforgiven sins, the race rhetoric spewed out. But it didn’t come from some angry pink fellow.
It did not come from his opponent in the race for mayor, Paul Vallas.
Instead it came from one of the historical victims of ugly talk and ugly deeds. It came out in a torrent from the black leftist candidate for mayor Brandon Johnson, on the final days of the campaign, at a campaign debate.
“This is about Black labor versus white wealth. That’s what this battle is about,” Johnson said, explaining the mayoral campaign in the starkest and most limited terms.
It was a clear appeal to race, but the Chicago media hardly mentioned it.
Few if any of the political reporters bothered to note that the slogan Black Labor White Wealth, came from a Marxist book. It was to be studiously avoided. Why? Because there is nothing more malleable, more easily biddable than a fragile white reporter desperate to avoid the charge of racism.
So, the Chicago news media did not make a big issue of Johnson’s racial remarks taken from the title of a Marxist book. But then for weeks now during this campaign for mayor, the media in large part has been protecting Johnson from his own mouth.
It was all race and distilled Marxist-Leninism. And all that was needed to flavor the official silence were a pile of broken Menshevik skulls. The thing to know now is that naked appeals to race have been publicly made in a campaign centering on uncontrolled violent street crime and progressive Democratic Party resistance to upholding the law.
I half expected raw and ugly race rhetoric from the candidate underperforming and under pressure.
And because this is Chicago city of politics, the city of tribes, the city of unforgiven sins, the race rhetoric spewed out but not from the pink fellow with the freckles and white skin , but from a person of color, one of the historical victims of the ugly talk and uglier deeds on these final days of this campaign.
“Black Labor White Wealth” may have applied once back when the Irish were treated as dogs in this town, back when the Army was used to put down the race riot of 1919 when a black man was murdered for swimming on a so-called “white beach.” And it may be just the slogan to prompt treats for political hacks from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle,
Bur where’s all that wealth of legend? It’s gone. It has fled.
It has gone to Naples Florida, Nashville Tennessee, Beverly Hills California, the Greek Islands, Belize, Nantucket, and elsewhere.
That’s the thing about having real money. You don’t have to hang around in suburban Cook County or Chicago and be abused by angry leftist Democrats. You can leave whenever you want to leave and don’t have to have a news conference to explain yourself. And that’s been happening for years now, hasn’t it?
After a warning, Ken Griffin took his billions out of Illinois and headed for Florida. Some of the great heart surgeons have fled for Marco Island. All you need for a golf club membership and a spiffy flats boat to get you over the oyster beds is money. You don’t need boss Preckwinkle’s approval to leave or Pritzker’s either.
If Brandon Johnson wins this election for mayor, then he will by definition protect boss Preckwinkle’s people including Chief Cook County judge Timothy C. Evans, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx, and Preckwinkle herself. From the mayor’s office Johnson would have the megaphone to protect them, and if racial politics is shown to have played a big role in the mayoral election you can count on it.
Raw racial politics will have a champion on the 5th floor of City Hall.
But if Vallas wins the election, then he and more than 20 aldermen , black , Latino, and white will begin to focus on county elected officials as the leaders of criminal justice locally. Boss Preckwinkle will not like that, but that’s politics. The other day, I interviewed Robert Milan, the former first deputy Cook County States Attorney, for a segment of The Chicago Way Podcast.
Jeff Carlin and I wanted to know from Milan, if uncontrolled violent crime was indeed the issue in the Chicago mayoral race, what can we expect after the election?
Milan said the next mayor should hold public meetings, with elected officials on C-Span to discuss public safety. He should call out publicly those who refuse to help him. “Look I have this problem with people dying in the streets and children getting killed, and these people aren’t meeting with me and helping me. It would be wise for the next mayor of Chicago to hold weekly news conferences with elected officials around them talking about what’s going on with crime. What happened this week, the same way they did with the COVID crisis.”
They had the media’s help on COVID. Could they be expected to get some of that media help in preventing the slaughter of low income minority children?
If it is true that violent crime is the animating factor in this election, and it is true that Brandon Johnson has advocated for defunding-the-police, and Vallas has pushed law and order themes, then how could this election be close?
Is it simply a question of people voting their skin pigments above rational policy? I want to think better of us. But I can’t say. I suppose we’ll all find out eventually perhaps soon.
And then we’ll know the answer to the question: Is self-preservation the greatest instinct or is it our tribal politics?
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Comments 82
Right on point as always.
thank you Mr. Kozlowski
Always good to see you back. Everybody misses you!
Anytime a progressive Democrat is losing they pull out the race card. You are so right on with this. Although I left Chicago 2 years ago with my feet to Chattanooga TN, I agree with you, that more will follow my footsteps if Johnson is elected.
Here is my prediction: Vallas wins by 15+ percent as I have faith in Chicagoans’ to do the right thing and elect someone who truly has the city’s interests at heart. Next to food and water, security is of utmost importance to people. Vallas will bring that and more to Chicago!
Why is the left obssessed with race? The explanation is identity voting. If you vote your identity, bad governance is irrelevant. It doesn’t change your identity. So you keep voting your identity, even though the government gets worse and worse. If you’re convinced your identity means you vote for leftist Democrats, you continue to vote for leftist Democrats, regardless of how bad they do in governing.
Unfortunately, I don’t share your optimism. I think identity voting will drive a Johnson win, just like identity voting bankrupted Detroit.
I agree with you. As pointed out years ago by a very perceptive left wing linguist George Lakoff: people vote their values rather than their “self interest.” At the time he was referring to followers of Mr. Trump. But his insight applies equally to those on the left and those who support Mr. Johnson. The result is as you pointed out, Detroit … and the likely Johnson victory come this Tuesday. Pitiful? Yes. But that is the stark reality.
Vallas by +15 huh? Did you check the results tonight? Anyone who actually had their pulse on Chicago knew marxist socialist Johnson was going to win.
I have written several times about the fact no one is talking about how they will address the real problem in Chicago….it’s GANGS! In 2019 the exiting Agent in Charge during his last interview said, their 115,000 self admitted gang members in Chicago. How many do you think there are now? Our Chicago police dept. was out manned then and has even less now. So, what makes anyone think either candidate can fix a demoralized understaffed police department in this climate? I pray Paul Vallas wins this election, at we may see some return of business. But what about the rest of the city? It is going to take nothing short of a miracle to correct the gang problem. Doubling our police presence might be a start, but it is no where near a solution. Midnight basketball did not work, nor did paying off gang leaders. What will be the next hair brained idea? We throw a lot of money at bad ideas and get nothing as a result, just like our schools! Chicago is being run by a bunch of thugs with a plug! Chicago, once the hub of this once great nation was the city that worked. Will it ever work again?
John while so many of your friends and colleagues have been stepping up and contributing with great insights and columns, it is wonderful to see that to are well enough to provide your thoughts.
The silence by the media regarding the race baiting is appalling. No wonder so many have turned them off.
Take care.
Masterful, as always, John!
The voters get the kind of government that they deserve.
The voters in Chicago deserve politicians who are honest and give a damn about the city and them.
The teachers union only cares about money and jobs. Not kids. The test scores reveal how much they care about our children.
Johnson is a union thug who games the system. Heck, he won’t even pay his water bill.
The choice is clear if you care about the city and it’s children.
“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” – H. L. Mencken
In an Uber this weekend I asked the driver who was going to get his vote. He answered, “I was debating until my 10 year old came home from school saying we had to vote for Vallas because he will make us safe. I’m voting Vallas.”
All is not lost….
Welcome back, John.
So good to read your thoughts as always! Welcome back; I’ve been telling friends you’d have to be on your death bed to not write about this situation. Prayers for your continued recovery and rehabilitation!
The Democrats will not allow Fair Elections. Society is crumbling, the young have no clue as to whom they are, the Parents allowed this to happen because Society told them too. It is over John until there is a Revival of Christ and COMMON SENSE. EVIL IS UPON US. OUR CHILDREN DO NOT KNOW WHO THEY ARE. THEY VOTED NOT TO VOTE THE SEX OF A BABY UNTIL HE OR SHE GROWS UP AND DECIDES. IS THIS WHAT YOU PEOPLE WANT? CHAOS? WE ARE ENERING SOCIALISM IN AMERICA FOLKS. DEAL WITH IT.
Don’t ever change Helen!
$100.00 says that tribal politics wins out. I hope I’m wrong.
Thank you John. Hope you’re well. Do what the Doctors tell you! Keep up the great work.
For someone who loves black folks so, Lori Lightfoot basically ignored, what, 2000 deaths of black murder victims in 4 years? It’s got to be close to that. And we know that the majority of these murder victims were indeed snuffed out by other black people.
Then there’s the abortion rate. Let’s talk about equity. Black folks make up 13% of the population nationally, and they are definitely a disproportionate number of the murder victims, but also, that 13% is also the same cohort that has over 40% of the abortions nationally. It is racist to even mention that. Look what’s become of a once proud people. Murdering each other and their own children at an epic rate. But it’s Paul Vallas’ fault, and John Kass too for even mentioning the damage Soros has done by backing this sick, twisted corruption of justice.
White folks are so racist that we make black men kill each other as they just cannot face the racist climate we’ve created and trapped them in. We make them sell drugs, steal a gun, steal cars, impregnate black females, and then we pay for the abortions too. Immigrants from all over the world come here and routinely outdo native born Americans. They mus be racist too.
With the murder rate, the abortion rate, the absent dads, whites folks are sure doing a number on the black population. Then there’s the black middle class flight from Chicago. The city used to be over 50% black. It’s down to a third now. WHy are so many black families leaving Chicago? We have black pols at all levels, things should be great now.
Brandon Johnson’s answer is race. It’s all they’ve got. They cannot admit that their policies are resulting in deaths and mayhem and causing black middle class to leave at a much greater share than whites. Kass left, but scores of black families have left too. Are they racist?
Brandon’s employer, or one of his public employers, CTU, is funneling millions, not to help keep the children safe, but to keep their jobs safe. The CTU leaders may care less about children than Lori Lightfoot. They are perfectly willing to have empty buildings, fully staffed, while, having overcrowded buildings a few miles away. They will not fight for academic rigor and reasonable behavioral standards, but relish social control.
We have achieved political equity. Black Democratic politicians can be just as elitist and indifferent to working class people as the white elites, and it seems even more so. This is why we have the political division we have. Neither party really cares about working folks or their concerns.
I submit that both the red and blue teams sew division to distract us from the terrible job they’re doing. They use race, religion, ethnicity, anything they can to keep us at each other’s throats. They’ll even look the other way at a genocide rather admit policy failures and address rampant corruption and demand accountability.
They prefer to blame white supremacy and will twist them selves into a pretzel to deny any responsibility for what’s occurred.
Everything you have said here Robert is 100% correct. It’s just so difficult to sit back and watch our once great society get flushed down the toilet.
Robert,
You are correct. As a 78 year old, I have personally observed the destruction of our great society by those who promote the Marxist philosophy over the classical philosophy of the Greeks, Adam Smith, John Locke, etc. Under classical philosophy people are assumed to have a free will to compete based upon their talents, willingness to work and character. Merit is the deciding factor for the distribution of wealth, privilege, and investment capital. Under Marxism, the individual is considered to be dangerous to society should the individual exercise free will, and thus the individual must be highly regulated with wealth and privilege equally distributed, and investment directed by the elites to accomplish the equal distribution. Capitalism depends upon a free populous, whereas Marxism or Socialism depends upon the absence of freedom.
Freedoms include the right of free association, the right to pursue your religious beliefs, the right to keep your earnings, the right to invest your capital to accumulate wealth or to spend your capital on vacations, etc., the right to hire based upon merit not skin pigment, the right to receive benefits, such as enrollment into college,
based upon merit not skin pigment or ethnicity, the right to life itself without someone else having the right to kill you at their whim or pleasure, the right to pursue a virtuous life and receive the rewards thereof, etc. DEI has as its goal the destruction of all these rights and the subjugation of the populous to an unnatural society where tribal identity, not merit, determines the distribution of wealth and privilege, where all outcomes are equal and not dependent on merit, where you are required to associate and accept those who you believe are not living a virtuous life or one to your acceptance. That society is contrary to the people’s natural freedom and requires. Indoctrination to eliminate merit as a distributor of wealth or privilege started in the 1980’s with awarding participation trophies and eliminating rewards for meritorious effort, such as pass/fail grades rather than A, B, etc. or point system. This elimination of rewards for merit was pushed by the Marxist followers in the National Education Association as part of the plan to convert our society from classical philosophy to Marxist philosophy. If society accepts the absence of rewards for merit, then they should accept equal outcomes regardless of merit or effort. The training of our society to accept Sociali9sm and Marxist philosophy has been occurring over the past 50 years and is now accelerating.
It’s great to see you back and see that although your body might not be what it once was, you mind is as sharp as ever.
One point, it’s not only the wealthy that are fleeing the crime and corruption of Illinois but is regular folks too. I fled Illinois in November for a red state and the differences couldn’t be more stark. I’m sure you understand that too.
As one who departed Chicago for Music City 5 years ago I can tell you that I feel a ton safer here in this town. The aberrations that occurred here last week with the school shooting or a few years back at the Waffle House are just that. We have areas of town that have crime issues but MNPD (which covers the entire county save some very small town sized communities therin) responds rapidly and in numbers when violent crime occurs. The hero of the school shooting here last week was a kid from Sauganash. I’m sure he wanted to be “real police” The slogan on the police cars is “Nashville’s Guardians”. I’ll bet the attitudes here has a bit to do with his relocation. We do have woke leftists in town but they are balanced by solid citizens of all faiths colors and creeds. While it has grown like a weed in the 5 years I’ve been here and there has been some uptick in crime it is nowhere the daily carnage even per capita that is Chicago. I’m glad I’m here. Have several friends who migrated to Naples as well.
If Vallas loses Tuesday we will likely sell our condo near Wrigley Building too. I will shed more than a tear for the city I love.
I saw a headline last yesterday from USA Today saying Trump is an anti-semite. Why? Because he attacked George Soros. So anybody that calls out Soros is an anti-semite? Sound familiar? It wouldn’t be a shocker for you to be called a racist by the left for bringing up Johnson’s blatantly racist remarks, would it? The irony and hypocrisy by the left kills me and is killing our country.
There are leftists who have called me a Nazi because I support many conservative programs and concepts. I am Jewish. I would have thought that “Jewish Nazi” is an oxymoron.
Been watching all along and listening to “The Chicago Way” throughout. It is incredible that this election is even close. If Paul Vallas does not win, it is, in my opinion, vivid proof that race was thr ONLY factor to a large majority of Chicago’s citizens.
Good to see you back at the typewriter/word processor John.
As I said about Geary’s column, this makes great sense. However the people who need to read this are the least likely to ever see it.
Welcome back John. You haven’t missed a beat. Spot on as usual.
One word to describe the Chicago media – gutless.
Thank you, Mr. Byrne, for always telling it like it is, consequences be damned!
There are so many reasons to support Vallas. I can’t think of a single issue where the interests of Chicagoans side with the other guy. Crime is the dominant issue, but electing a teacher union executive to negotiate with the teacher’s union on behalf of the entire city is nuts!!!
Don’t worry, Brandon will resign his teacher union position!
Don’t worry, Brandon will resign his teacher union position! I’m sure he won’t show favoritism.
It is very nice to see you back in the saddle, John.
I am appalled that, as far as I’ve seen, only CBS News has reported that Johnson has ignored a myriad of fines, fees, and parking tickets, including thousands of dollars in water/sewage charges. He claims that he is repaying some of them via payment plans. Certainly, this should disqualify him for any consideration as a mayoral candidate. What a fraud!
Johnson is entitled to those unpaid services without cost to him because he belongs to the tribe that has been oppressed by the racists.
I am again,realizing ,how important journalism is.
Thank you
“This is about Black labor versus white wealth. That’s what this battle is about,”… “Few if any of the political reporters bothered to note that the slogan Black Labor White Wealth, came from a Marxist book”
That in itself is and should be the issue at hand ! Not crime. Not schools. Not unions. Not race. Not Diversity. No, this is about Marxism, Socialism, COMMUNISIM !
To the idiots that think this is ok, be careful. As the saying goes, you just might get what you asked for.
I pray for my hometown. Nice to see you have not skipped beat during your sabbatical. I hate to mention the elephant in the room, but Vallas could have easily put out a less inflammatory statement on the Trump indictment (something that has never happened in our history) or no statement at all. Thx, Joe Trippi, for an unforced error as you couldn’t put your national democrat DNA aside for a week or so!
On the contrary, it was perfect, and incredibly smart. Trump is a billionaire grifter who has put his own ambitions and desires for ‘revenge’ above the good of the nation, and now he can add ‘convict’ to his resume. Vallas is running against another Democrat, so appealing to that base as well as the millions of us who consider ourselves independent is what ultimately will get him the mayor’s seat. There is this vast swath of America that exists outside of the right-wing echo chambers like Fox (or more often then not, Kass.) We don’t believe in red meat tropes like ‘woke,’ we could care less about ‘trans’ or ‘CRT’, we are not soldiers in the culture wars, and we recognize a malignant narcissist when we see one, especially one who raw dogged a porn star when his third wife was pregnant, then violated finance laws for her silence. Vallas’s bravery in simply stating the obvious is exactly why he will be our next mayor, hopefully others will follow his example.
One man’s “bravery” is another man’s reluctantly bowing to the radicals in the party nationally. Joe Trippi’s hands are all over this. If I’m not mistaken, he did run Howard Dean’s presidential campaign so he fits right in with the Bolsheviks’
Why Mr. Riga you have made some valid points about Mr. Trump. I assume you will support a zealous states attorney like Texas Ken Paxton convening a grand jury to investigate Joe Bidens family activities while he was vice president. Is it possible to indict a standing president for influence peddling and accepting bribes? Our new banana republic political structure of Nancy Pelosis party demands an answer. The world is laughing at us. We need to amuse them.
If “the world is laughing at us” it’s not Biden that’s the punchline, it’s Trump and the base of hillbillies and cranky old white men that make excuses for him. I know you’re obsessed with the “Hunter” saga, it’s like Days of Our Lives for the base, tune in every day. If a crime was committed, then indict him. If it extends to the President, indict him as well. Thing is Mr Diaz, accusations, investigations, hearsay and whatever the comment section on Newsmax thinks they know are NOT indictments. An indictment requires proof. If Ken Paxton has it, then get on with it. If not, it’s just gossip for the base. Maybe SOROS is protecting the Biden’s, with all of his mystical powers…
Yo’ Tee! I know us conspiracists are wringing our hands over Trump’s indictment. We can’t have any influence peddling in our greatest elected seat of power. Hunter Biden getting paid 50 grand a month as a “consultant” to an oil company without having any experience is a totally legit business arrangement. I also have no experience in the oil industry and have offered my services to our local oil industries for only 40 grand a month. This figure is based on my skills which are numerous. I can type at least 40 words per minute if I haven’t been out drinking Guinness the night before. My telephone answering skills are second to none and my demeanor is always courteous. I’m always willing to come in early to start the coffee pot so everyone has a warm cup waiting for them when they get to work. This alone should make my 40 thousand a month salary a bargain. Unlike Hunter, I know I should ask for more but I’m no greedhound. Just like Hunter, I make no promise of favoritism or any concessions from my father. I do, after all, have my principles.
You really are a dumb ass. An indictment does NOT require proof you idiot. A conviction requires proof. As far as indicting a sitting President (as opposed to a former President) well the OLC has said on two prior occasions (1973 and 2000) that that would be unconstitutional.
Oh, and Bruce, you cranky old bitch-“An indictment contains the basic information that informs the person of the charges against them. For potential felony charges, a prosecutor will present the evidence to an impartial group of citizens called a grand jury.” So yes, proof will be decided by a jury, in that you are correct. My point is that an indictment means a prosecutor has evidence versus hearsay. But you knew that when you called me a d_a, you just can’t help yourself. Very rude Bruce, I expected more from you…
Never engage a man who hides behind a pseudonym – I made the same mistake. Riga-Tony – 🥴
I’m not hiding from anyone James, least of all you. If my name is Riga-Tony or Mickey Mouse (who recently humiliated Ron DeSantis) it doesn’t change my POV. Challenge it, if you have the ability. Me thinks not.
James:
Good advice. But if you do break your rule and otherwise choose to engage a man using a pseudonym then know that this man, “Riga – Tony”, is one Tony Cesare. Just to show you the nature of the person with whom you will then be engaging: Mr. Cesare claimed to own a bar in Mineral Point WI, yet when we called up there no one ever heard of him. He does not and never did own a bar in Mineral Point WI. But he did try and assume someone else’s identity: namely he tried to palm himself off as the owner of the bar in Mineral Point WI. For what purpose? Who knows. Tony won’t tell us. Next, he claimed on Kass’ prior comment board that if he had to pay and subscribe he’d be gone because Kass’ site and his followers were not worth his $50. But here he is doing what he does best: trolling and spewing his woke BS claiming he is not hiding from anyone. Yeah, right Tony. You’re hiding from yourself. Finally, according to those who claim to know him: he pushes a broom for a living – nothing wrong with that – except he pretends otherwise … once pretending he was the proprietor of Tony’s Tap in Mineral Point WI. Right. The man obviously has a big time problem. So yeah, wise not to engage with this fraudster.
Oh one more thing: Kass has referred to Mr. Cesare as a “cockroach in a gas station urinal.” Fitting. So there you have it James … Tony Cesare … erstwhile impostor … and liar extraordinaire.
James-You should know that Bruce Kleinman is the poster child for the cranky old white men I described in my comment above. He has an odd obsession with me, flattering but a little creepy as well. He claims to be a Dr, my guess is he has the bedside manner of Jonas Burk from Poltergeist 2. That he has the time to devote that much effort into slandering me speaks volumes about his success in the medical profession, maybe I can teach him new skills in the janitorial arts? Did I mention his hair? He has poodle butt hair! Our establishment has never been in “Mineral Point,” we are in the same spot we’ve always been, just east of Lake Pearlman in downtown Kleintown. Stop by any time, we’ve added a new drink on special! It’s The Klein-Malort mixed with cat hair arthritis. It’s served cold and goes down bitter, smells oddly like moth balls..
James:
Here is the truth about “Riga Tony:
His real name is Tony Cesare. John Kass blocked him from commenting on his former column on Facebook due to his nonsense. Kass literally called him “a cockroach in a gas station urinal.” And he is.
It gets worse…a lot worse…about Riga Tony…Tony Cesare…
Last year he bragged about owning a bar called Tony’s Tap. He lied and said he owned Tony’s Tap in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. He posted images and even listed the address of the actual, real bar and restaurant Mineral Point claiming that this was his bar. That is despicably dishonest.
Knowing that Tony Cesare is a liar, we called Tony’s Tap. We spoke to the owner and some of his staff. They have never heard of Tony Cesare, Riga Tony, or anyone else by those names. Period! The is a bald-faced attempt at identity theft.
After we posted the screenshots of Tony Cesare’s ownership claim he said that we had created them in Photoshop. Really stupid again. Others had already seen his Facebook page.
The day after we posted that, Tony Cesare took the address in Mineral Point off his Facebook page. Liar, liar, pants on fire! Click the link here to see the images.
I know man whose family owned a contracting business in Scottsdale. Their identity was stolen. The thief, a man much like Tony Cesare, was able to borrow money using the stolen ID. It bankrupted the company.
Others who know Tony personally have said that he was kicked out of high school. He pushes a broom for a living. He never has, and never will own a bar.
Our hope is that John Kass will read these comments and make the connection between the now-blocked Tony Cesare and Riga Tony and block him here.
Tony Cesare has trolled me endlessly. I guess he has time between pushing his broom.
Can you imagine being such a failure in life like Tony Cesare?
Tony Cesare…The Real Story
https://www.gardendesignquickstartguide.com/2022/08/blog-post.html
I know, I know. Riga Tony, Tony Baloney, Tony the Phony. It seems a Facebook troll has followed Kass’ free forum. Lets enjoy the rambling of a fool and comment appropriately to his drivel. I don’t have any social media so I’m not on Facebook (or whatever its called now). Funny how most of the trolls on this site left when Kass opened it up as a public forum. Phony Tony must be a freelancer.
Bruce-I’m aware the contemporary tactic in modern political discourse is to create a falsehood, then repeat it over and over again, doubling down and repeating, until the lie is shaped into something almost believable, hence your odd obsession with a place I’ve never been to and a business I know nothing about. You can continue to repeat it, but I’m not sure what you hope to gain because to this point, you’ve gained nothing, and you look like an a**. We are where we’ve always been, East of Lake Pearling (it’s muddy, shallow and smelly but it’s home..) in Downtown Kleintown (poverty stricken and melancholy but again, it has its charms..) Stop by any time! In the meantime another cranky old white guy who is obsesses with repeating lies will have a day in court, perhaps you’ve heard??
Hardly ‘trolling.’ We agree that Vallas is the right candidate for the job, I felt his comments regarding Trump’s indictment were smart, especially since his opponent has labeled him the ‘MAGA’ candidate. This is Chicago, not Charolette. Oh, and David Pearling? He drives and Uber that smells like cat pee, so gross…
Hey genius. The defense against slander is the truth. So how am I slandering you when I pointed out that you claimed to be the owner of Tony’s Tap in Mineral Point WI when in fact you were no such thing. You’re a bald faced lair. How is that slander?
So Bruce, let me walk you back to the subject. I maintain that Paul Vallas assessment of Trump’s indictment was not only spot on, but will help him with a Democratic voter come Election Day. I believe Mr Diaz felt differently. Thoughts? Or, do you want to continue to humiliate yourself with weak accusations based on DuRPS fantasies? Aren’t you a little old for that? I mean, you are old..
Hey genius. Stop gaslighting. You accused me of slander. Slander requires falsehoods. So explain how I slandered you by reporting the truth: your assertion that you were the proprietor of Tony’s Tap in Mineral Point WI – as clearly documented by Mr. Pearling – was an outright lie. You are a liar. That is not slander. That is documentary truth.
Mr. Cesare: Besides the strategy you cite there is the strategy of gaslighting …. convincing others that what they know and see with their own two eyes is not real. That is what you are doing. Look at your very own FB page that Mr. Pearling has been good enough to duplicate for everyone to see. It clearly and unambiguously identifies you – Tony Cesare – as the proprietor (owner) of Tony’s Tap in Mineral Point WI. This is undeniable. Yet somehow you claim you know nothing about that … somehow it does not exist … a classic example of gaslighting. The truth is undeniable: You tried to assume someone else’s’ identity. And as I told you before, the absolute defense against slander is the truth. And the truth is you are a fabulist and Mr. Pearling and I caught you in your lies.
Where did you come up with such drivel? Oh, the Communist Manifesto is a good place, or the Little Red book of Mao thoughts, comes to mind. You just love such great works that deem all people are equal, but some are more equal. That describes Lori Lightweight, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton or the ever perfect and hero among heroes, the Kenyan, B. Hussein O. Oh, Let’s no forget Nancy Pelosi, the Constitutional brainchild who stated that President Trump has to prove his innocence in court. That blithering idiot, Pelosi does not understand the Constitution, innocent until proven guilty.
Tony likely came up with his drivel at the same place where he came up with the lie that he was the owner of Tony’s Tap in Mineral Point WI.
So Bruce, let me walk you back to the subject. I maintain that Paul Vallas assessment of Trump’s indictment was not only spot on, but will help him with a Democratic voter come Election Day. I believe Mr Diaz felt differently. Thoughts? Or, do you want to continue to humiliate yourself with weak accusations based on DuRPS fantasies? Aren’t you a little old for that? I mean, you are old..
Spot on Mr. Kass! Spot on!
I thought it discordant when Brandon Johnson talked about Black Labor especially when Local 150 and other unions, Bobby Rush, Jesse White etc… came out for Vallas. Argumentum Ad Hominem is always the last resort of those who lose the debate. But in politics, it can be a useful tool.
Nice to hear from you John. What is happening in this country is certainly reflected in this mayoral race. Shameful but today’s reality and going forward it only goes down from here. They control the media which is very dangerous.
Welcome back John! God bless you and keep on setting type.
If Vallas isn’t the next mayor, then Chicago is finished, kaput! This once great city will continue its descent into oblivion and join the list of s–thole cities like SanFran, LA, New York, Portland, just to name a few. Johnson is a pawn to the CTU and Soros minions like Kim Foxx. Their montra is “let the criminals go free, cause they’re not such bad people!” Time to move from here folks, cause it won’t get better ever again if Paul loses. The city will be done for….forever. The leftist/Marxist aldermen can shoulder part of the blame as well. Let us pray….
First and foremost, it’s great to see you writing again while you are on the mend. Secondly, as usual, you are correct. This election has descended into black versus white due to Johnson. His socialist ties, defund the police rhetoric, race baiting, and clear lack of abilities toward budgeting his own finances should make this a cake walk for Vallas. Sad to see it isn’t.
Johnsons rhetoric is typical of a losing democrat campaign. If Chicagos latino community comes out to vote on Tuesday it will be a Vallas landslide. Vallas needs to come up with a huge latino turnout to stop the large amount of mail in votes waiting to be discovered in a warehouse, garage, basement, etc. after the polling places have closed. Yet throughout this all maybe there is hope for the CTU. Its members have filed a grievance to stop the union from pissing their union dues away for backing political losers. Hopefully this leads to members starting a movement to decertify the CTU as its bargaining unit. I know it seems far fetched but w1e can always hope, can’t we?
Always good to read your columns John, and I am really happy you are slowly getting back to writing. As usual, another excellent column. Get better. Can’t wait to see you back to normal.
Welcome back John. Your article is spot on as always. Looking forward to your regular columns, get well soon.
A post on facebook from a member of a group I belong to posted that her daughter and her daughter’s best friend which was a neighbor girl went to vote. She further stated that her daughter voted for Vallas while the daughter’s friend voted for Johnson. When asked why she voted for Johnson, she stated “because he’s black”.
The kids today have been brainwashed into believing that the evil white man does not deserve to be recognized. Regardless of the fact that this particular black man chose not to pay his bills and enlist the option of a payment plan while making $175,000 a year. Regardless of the fact that the black man would like to defund the police, raise taxes, and virtually eliminate any evidence that the white man exists. This is what has become of the young voting populus today.
If Paul vallas were to go to white churches and ask for the vote because he is white he would be labeled a racist. Johnson can do this very thing and it is perfectly acceptable. Society has been brainwashed into believing that putting a candidate into offcie because of skin color is correct regardless of the greater good.
Looking at history it would be fair to say that with Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle, Kim Foxx, and Tim Evans Chicago and Cook County have done their fair part in electing black faces into office. That assembly of political candidates has not worked out so well for the deterrence of crime and safety for our citizens and tax payers. Perhaps change is needed for this city to get off life support and be able to prosper and flourish once again. We had what once the crown jewel of the midwest, now turned into a lump of coal. Change is needed. This city is gasping it’s last breath begging for change.
Why does no one question a black candidate? Fear of being labled. Fear of not being accepted. Fear of saying what everyone else is thinking. I am 100% certain that there will be those that believe that I am a racist because of my response here today. I am not a racist. I am just tired. Tired of being ignored. Tired of being passed over. Tired of being taken advantage of. Tired of having to work twice as hard. Tired of seeing how far the pendulum has swung without any chance of return to a neutral setting.
Please vote. Your vote does count. Please show some care and concern for the city you live in. Let your voice be heard. Voting has never been easier. You can vote from any polling sation in the city, you can vote from home. The weather has been cooperative. Vote. Do not miss your chance to make a difference. Be the voice, be heard!
You’re back and swinging, even if still occasionally, John. Oh, how we have missed you! Continued prayers for healing!
We are so happy to see you back in action….speaking the truth that so many are afraid to speak. The Chicago Tribune is an empty shell of what is was, when there could actually be debate between grown individuals who had different points of view. Although, the Tribune actually endorsed Vallas for so many good reason, the FRONT page has been nothing but talk about RACE. Correct, this election is NOT about Race and Shane on those who play the card that they so firmly believe others play against them.
My only regret for not living in the once world class city of Chicago is that I’m not able to cast my vote for Paul Vallas. He is the one person in this race who doesn’t NEED this job or the daily worry and aggravation it will clearly bring. Nonetheless, he’s putting his neck on the line for truth, justice and the future of our once beloved city of Chicago.
John, thank you for all you do to shine light on truth and educate all of us.
Godspeed,
Becky Dana
John, I recommend you watch the NBC interview with Eddie Johnson, Garry MaCarthy, and Jody Wei’s that aired this morning. Truly a great piece on Chicago crime. Even my lovely liberal spouse ended up being a McCarthy fan after that.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/full-conversation-3-former-chicago-police-superintendents-talk-city-violence-crime/3108693/?amp=1
Another great column in which you correctly point out that since Brandon Johnson is unable to offer meaningful solutions to the myriad troubles confronting Chicago, he has resorted to racial politics as his solution.
As a retired 40 year employee of CPS, I am writing to affirm the great person, Paul Vallas is. While he was the CEO of the school system, I would accompany him three or four days a week on school visitations. He would spend several hours meeting with the teachers and visiting every classroom. Prior to Paul, a Chicago Public Schools CEO would only be seen at a school if it was a special occasion or a tragic circumstance.
While visiting the classrooms, he would take the time to have conversations with the students, inquiring about their interests. Several times he was notified that a local television station was outside of the school and wanted to record his visit. He would refuse because he did not want these visits to be construed as looking for PR. It is worth noting that we visited schools in every neighborhood of the City and Paul’s actions were always the same. RACE HAD NO BEARING.
This City needs the experience and sharp mindedness that Paul can bring to the Mayor’s Office.
Tom McGreal
As right as rain John. Soon we will know. And even though you have had some great fill-ins, it’s good to have you back.
I read online Trib article that Johnson owed over $4000 in overdue water bills and $100’s of unpaid tickets. This from someone who makes over $175,000 a year. During the debates when Vallas would point out that Johnson never managed a budget, Johnson became very angry and said he voted for the county budgets and that gave him experience with budgets. But if he can’t even manage his personal budget how will he do with the Billions of the City budget? When these overdue bills were made public, he immediately paid them. What’s the old saying,”that someone’s character is what they do when no one’s looking”. I have not seen this in any of the print media or on television. I would think that this in something that the voters should be made aware of before the election.
Johnson is reportedly making salarie(s)of about two hundred grand a year. Has to get on the payment plan to pay off a three thousand dollar water bill. Chris Rock couldn’t come up with a better joke than that! He’ll make a great mayor.
Actually Mr. Diaz I think Mr. Johnson can use his 3K in arrears to his advantage. Namely he can claim like many working folk, he is squeezed by vicious capitalism. He – unlike Mr. Vallas – is a “man of the people”. And his own personal predicament shows the vital need for redistribution … it just is not fair that all that money goes to rich folks and leaves him in debt. Why even pulling in almost $200K thesis days is in reality slightly above minimum wage. So yeah, in the upside down world of the modern marxist socialist, his own “budget predicament” will serve him well. And yes, in that sense, for many he will make a great Mayor. Unfortunately I fear that will be the outcome on April 4th.
Big f((*^^ing deal . So Brandon Johnson and others are shouting racist things, threatening race riots – this has been par for the course in our city and our country since ~ 1965.
I worked as a 7th grade public school teacher in Brooklyn 1985-86 yeah I got called a lot of names, “Racist” was one of the more milder names.
Too many American Conservatives are cowards, soft – break down in tears after being called a few names. Race hustlers like Rev (not) Al Sharpton always play the race card, threaten Black riots if they don’t get want they want ($ Blackmail) – things like fixed show trials of George Zimmerman (Saint Trayvon Martin NOT!), Special prosecutor against honest policemen like Ferguson MO officer Wilson (Hands up don’t shoot, more like pants up don’t loot).
We need battle tested adult men and women who will support us to now stand up to the BLM, Antifa, CTU, George Soros (yeah I dared mention his name, thus I can’t work for the Tribune) NGOs, the CNN, MSNBC, NYTimes, Chi Tribune Lugenpresse/lying press.
This isn’t a polite Libertarian College debate – we are dealing with criminal Leftist, Maoist BLM mob terror pushing for mob/oligarch rule in Chicago and pretty much all our cities.
We need to stand and deliver.
JR
Left Behind in Chicago
Enrique Diaz: I love your comment: “Riga Tony, Tony Baloney, Tony the Phony.”
Don’t forget that Tony Cesare is a felonious identity thief.
Kass will eventually block him. Then we can all celebrate.
Using the criminal justice system for political revenge is nothing new. It occurred in DuPage County in the mid 1970’s in the case of People v. Savaiano, where a special prosecutor reversed phrases in a statute in jury instructions to turn a specific intent crime, i.e. attempt, into a non intent crime, with the Court’s permission and the defense lawyer’s consent. The defense lawyer was then rewarded for his cooperation by being appointed to an Associate Judge position. God then intervened and the defense lawyer died before taking office.
Excellent, powerful column.
Racial politics is demeaning. Yes, at one time the Irish were treated like dogs, and, so too were Italians, Greeks, Chinese, Poles, Blacks, Arabs and too many other ethnic groups to mention. Today the blatant crime all over Chicago is sickening. Adults and children are mugged, carjacked, looted, maimed and killed everyday. Hearts are broken and people cry. Tears have no color. We all have choices. Vote.
The election is over and it’s a sad day for Chicago. We fled to Dallas, but I still care deeply about Chicago and am heartbroken to see that Vallas lost. I wonder if it’s time to stop torturing myself by reading your columns and listening to your podcast (and reading CWB) and just cut the cord and move on. But I love your columns and the work you do, so I’ll continue to stay informed. The bright side: I have confirmation that we made the correct decision to leave.