The Rundown: Johnson backs away from $12 billion tax plan

Plus, Satanists sue Chicago. Here’s what you need to know today.

BJI
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson raises the gavel to end the city council's meeting and his inauguration Monday, May 15, 2023, in Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast / AP
BJI
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson raises the gavel to end the city council's meeting and his inauguration Monday, May 15, 2023, in Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

The Rundown: Johnson backs away from $12 billion tax plan

Plus, Satanists sue Chicago. Here’s what you need to know today.

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Good afternoon! I desperately need a haircut. My current look is: “A.V. club kid from the ’90s who took their authority over VHS players way too seriously.” Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

1. The Johnson administration distances itself from a $12 billion tax plan proposed by allies

The $12 billion tax proposal, which includes a city income tax and cuts to the Chicago Police Department, has “nothing to do” with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plans, said Jason Lee, a senior adviser to the mayor.

In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Lee said the mayor has already laid out an $800 million tax proposal that is “based on our kind of sober analysis of what might be feasible.”

The rival $12 billion plan, titled “First We Get The Money,” a reference from the movie Scarface, was unveiled this week by the Action Center on Race & the Economy and the People’s Unity Platform, two groups with strong ties to the Chicago Teachers Union. And it was co-authored by a member of Johnson’s transition team.

As my colleague Fran Spielman reports, the “First We Get The Money” proposal includes key differences on city spending, such as reducing the Police Department’s $1.94 billion budget by 9% more, or $174 million.

Johnson, however, has vowed to not cut “one penny” from the police budget. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. Chicago closed 50 schools a decade ago. More than half remain unused.

Next week marks 10 years since the Chicago Board of Education voted to close a record number of public schools as it faced a $1 billion budget shortfall.

“The city of Chicago has an opportunity to use these facilities to revitalize our economy in key areas and expand opportunity for Chicagoans in our neighborhoods,” said then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

But 10 years later, that promise rings hollow. A Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ investigation found more than half the buildings shuttered in 2013 are still not in use. [Chicago Sun-Times]

The Sun-Times and WBEZ are also looking at other promises made by city officials as they built their argument for closing the schools.

They said students would be better off after their schools were closed, their new schools would be transformed and former school buildings would be reborn as community assets.

Today, these promises largely remain unfulfilled, and officials haven’t tracked the outcomes. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Chicago’s population dipped, but it’s still the third largest city in the U.S.

The city lost about 81,000 people from 2020 to 2022, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s just under 3% of the city’s population.

But Chicago remains the third largest city behind New York City and Los Angeles, and Houston retained its fourth place, reports the Chicago Tribune.

“The census also estimates that Illinois lost more than 230,000 people, or about 1.8%, in that time,” the Tribune reports.

“Much of the reported decline — about 176,000 — came in the Chicago metropolitan area, which covers 14 counties including Cook and the collar counties, and extends into Indiana and Wisconsin.” [Chicago Tribune]

4. Satanists seek to say ‘hail Satan’ at City Council meetings

The Satanic Temple this month sued the city, arguing its First Amendment rights are being violated because the City Council refuses to allow the group to give an invocation at the beginning of meetings, reports Block Club Chicago.

The Satanic Temple Illinois initially asked about giving an invocation in December 2019, Minister of Satan Adam Vavrick told Block Club. He says city officials have ignored his requests, forcing him to take the city to court.

Vavrick said he spoke with Ald. Daniel La Spata, a Democratic Socialist representing the 1st Ward.

La Spata, who declined to comment, wrote an email to city officials saying he did not support Vavrick’s request, Block Club reports.

“Once I learned that he wanted to end his convocation with ‘Hail Satan’ it ceased being something I could support,” La Spata wrote in the email. “For all of my desire to be inclusive, that would be a betrayal of my personal faith.” [Block Club Chicago]

5. It’s farmers market season

And you could literally go to a farmers market every day of the week in the Chicago area.

WBEZ updated its guide to 80 local markets, which typically open anywhere from mid-May to June. The guide is broken down by day of the week and region.

Each listing includes the market’s hours of operation, location and any extras, such as live music and on-site food trucks. A dog emoji next to the name of a market means pets are welcome.

The guide also includes a zoomable, searchable map if you’re more of a visual kind of person like me. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to officially enter the 2024 presidential race next week. [Washington Post]
  • Montana became the first state to ban TikTok. [NPR]
  • Here are four things to know about Victor Wembanyama, the top NBA prospect since LeBron James. [NPR]
  • Deep-sea researchers have completed the first full-sized digital scan of the Titanic. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

This week’s episode of Making examines Jordan Peele’s amazing transformation from a college puppetry major to comedian to acclaimed filmmaker.

“Jordan Peele was a kid who fell in love with horror movies,” says host Brandon Pope. “He was fascinated with movies like Rosemary’s Baby and A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Pope discusses Peele’s epic career with Rebecca Drysdal, a friend and classmate of Peele’s; Peele’s early collaborator Brendan Hunt and cultural critic Aisha Harris. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What is one of your favorite pets?

Deborah Owen writes about her favorite dog, Ruby:

“The best Cavalier King Charles ever. He truly thought he was my son and a true human member of our family. He ignored other animals, including cats.

“One day we were walking and he was minding his own business when we came upon a cat. The cat was startled and when they realized he wasn’t paying attention to the cat, who walked right over and slapped him in the face.

“Ruby turned around to me and looked at me like what just happened and what was I going to do about it! Still cracks me up! Everywhere we went he won the hearts of everyone for the whole of the 13 years he lived!”

And Ann Dvoretsky writes:

“I’ve had a lot of wonderful pets over the years, but my favorite pet is my rat Max. He only lived for about three years, but his personality was larger than life.

“I made a special purse to carry him around with me, and he went on a lot of adventures in the city. He also escaped the apartment one day and I thought he was gone forever, but it turned out that he just went to visit our landlord’s brothers working in the basement, sitting up on his hind legs and begging for treats! I had to lure him home with a piece of very nice Italian salami.

“He was such a smart and fun little guy, he knew his name and he loved to be cuddled and his tummy rubbed. I also made him little vests and he would wear them. (I like to think that he enjoyed them.) I still miss him!”

Feel free to email me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.