CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The man Brandon Johnson defeated to become Chicago's Mayor, not surprisingly, has some thoughts on his first year in office.
It was Brandon Johnson who emerged victorious in last year’s mayoral runoff. Now, with the anniversary of the inaugural upon us, runner-up Paul Vallas says Chicago got the kind of Mayor the people who voted against him thought they would get.
“We’re getting a failed teacher who became a union organizer, who, incidentally, was handpicked by Stacey Davis-Gates and Democratic party boss Toni Preckwinkle, put in the mayor’s office with absolutely no experience, who is literally ideologically captured by the far left ,” Vallas says.
He says Johnson’s office is less open and transparent than Lightfoot or Rahm Emanuel were.
Vallas has been most outspoken about Johnson and crime.
“He’s filling police vacancies by eliminating them,” observes Vallas.
He says that while murders are down, other violent crimes have spiked under Johnson.
“Half of the 9-1-1 calls are responded to in a timely manner because there’s no car available,” says Vallas. “At the end of the day, the violent crime is actually, probably being significantly underreported. Clearly, from a public safety standpoint, I think he’s been a disaster.”
Mayor Johnson says he wants to focus more on the root causes of violence. But, Vallas says you cannot do that without improving and using the schools.
Former Schools Chief Vallas also criticizes Johnson's handling of the Migrant crisis.
Does he think Johnson made any good moves?
Yes, he approves Johnson’s hiring of the City's Chief Financial officer Jill Jaworski, whom Vallas knows.
“She’s brought some financial discipline to the budget, but I see no evidence of any long term financial planning,” Vallas said.
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