In four weeks Chicagoans will go to the polls to select their new mayor in a run-off election. If they elect Paul Vallas, there’s a chance that the city may start the long healing process. But if Brandon Johnson gets the nod — say goodbye to a once-great city.

Former Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass quipped that there are four critical issues facing Chicago: crime, crime, crime, and crime. However, I would also add into the mix the debacle called the Chicago Public Schools. Because one important vehicle in stemming the rot in the city is education.

But Brandon Johnson would be an utter disaster if he were in charge of both.

Brandon Johnson Excused Looting

A Twitter account which follows a Chicago Police scanner found a 2020 video of Brandon Johnson excusing crime. At the time Johnson was a Cook County Commissioner who said that looting was okay because businesses have insurance. Besides, those penniless looters have gotta eat, you know!

Even the hosts interviewing him couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Reminder Brandon Johnson thought Looting was ok because the Businesses have insurance. Hear it for yourself in the video below. So in other words in a Chicago with Brandon Johnson in charge looting would be okay and more Businesses would simply just leave causing economy problems .

Reminder Brandon Johnson thought Looting was ok because the Businesses have insurance . Hear it for yourself in the video below . So in other words in a Chicago with Brandon Johnson in charge looting would be okay and more
Businesses would simply just leave causing economy… https://t.co/M6UhQcBLR1 pic.twitter.com/V2MKvkUZlT

— 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner (@CPD1617Scanner) March 1, 2023

A Chicago woman who works in high-end retail tweeted that the looting has been so bad that associates have had to hide in stock rooms:

I work in luxe retail- the looting was horrible. Do you know we still have incidents where we have to hide in stock rooms? They didn’t take milk & eggs- it was the best luxury imaginable. It must stop. Michigan Ave is a ghost town with retailers fleeing.

She also brought receipts — pictures of the shambles that looters left behind.

Screenshot: @ChicagoBeckyP/Twitter.

And as for the woman’s assertion that retail stores are leaving the city — she’s right. Crain’s Chicago Business reported that the famous Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue had a 30% vacancy rate at the end of 2022. Yes, many retailers are closing brick-and-mortar stores as online shopping flourishes, but a letter writer to the Chicago Sun-Times provided another big reason: theft. He wrote:

If you have rampant retail theft, expect stores to close, and the stores that remain to significantly increase their prices in order to make up for these retail thefts.

But if anyone is expecting Brandon Johnson to beef up the police force to combat looting, they shouldn’t hold their breath. Shortly before last month’s mayoral election, Johnson told reporters that he wants to cut the police budget by at least $150 million. But he’d like to spend billions more on social services.

So how’d that work out in Minneapolis, hmm?

If Brandon Johnson becomes mayor, don’t expect the crime rates to go down. Expect to see more incidents like Monday’s crime spree in downtown Chicago when seven people were robbed. And do expect the bleeding of retail businesses from the city to continue.

Johnson is the BFF of the Chicago Teachers Union

Brandon Johnson, an “educator,” is an employee of the Chicago Teachers Union, working as an organizer, er, “legislative coordinator.”  So the CTU, along with the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, rewarded him handsomely — with nearly $2.5 million into his war chest between January 1, 2022 and the February 28, 2023 election. Other union groups chipped in an additional $1.3 million. Individuals and non-union entities only accounted for about $200,000.

And if Johnson wins, CTU will be negotiating its next contract with one of their own. If that happens, Chicagoans can expect expect massive contract demands from the CTU, which Johnson will hand to them.

As for improvements in school performance? That won’t happen. Under the current clout of the CTU, only 21% of Chicago Public School students achieved English/language arts goals in 2020-21 according to testing. Even worse, only 16.6% met proficiency goals in math. At the high school level in 2022, only 21% reached proficiencies in both reading and math.

The CPS is throwing $29,000 per student each year — into the crapper. Moreover, this amount is two to three times the expenditure per student in private, public, charter and parochial schools in neighboring states — and they’re getting better outcomes. As Benjamin Blair, a former social sciences professor (and African-American, to boot) wrote at Chicago Contrarian:

There is no “my truth” in math and reading proficiency. Chicago schools can only hide beyond the facade of gender ideology, equity and anti-racism programs for so long. The real threat is the systematic elimination of academic standards despite a ginormous budget per student which clearly is not having any impact on student proficiency. “DEI,” “equity” and “privilege” rhetoric is simply air cover for a failed educational system in Chicago.

If anyone thinks Brandon Johnson will fix the broken educational system in Chicago, they’re dreaming, because Johnson and the CTU are in bed with each other. Illinois Policy warns of “the precedent created when a union and City Hall meld into one. There would be no one left to represent the people.”

Brandon Johnson vs. the White Guy

In the final results of the mayoral election between nine candidates, Paul Vallas prevailed with a commanding lead of 33%. Brandon Johnson came in far behind, with 21.6%. But lest anyone think that the runoff on April 4 will be a slam dunk for Vallas, well, consider the issue of race.

Lori Lightfoot, who is black and commanded many of the black precincts, came in third with 16.8%. And with the exception of Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, the remaining candidates were also black. So it’s conceivable that if the black residents of Chicago vote on race, taking Lightfoot’s votes along with those of the other candidates, Brandon Johnson just might squeak out a victory over Paul Vallas, the white guy who’s pushing a return to law-and-order.

And don’t forget money from the CTU, along with their influence over Chicago aldermen, either.

I’m just spitballing here, of course. But if Brandon Johnson becomes mayor of Chicago, expect the city to make an even more rapid descent into catastrophe.

Featured image: brandonforchicago.com/cropped.