Jacobin is a leading Socialist site. From the article: “The Chicago Teachers Union is choosing its leadership this week. A reelection of the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators would mean a commitment to more of the militant teacher unionism that has reshaped Chicago and inspired educators around the country.”

Outgoing mayor Rahm Emanuel presents his city as a leader in police reform and crime reduction by comparing it with . . . Baltimore.

Outgoing city Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown is putting a number on the 2020 budget shortfall: $740 million, give or take—effectively confirming Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot’s concern that the city faces a “dire” financial situation.

Brown attributes the huge projected deficit, which is even higher than many analysts had expected, to a combination of factors, including the city’s move to quit borrowing funds that should come out of current spending, and an actual negative rate of return—yes, a negative rate of return—on pension investments in the year ended Dec. 31.

A higher real estate transfer tax for the wealthy, immediate $15 minimum wage, community benefits agreement for Obama Center and strengthened sanctuary city law.

• Keep Chicago safe — and young people occupied — by “flooding the zone” over Memorial Day weekend.

• Prepare a budget that’s certain to include painful cuts and tax increases to satisfy a $277 million spike in pension payments and a budget shortfall more “dire” than she anticipated.

• Build more affordable housing to stem Chicago’s population losses.

• Bring equity to an overly-punitive ticketing policy that has unfairly targeted minority motorists and forced thousands into bankruptcy.

• Level a playing field tilted in favor of Uber, Lyft and Via by: dramatically increasing ride-hailing fees; imposing a New York-style

Coming in at a time when the city reportedly faces a 2020 budget hole of $740 million or more will be Jeannie Huang Bennett, now CFO at Chicago Public Schools, who will hold the same post with the city. Joining her as budget director will be Susie Park, now deputy chief of the police department’s Bureau of Organizational Development.

The first thing is to drop the public relations hammer on Emanuel’s handling of Chicago’s finances. Hammer him hard, loudly and relentlessly for his secretive ways so that he shrieks, and so that the people of Chicago know just how bad things are.

The second thing is that she must leverage reform allies into Chicago City Council committee chairmanships — in the key committees of Finance, Budget and Zoning — to begin erasing the legacy of Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, the longtime former Finance Committee chairman who stubbornly clings on as the feds build their case against him.

By Chicago’s outgoing Chief Financial Officer. Presented without comment.