“The money for the Red Line is probably one of the leading factors. … Carter has connections and influence. He’s somebody who has Washington ties. He can make that kind of introduction easier for Brandon,” said veteran political consultant Delmarie Cobb.

But it remains to be seen if the proposal will earn support from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who hasn’t pushed for ethics and transparency reforms as speedily as his predecessors.

One business owner said they have been targeted numerous times. “Nothing seems to be stopping,” said Scott Hoffman. “Everything seems to be, if nothing else, escalating.”

The scene at Daley Plaza served as a prelude to the Democratic National Convention, serving as a test for law enforcement’s ability to manage potentially volatile situations in the city.

“From policies on public safety, Chicago Public Schools, migrants and handling businesses, Johnson has followed through on what he said he would do. Unfortunately, that’s come at the expense of making citywide problems worse, especially for poor Black communities Johnson claims to represent.”

“Our small business community members have been, and continue to be, the backbone of our great city. The economic benefits yielded from the convention provide a prime opportunity to keep uplifting our ma-and-pa shops.”

Convention leaders have brushed off concerns that an influx of arrivals would affect the massive event, but Johnson said his administration is planning as best they can: “We are clearing out and decompressing shelters to create more room. We will have spaces if we have to, at a moment’s notice, open. We’ll be prepared to the best of our abilities. Now, look – there are some things that are beyond our control. We don’t know how many buses are going to come.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson says he wants to focus more on the root causes of violence. But, former Schools Chief and mayoral candidate Paul Vallas says you can not do that without improving and using the schools.

When Chicago hosted it’s last convention in 1996, the police department here was comprised of 13,032 sworn officers. This August the number will be far fewer: nearly 1,500 fewer officers available to keep the peace than in 1996. The last official count of CPD sworn officer is 11,591. That is 1,150 below what the city is budgeted to hire.

Similar situations have occurred in other parts of town recently. But this was the first time it had happened in the 50th Ward – and in a predominantly Jewish community in West Ridge.

The Dolton trustees opposed to Mayor Tiffany Henyard said she has missed 25 of the special meetings and refuses to allow some business to be put on the agenda for the village’s regular meetings. Trustee Brittney Norwood said, “Where we have an entire quorum here, and we’re waiting while the administration adds makeup and gets dressed, and it’s just not fair.”

“The union wants to preserve a school system, in terms of number of schools and amount of jobs, built to serve a far larger student population than it does.”

Researchers noted that parents and others don’t blame teachers but rather see the lack of learning as an effect of poverty and other challenges affecting students. Some 71 percent of Chicago Public Schools students come from low-income families. Still, poll respondents say leaders are more caught up in petty political battles than on what is best for children. They are not confident money is being spent effectively.

There were not big differences in opinions between races and ethnicities, though parents were more supportive of school choice than nonparents.

Over the weekend, more than a dozen Northwestern students worked together to put up 1,200 flags for roughly each person who died in the Hamas attack on October 7, and marking Israel’s Memorial Day. Jewish student Samuel Feldman said when he returned to see the flags hours later, he saw someone ripping them out.