Skip the glitz: economic development for Chicago starts with core academic skills, intact families and parenting. – Wirepoints

By: Matt Rosenberg

Chicago needs to get back to basics on growing economic opportunity, and move away from the half-baked glitzy development proposals of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. 

True economic development starts with safe streets, better education, and what results organically from putting human capital development first. Think math, reading, writing and following the law, for starters. You can’t even begin to lift all boats without them. 

Yet under Mayor Lightfoot, circus attractions have come first – while Rome burns.

She recently announced there will be a NASCAR race here in 2023 but failed to consult aldermen, in a city bedeviled by out-of-control late-night drag racing and stunt driving. 

The mayor and Governor J.B. Pritzker are also pitching the Democratic National Committee to hold its 2024 party convention here. If so, we can only hope no delegates fall prey to armed robbers on the streets or on public transit. 

Another marquee project Lightfoot has pushed through is a casino on the near North Side, although it could easily become a magnet for the predators who now rule Chicago’s streets.

Along similar lines, Lightfoot also wants to spend up to $2.2 billion for a Soldier Field improvement plan to keep Chicago’s pro football franchise from straying to Arlington Heights. Admittedly, no mayor could acquiesce to a franchise leaving town. But it’s another prestige play, not the foundational stuff the city really needs. 

All of this sheen, this noise, is a simulation of progress, of forward movement. It’s a hologram of an economic development strategy.

The tone deafness of is stunning. Lightfoot even said of the convention bid, “We’re ready for our close-up.” Of what, Ms. Mayor? Two different CTA riders having to stab attackers in self-defense, one fatally, within less than a week? 

Read the comments on the blithe mayoral Facebook posts about NASCAR, Soldier Field, and the casino. People are angry about their city’s decay and official inaction. The recurring themes commenters raise are crime; and Lightfoot’s cluelessness, misguided priorities, and incompetence. 

To be fair, we’re told that current city EcDev plans will leverage neighborhood assets too. That downtown won’t get all the glory. The Mayor’s “Invest South/West” initiative is a nod in this direction. 

One illustrative proposal is to transform a vacant West Side bank into a project with housing, a café, a museum, a business incubator, and a community plaza. Net positives, sure, compared to an empty building. But window dressing in the end when kids nearby can barely read, write, and compute, and keep shooting at each other. 

Human capital development should be an urgent priority

Real mayoral leadership on economic development would mean always, always championing the importance of two-parent homes, parenting, and values underlying adult success in law-abiding society. In this city where young gangbangers in social media videos boast of who they’ll kill next, it would mean always talking about kids and families making the right moves from the get-go. And consistently highlighting how crucial are fathers and fatherhood, and their responsibility to their children. 

It would mean acknowledging the huge bonus in median household income for those with children who become marriageable and get married. An income bonus that Census data showed is greater for black women than anyone else. Yet official Chicago – government, media, and academia – shun such subjects publicly. 

The mayoral bully pulpit is also where to accentuate the changing nature of work and the demand for higher and better skills. That steel plant, that auto plant where your grandpa with little education made a good wage? It’s dwindling badly, or gone. Instead, how about enrolling in a drone pilot training program after high school? You could be earning $64,000 within a few years. Legally. After that, you can fly higher. 

These sorts of careers, and ones in the construction trades, are why K-12 math and reading matter. Why persistence and punctuality matter. Why resisting street culture matters. Why engaged parenting – by two married parents – matters. 

No way forward without core academic skills

Education in Illinois must come to mean, first of all, that K-12 students master the core academic skills. Yet Illinois Report Card results from the last pre-Covid year of 2019 show that across grades K-12, of Chicago students in government schools (p. 26, here) only 27 percent of those tested could clear the proficiency benchmark in English Language Arts, and only 24 percent on math. For black Chicago K-12 students in government schools, just 17 percent tested in English and 13 percent tested in math could clear the proficiency bar. This is shameful and badly hinders progress. You just can’t decouple failing city schools from economic development. 

Chicago and Illinois need school vouchers so that regardless of income, families can get real help paying private school tuition. Competition in education is fruitful. Choice is supposed to be an urgent matter, right? Vouchers are now legal to implement in Illinois and nationwide. Government schools are failing dramatically in towns across Illinois, as Wirepoints recently documented. Again: economic development starts with human capital development. Illinois is squandering too much of its human capital. 

A better Chicago

People see what’s going on in the city. Former Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson in a recent Sun-Times interview, said, “In every generation, one or two cities, because of broader circumstances, tips over to the wrong side, and goes into a period of decline. Chicago is at risk of that unless it attends to its chronic ills immediately.” Of the city’s political leadership, he said, “…competency to me is a big issue.” 

Let’s unpack Ferguson’s wise words. To me, “broader circumstances” include lax parental engagement which helps to drive disparate outcomes by race. There are ways to fix that. Ways that start at home. 

Ferguson also mentioned the city’s “chronic ills.” And clarified the city’s top three issues are “crime, crime, and crime.” Point taken. There is fear on the streets. There are miniscule arrest rates, escalating carjackings and rising car thefts. Add in violent misdeeds on public transit, unhinged attacks on police, trouble responding to high-priority 911 service calls and fast declining police manpower. They know nobody’s got their back. The city’s dashboard on sworn officers shows their number dropped from 13,353 in January of 2019 to 11,628 by July 1 of this year.

Lastly, and it bears repeating, he stressed the glaring need for greater competence in Chicago’s governance. 

There’s another city I’m familiar with, Seattle – that has also been wracked with ugly violent crime, rampant public disorder including attacks on police, political speech codes, and an incompetent governing class. And there I noticed the yard sign of one local candidate in 2021. It said simply, “Had Enough?” She won.

I see a similar catch-phrase, maybe, for candidates who can drive Chicago out of the ditch it’s in. 

Something like this: “Competence. It’s now or never.”

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James Dwyer
1 year ago

Well, the great John Kass often talks about the combine that has run Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois. It is the Democrat Party that is supported by a weak and compliant Republican Party. The Glizt has been part of this state for decades. Remember that the Bears threatened to move to Northwest Indiana to become the Munsters of the Midway. Then, after the combine lined up it construction contributors, the city agreed to rebuild Soldier Field. Don’t forget how there would never be legal gambling until Jim Thompson’s buddies lined up to get the River Boat leases.… Read more »

James Watkins
1 year ago

Thank you for this excellent article. You are right on the money. The Lightfoot/Foxx regime has done damage to Chicago. As for fatherless homes, I have thought for decades that the government did welfare backwards. Instead of offering massive cash incentives not to get married, to have children out-of-wedlock, and bar fathers from homes, welfare should only be available to intact married families with children. If we are going subsidize something, let it be something good.

Rich Lindberg
1 year ago

Bread and circuses will not float the sinking boat. An interesting article in the Tribune today discusses the situation in Haiti where the street gangs have evolved into para-military armed units destroying homes with a military arsenal and seizing control of the economy and government offices. If that can happen now how many more decades will pass before we see that happening in the US? The fact that ordinary citizens cannot walk the downtown streets for fear of some gangster assaulting them or hijacking their car suggests that we are approaching that kind of relentless anarchy.

debtsor
1 year ago
Reply to  Rich Lindberg

Chicago is not Haiti. But we’ve seen this movie before, it’s called 1970’s, the 1990’s, it is a decade or two of blight, high crime, drug wars and gangs. IL will quickly repeal the ‘no bail law’ and penalties for crime will increase, and all but the most woke in society will come to the conclusion that the push for equity during the 2020’s was a complete failure, and no one will want anything to do with it.

Kathie Mahoney
1 year ago

I have been thinking about this article all night. Where is the money for all this going to come from? We already have NASCAResque races here anyways. Who needs NASCR in Chicago? This is not economic development. This is fluff. Who is going to go to Soldiers Field, a casino or any other event if you can’t walk the streets? Crime is out of control in Chicago. I wouldn’t go to any of these events because you can’t get there safely! Jesus H. Christ, Marxists are the worst.

Bobbi
1 year ago

Lightfoot passes out marshmallows, while the city burns.

vonderhammer
1 year ago

Matt Rosenberg’s final sentence is the pivot point for Chicago. Although it won’t make the bumper stickers, “Competence …. Not Corruption” may make a better tag line. Just taking the three highly visible projects at face value, Soldier Field, NASCAR, and a Casino, the ongoing economic benefits contributing to the vitality of the city are ephemeral. As in other cities and other “Public/Private Partnerships”, the public typically pays for these projects and the private groups profit. Leakage by any other name under the guise of “Civic Pride” rarely, if ever delivers the promise of economic development. This phenomenon can be… Read more »

Stone Washington
1 year ago

Very nice read. Does well to shed light on the “tale of two cities” dynamic in Chicago, with out-of-touch mayor Lightfoot and Gov. Pritzker considering spending large sums of money on lavish/random projects that do absolutely nothing to address the city’s metastasizing problems. All the while, the real issues that need urgent attention (declining test scores, crumbling public schools, major spikes in crime, high police attrition) go virtually unanswered when it comes to requisite funding.

Victoria Taft
1 year ago

Good points. Also, and most fundamentally, when people feel safe they thrive. Lightfoot’s first job is to keep the peace. Her first job is keeping her city safe and put bad guys away. On that measurement she’s an utter failure.

Molly
1 year ago

Lightfoot’s gimmicks put me in mind of the days preceding the fall of Rome.

JimBob
1 year ago

What I observe is that when you put an “attraction” in the city you have to establish a perimeter of safety for the people who get “attracted.” This means a police presence providing temporary order and safety for the few while leaving the rest of the city even less protected. These attractions are of course bond financed so there is no lack of encouragement from the frenzy-feeding financial sector, stroking the politicians while pocketing up-front fees. White Elephants I think they’re called. And they are emblematic of the short-term opportunistic thinking that politicians have tried since before the fall of… Read more »

Doug
1 year ago

Lightfoot is swinging for the fences to mask her and her party’s total failure at the fundamentals. They can’t turn a double play, hit the cutoff man or even run out a ground ball. Her team will brag about losing 12-1 because of one long ball. A domed stadium or street race isn’t going to fix anything. Fundamentals: Marriage. Mom AND Dad. RRR. Grammar. Manners. Etiquette. Work ethic. Notice how every one of those American virtues has been deemed racist by the people and party presiding over the systemic breakdown of society.

Steve B.
1 year ago

Back in 2004 Alan Keyes ran for Senator sounding these very themes. He lost badly to Barack Obama. Illinoisans have been voting for the worst candidates, with few exceptions, ever since. Keyes was right then, and Matt Rosenberg is right now. Government should stick to the basics, starting with keeping the peace. Economic development will follow.

Bobbi
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve B.

Let’s not forget the Ryan was ousted in that race- to grease Obama’s win. Keyes was a Republican signal that they are ruled by the Dems in this state. The rest is history.

debtsor
1 year ago
Reply to  Bobbi

Obama was elected because of Seven of Nine aka Jerri Ryan, Jack Ryan’s wife, in her infinite wisdom, she allowed her California lawyers to insert unsubstantiated allegations that he tried to take her to swingers clubs on a handful of occasions. Ryan denied the allegations saying that they visited on avant guarde club one time but left shortly thereafter. She was famous, her ex-husband had political aspirations, why would she let her lawyers put that into a court document? It’s not relevant to anything? It tanked Jack Ryan’s decent shot at winning the election, and set Obama up a few… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by debtsor
debtsor
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve B.

I remember the Keyes debacle clearly. The Republican party couldn’t get anybody to run against Obama. The National party had completely abandoned Peter Fitzgerald and Republicans in IL entirely and that’s why Fitzgerald said he wasn’t going to run again, even though he had just beat Carol Mosley Braun a few years earlier.

Steve Harvey
1 year ago

Unlike the current arrogant and autocratic mayor of Chicago, Matt Rosenberg offers solutions to restore the once great city to its former glory; encourage and support the traditional, law abiding family, emphasize education that ensures success in today’s economy. Instead, the mayor is pushing expensive projects that may give her ego some momentary glory she so diligently seeks but will do nothing to improve the lives of ordinary Chicagoans.

Tom Lauterback
1 year ago

She is the mistress of distraction rather than an effective leader of our country’s third largest. Auto race, eh? I’ll spare you the stereotypes and try to focus on such an event and its impact on Chicago. Of course there would be an immediate economic, with fans coming from other states, thus requiring hotel rooms and food. Taxes on top of taxes… So that’s why the race is being planned? Not even close, although “where’s mine?” Is one of the three guiding principles of Chicago politics. Mayor Lightfoot will have an untapped pile of cash to parcel out to the… Read more »

David Pearling
1 year ago

My jaw dropped when I read that that Mayor Lori Lightfoot intends to distract the people of Chicago with a NASCAR race, a dome on Soldier Field, and a casino. Her disparate cynicism knows no bounds.  But after I thought about for a minute, I changed my mind. After all, the people of Chicago are so out of touch that they inexplicably elected her. Lori Lightfoot? Seriously?  Yes, she will probably get away with these preposterous ideas.  Of course, she has the “presstocricy” in her pocket. The print and broadcast media in Chicago are mostly staffed by nitwits. They do little… Read more »

David E. Shellenberger
1 year ago

To politicians and their cronies, “economic development” means plundering the rest of us to pay for dubious projects.

Regarding crime, one cause is the existence of welfare. See, e.g., “Relationship Between the Welfare State and Crime” (6-7-95) by Michael D. Tanner, https://www.cato.org/testimony/relationship-between-welfare-state-crime-0.

Concerning education, I advocate a free market, ending all government involvement.

Gary
1 year ago

From your typewriter to God’s ears! This situation seems hopeless.

Karen
1 year ago

Lori Lightfoot seems incapable of recognizing many truths. Is she in denial? Actually, I think she is so tied to her Utopian ideology that she is incapable of seeing the real problems and/or real solutions. and I contend it all starts with PARENTS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY and SCHOOLS THAT ACTUALLY EDUCATE. CPS is an incubator for perpetual children who , although they may be capable of learing life skills and responsibility, actually learn nothing but indoctrination–thus ensuring they are on the path to victimhood that Lori Lightfoot is still on, herself. I grew up loving this city, loving its diversity, exploring… Read more »

ChicagoGooby
1 year ago

Well said, but it starts with tough on crime. If security/police can chase aggressively arrest the fence jumpers atLolla but cops are told by Lori and (the worst) Superintendent of Police no chasing criminals…….glad my kids are past the Lola phase and no family members visiting Chicago this weekend.

David Esau
1 year ago

The mayor is toast and doesn’t seem to mind that mild annoyance. Radically affected mental state should seldom be considered an asset.

jan velasquez
1 year ago

Sorry mayor/governor, or whatever Lori: her plans are for crap, on this Matt and I agree. Yet we agree on much more despite being on different sides of the political fence. The BUSINESS of Chicago IS BUSINESS. It is not sports teams, ferry boats, or other non-business bread & circuses foolishness. When you leave your focus to drift from that fact you have lost your anchor! Being the center of the Nation and the former hub of economic glory, it is in the most ideal spot in the Nation to take advantage of: geography & natural plus human resources is… Read more »

Ann
1 year ago

NASCAR when drag racing is a problem. Let’s not forget the 6 MPH over the speed limit fine which is bringing in big money. The only problem is Lori is exempt from that. A casino to create revenue will only result in people who have no money have less money. My thought is those 8000 people getting their no strings attached $500 a month may go to the casino. That program alone is 4 million a month and 48 million for the year. Kids were out of school for 2 straight years. I don’t understand why Lori is not concerned… Read more »

Agatha
1 year ago

For Chicago to survive perhaps, it needs to fall and then rise again from the ashes of the current administration.
The leadership has failed to put children and families 1st. No society survives for long without Strong families which produce strong children.

Mark Felt
1 year ago

Government does not measure success by the results they achieve, they measure it by the amount of money spent, regardless of the results. Until you can change this mind set you may as well throw this money into an incinerator.

Shawn Mitchell
1 year ago

“True economic development starts with safe streets, better education, and economic opportunities that result organically from putting human capital development first.” What an absurd notion. It sounds like you believe economic and vitality are built on a solid foundation of safe streets, stable homes, and well educated workers. Nonsense. Everybody knows that strong downtowns are built on glitz and glamour, press releases, headlines, and celebrity buzz. Sadly, Chicago is teaching the same lesson that once desirable cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, even New York are projecting to the nation: “Progressive” thinking is actually regressive, and exacts an awful toll… Read more »

Bob
1 year ago

For the life of me, I cannot understand why all you folks are Supprised at the Mayor’s sudden Largess. A Dome for the NOW CALLED SOLDIER FIELD- SOON TO BE THE THUNDERDOOM IF THEY PAY ENOUGH CASH.NASCAR RACING THROUGH THE STREETS. DUH SHE’S TRYING TO GET YOUR MIND.OFF HER HORRENDOUS LEADERSHIP, FREE BICYCLES AND HELMETS FOR 500-PEOPLE-FREE GAS CARDS FOR THE MASSES,500 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THE FINELY SELECTED. NEXT, SHE WILL ANNOUNCE THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS HAS LEFT PAMPLONA AND WILL NOW BE IN CHICAGO. WHEN THE BEARS LEAVE THE THUNDERDOME AT SOLDIER FIELD WILL SPONSOR LIVE DUELS… Read more »

Steven H
1 year ago

There is so much to unpack here. However one old Hillary quote comes to mind, “it takes a village to raise a child.” While of course this is simplistic and should not discount the importance of parents and extended family, nonetheless, it would be nice if LF and JB make at least as much effort respecting the importance of schools and family in working to raise and equip young people to matriculate successfully into society. When such leaders abdicate these essential responsibilities, gangs and such inevitably fill the void for many of our youth to all our loss.

Silverfox
1 year ago

Outstanding, Mr. Rosenberg.  What it comes down to is personal responsibility for  your actions. Responsibility that we used to be taught by our parents, in school and yes, in Church.  You bear personal responsibility for your actions.  There may occasionally be mitigating circumstances, but you bear ultimate responsibility for your own actions.  That doesn’t seem to be a priority any longer in Church (who goes anymore anyway), in schools (where you learn you are a victim), and the family.  The family, the primary teacher, is so fractured that often children don’t know their own fathers.  And they don’t know them because, in the ultimate act… Read more »

Melissa
1 year ago

If you are going to push marriage then 1/2 of the social security credits should go to each partner during the period of marriage.

Ataraxis
1 year ago

Matt has, as usual, hit the nail on the head. He has put the solution for all of Chicago’s problems into a mere five words: “… putting human capital development first”. That’s really it, isn’t it? If that were the overriding goal for all of Chicago’s policies going forward, Chicago might have a chance at a brighter future. But so many of Chicago’s problems are generational or cultural, the leaders so weak and/or corrupt, and the problems so entrenched, that I just can’t see how a new mindset could be implemented, then take hold for the decades needed to make… Read more »

Thomas Mcclaughry
1 year ago

Matt, I’ve lived in Chicago all my life and I can honestly tell you she is the worse mayor…ever…hands down!! Lightfoot has been putting her spin on stories and tales for the last two years and now that elections are coming, she’s trying her best to showcase our city to the world with telling thrm it’s not soooo bad. It’s so very out of order with her ongoing “investing” in the South and West sides that show absolutely no improvement or success. She has bitten the hand that fed Chicagoans with some very nice gifts, Ken of Citadel. She still… Read more »

Vince Middleton
1 year ago

Juvenal pointed out the cost of foregoing their civic duties in return for bread and circuses to the citizens of Rome … now Matt Rosenberg picks up the torch!

Alex
1 year ago

There is quite a bit of splashy activity but not very much substantive action. Does a NASCAR race compensate for firms leaving town? Does a party convention encourage small business owners that the city services they fund are up to par? The “problem” with addressing the core issues – and the scare quotes are intentional – is that 1) it’s hard work rather than photo ops, 2) the rule class has to do some serious cost/benefit analysis and weigh results over intent, and 3) there will be pushback from the aggrieved and offended whose livelihoods rest in the chaos and… Read more »

James Stramaglia
1 year ago

You’ve hit paydirt with this one, Matt! “Had Enough?” This is spot on what all Chicagoans and those of us in the suburbs feel about our once great city. You have catalogued the failures, the nonsense proposals, and where we need to go to spur economic development. Thank you for your thought provoking words – I for one have “Had enough!”

Jerald L Dyson
1 year ago

Abject failure at all levels is really the only way to describe decades of Democrat leadership. There are too many examples to name…sadly, where are any successes??? Name one? But saddest by far is the failure to educate young people. Chicago spends more per pupil than most large cities (or so I have heard). Where is the money going? What is the result? The money is going into CPS coffers, and the result is that the system is churning out a population of students that cannot read or write, add or subtract. Of course, as night follows day, the uneducated… Read more »

Aaron
1 year ago
Reply to  Jerald L Dyson

“Abject failure” is the point.

Lin Cappozzo
1 year ago

When someone shows who they are believe them. Lori has done just that. She can drop an f bomb. She can state to the opposite sex she has a bigger one. She stated she will only answer questions from black reporters. Are we then surprised she can’t fix anything? Really? NASCAR being bought here is crazy and dangerous. Can she guarantee their safety? Can she guarantee no drive by shootings? What is her plan to protect those cars when no one is in them? Or the safety of the drivers if they wish to explore the city? If one doesn’t… Read more »

Tim Favero
1 year ago

Spending $2.2 billion on a stadium that has outlived its usefulness is a terrible waste of taxpayer funds. Besides, the Bears are already gone. Lightfoot’s inability to control or her lack of acknowledgment of the rising crime in Chicago is dereliction of duty on her part. Her lack of priorities in making education a priority, keeping families together, and the rise in crime, especially shootings, makes her unfit for office. The NASCAR race in 2023 and trying to get the Democratic National Convention in Chicago are like putting lipstick on a pig. They aren’t helping the city’s poor. The property… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by Tim Favero
Con
1 year ago

I cannot agree more that economic development starts with a stable two-parent family.

David C
1 year ago

I went to Chicago public schools in South Shore through eighth grade. Surveying the high school landscape in 1972 my number 1 concern was physical survival. I looked around and all the public options available at that time appeared to be quite scary. The solution was my mom got a job as a secretary at the University of Chicago and I went to U of C lab for high school. That seemed like a place I would have a good probability of surviving 4 years. The quality of education was a nice additional benefit. For most kids in Chicago today… Read more »

Hale L DeMar
1 year ago
Reply to  David C

Nieces and nephews attended Lab School, Dad a Doc at U of C. The indigents, gang bangers and nerdewells couldn’t have cared less that the Doctors kids were educated, civilized and affluent. Hyde Park, about as safe as Central Park after midnight. This god damned city is Finished; high rises, mansions or bungalows, leaving home is a god damn gamble.

David Esau
1 year ago

Mayor Makes the Grade

This plan is installed backwards. The wheels came off before it was submitted. Any push toward “further development” is certifiably Grade-A Nuts.

Neil Chernoff
1 year ago

Good analysis. Bread and circuses over substance.

But, the bottom line is that as long as the voters choose the same people and policies, nothing will change. It will get worse. You get what you vote for.

JackBolly
1 year ago

It’s too late – Chicago and IL are unfixable. All this may have had a chance before the people of Chicago handed the keys of the city to Obama’s henchman.

Hale L DeMar
1 year ago

Another cogent analysis of the state of affairs in Chicago Matt, always ‘spot on’ from you. I can’t help but acknowledge that we’ve become another Detroit, another Baltimore, just another urban environment that’s been lost ! It’s not transitory …. it’s not correctable, redeemable or salvageable. The only possible selfish resolution is departure and avoidance to the extent possible. All the king’s’ horses, and all the king’s men won’t be able to put these urban ghettos back together again. Best we resign ourselves to the obvious and insulate ourselves to the extent possible At least you have Seattle !

1 year ago
Reply to  Hale L DeMar

Only in the summer, Hale. I will be back and looking to have some smoked sable and chicken kreplach soup with you somewhere suitable. And actually you have put your finger on a raging debate of sorts. Must. Turn, Away. Granted, that’s one response to the dysfunction and sociopathy of our nation’s biggest cities including Chicago. The other response is as in that old Tarrytown cigarettes ad from the 60s and 70s. You know: the one with a picture of a guy with a black eye. The tagline was, “I’d rather fight than switch.” You know better than most the… Read more »

Jay
1 year ago
Reply to  Matt Rosenberg

YES, the duality! Friends who poo-poo my reticence at driving into the city for almost anything say, ‘..well, they haven’t shut anything down, have they?’ That’s not the point. Pottersville is still rockin’ & rollin’. But when you walk to your car to drive home, you might get robbed, or worse, definitely a much higher probability than even 10 years ago. Or even IN your car. Occasionally I REALLY l get a taste for a Jim’s Original Polish with grilled onions–I can smell it now!–but I just don’t think I want it as my last meal… Just think of what… Read more »

Trixieloo
1 year ago

I think mayor Lightfoot has given up on the major issues in the city (although she certainly didn’t try very hard) by trying to divert from the problems by pumping up NASCAR, soldier Field, gambling casinos. She wants to be remembered for all the superficial “upgrades”. Meanwhile, the city of Chicago is a free-for-all. Does she think people really want to come into the city for all the glorious wonders she’s going to create? Tourism is definitely going to take a hit. I would definitely tell most people coming from out of town to change their plans. Not worth the… Read more »

ron
1 year ago

There was a time when the Teamsters had control of the trucking business in the US, now they don’t: and it is much better this way. So likewise the the teachers unions will be dissolved, and education will be better off.

Preston
1 year ago

Wirepoints readers, perhaps you haven’t noticed it, but I have: Matt Rosenberg nails it, once again. I confess to looking forward to seeing what he has to say, and it’s always engaging, intelligent, and an incredibly good read. Besides all that, his comments are always on track, and have traction. Absorb what he writes, assimilate it, and make it a part of your conversation. Well worth the effort.

Platinum Goose
1 year ago
Reply to  Preston

Gosh, Matt sure does have a lot of relatives that post here. Honestly though he is a good addition to Wirepoints.

1 year ago
Reply to  Platinum Goose

Actually, not a one. I appreciate the positive reviews but what I think any online writer appreciates the most are those comments which are next-level value-adds to the subject matter at hand. And there’s a lot of that across posts on all sorts of topics at Wirepoints. That’s a huge credit to our community.

Last edited 1 year ago by Matt Rosenberg
Preston
1 year ago
Reply to  Matt Rosenberg

When I wrote my initial comment above, I knew it was quite possible for some people to think I was a shill for you. However, that is not the case. For those who are interested, while I have never personally met Matt Rosenberg, truth be told I have participated in a zoom discussion with him on one occasion. That is the extent of my direct, first-hand knowledge of him. Those who know me understand I consider myself an encourager… That is I like to encourage people who do good things, to do them more, and more often. I appreciate excellence,… Read more »

Dan
1 year ago

Lightfoot needs a Dorothy to expose her shenanigans. Otherwise, she’ll continue to emulate the Wizard of Oz before he got busted. Smoke and mirrors s no way to govern, Beetlejuice.

Kani
1 year ago

Diversion tactics from the Pritzker Administration corruption starting to drip, drip, drip…

Rick
1 year ago

The fabric of society is woven by the family, no amount of government help can repair that loom. Because government itself is then woven from whatever offspring comes out of those families by their vote or leaders. It’s like asking a flat tire to change itself at some point. Values matter most, work, morality, respect for life and speech, self-reliance, and even shame is important. People should feel shame for taking welfare, not being a good parent, etc. When these values are forgotten cities decay. Lightfoot has done everything to erode peoples’ pride in Chicago through her toxic speech. As… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by Rick
Chisel
1 year ago
Reply to  Rick

Feeling shame for welfare and handouts unfortunately died in the 60’s.
Multiple generations know no other way. Now add guaranteed income, gas cards, free this, free that…..new icing on the freeload cake.
No rewards for being responsible.

Honest Jerk
1 year ago

I would argue that it’s already too late to prevent disaster. Chicago (and Illinois) has gone past the tipping point. Other states will accept survivors, but it’s up to Illinois residents to first cross the border.

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A statewide concern: Illinois’ population decline outpaces neighboring states – Wirepoints on ABC20 Champaign

“We are not in good shape” Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski told ABC 20 Champaign during a segment on Illinois’ latest population losses. Illinois was one of just three states to shrink in the 2010-2020 period and has lost another 300,000 people since then. Ted says things need to change. “It’s too expensive to live here, there aren’t enough good jobs and nobody trusts the government anymore. There’s just other places to go where you can be more satisfied.”

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