Oh boy.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced a $250 million deal in additional funding to help the illegal immigrants in Chicago. It’s $70 million short of what they want.
Officials believe they need around $321 million.
The state has already committed $160 million. Now Pritzker agreed to $182 million more. Cook County will give $70 million.
So what about Chicago and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson? The media raised questions about Johnson not agreeing to the $70 million:
“I don’t know where the disagreement really exists here, the commitment to the mission is what we’re all in agreement here,” he said. “There’s a number of matters that need to be worked through.”Johnson pushed back on criticism over his stance on the funding.“I don’t believe anyone in the city of Chicago is questioning my commitment to this mission,” he said.“Yes they are, because you’re not giving them the $70 million that you promised at the meeting,” a reporter responded.“Where [sic] you at the meeting, so you’re making an assertion that I made a promise, but were you at that meeting,” Johnson fired back.
Ouch. Maybe it’s because the Chicago City Council has been hesitant about Chicago handing over money (emphasis mine):
“They’re going to keep coming, it’s going to escalate the closer we get to the DNC,” Ald. Andre Vasquez said. “So it might feel convenient that we don’t want to talk about it, but the reality is if we don’t solve for it, it is going to be worse.”“The fact that there was an agreement and then an about-face, goes to show we don’t know where we’re getting the money from,” Ald. Anthony Beale added.
It’s Chicago. Come on, Beale.
Everyone has noticed the attention and money spent on the 35,000 illegal immigrants arriving in the sanctuary state and city. The number is still nothing compared to what the border states and cities see on a daily basis.
Tio Hardiman, the Executive Director for Violence Interrupters, lamented how the poor and homeless have become an “afterthought” to those in charge of the city and state (emphasis mine):
“The reality is that for all the poor people that have lived in Chicago, there has never been this type of effort to try and find resources. I’m not talking about Black, White, Latino. People living here already as legal citizens. Imagine a young person just getting their first apartment, their first car, how long it takes a young person to actually accomplish that ambition. Now you’re giving $9,000 rent vouchers to people that are not even legal citizens. Think about that for a minute. It’s not right. It’s not right at all,” Hardiman told Fox News Digital. “I’m not saying that people need to get a handout either. I want to make that clear. But if you’re going to give out a handout, give it to the people that are already here that are struggling. That should make sense to anybody.”Though Hardiman acknowledged the migrant crisis has affected communities of all races, he noted that the Black community has been particularly slighted over this.”People get mad when we talk about reparations sometimes, but if you’re going to be giving out any type of resources, why would you overlook the African-American people that have fought every world war here in the United States? People that continue to fight because we love our country just the same, but we should not be overlooked,” Hardiman said.
Yup. He’s 100% correct.
Hardiman also pointed out the problems in Chicago that affect everyone and, honestly, have been problems for as long as I can remember: “We got a mental health crisis going on in Chicago, gun violence all over the place. Gun violence is a public health issue, right? And it should be treated as such. And we just have too many people living in poverty already. So if you want to help bring people up to a degree and help them all the way out, help your people first.”
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