Staff Reports
Former President Joe Biden found himself in the spotlight again, this time at a gala in Chicago that was attended by the nation’s largest and oldest network of predominantly black lawyers and judges. Biden spoke fervently about the existential fight the country faced in the 1960s, drawing parallels to the present. According to him, marginalized groups are under dramatic attack, and he claims the current administration is on a mission to undo all the gains of his presidency, dismissing history instead of creating it, and erasing justice and equality. Interesting claims from the former President, who seems to have forgotten which historical figure was associated with making America great by, well, continuing to try to make it greater.
In response to Biden’s remarks, local Chicago voices have been quick to counter the narrative that every problem lies conveniently at the feet of Republicans. Carley, a Chicago resident and director of the Community Roundtable, spoke about her firsthand experience seeing more attacks on marginalized groups not under the current Republican administration, but through the Democratic regime that has historically dominated Chicago’s politics. She pointed out that she left the Democratic Party precisely because she found their promises to be nothing more than empty rhetoric. In her opinion, the city has deteriorated under Democratic leadership, with current leaders also pushing to tax the wealthy—an idea that’s been around the block a few times but still doesn’t seem to have a GPS to bring Chicago out of its financial quagmire.
Looking at the business climate, the idea of a corporate head tax, which taxes businesses based on their number of employees, is reportedly driving these businesses away. The Chicago Tribune has criticized the mayor, suggesting that his economic policies are essentially taking a sledgehammer to a rickety table instead of reinforcing it. Businesses might see little reason to expand their workforce in a city that financially penalizes them for employing people—a strategy that feels more like shooting oneself in the foot than progressive tax reform.
Some Chicagoans are starting to wonder if it’s time for a political shift. With the current state of affairs, there is growing fatigue over the perceived failures of Democratic leadership in the city. While it’s not guaranteed this will be a slam dunk for Republicans, there’s definitely chatter about exploring alternatives, perhaps in the form of Republican or Independent candidates. After all, continuing to dance to the same Democratic tune has left the city feeling out of step with progress.
Finally, there’s the issue of spending priorities. Todd, a host from the conservative news channel, highlighted that hundreds of millions have been allocated to support migrants in Chicago—meanwhile, many residents feel left out in the cold. If these funds were instead directed towards improving conditions for those who live, work, breathe, and unfortunately, pay exorbitant taxes here, perhaps the city wouldn’t be facing its current budget deficit. This leaves one wondering if the hesitance to change the status quo is serving the city any better than a one-legged man in a footrace.
