Chicago Board of Education squeezes another $40 million from taxpayers, Mayor Johnson responds to ICE shooting in Minnesota
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
Release Date: 01/10/2026
Federal scholarship program, Mayor Johnson visits Washington, D.C., the fight for the Cook County Board presidency.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
A new federal program promises $1 billion in scholarship money is on the table for Illinois’ schools. Will Mayor Johnson and Governor Pritzker take it to improve Chicago’s schools? Mayor Johnson traveled to Washington, D.C. this week for a National Press Club event. His comments were only directed at Trump. The mayor falsely claimed federal agents were directed by the White House to “shoot and kill.” Will there be a fallout over the mayor’s outrageous comment? Chicago is seven weeks out of the primary for Cook County Board president. We’ll discuss.
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CPS scandals, CTU in hot water again, Chicago’s worst in media.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
An Inspector General report in early January detailed a wide range of improper conduct, perhaps criminal, among CPS employees. Will authorities finally take action? The CTU was finally exposed for filing misleading annual audit reports after an independent auditor concluded the union omitted the activities of two foundations under the union’s supervision. Is the CTU’s day of reckoning coming? Are Chicago journalists biased? Chicago Contrarian says yes, and we crowned Heather Cherone the worst journalist for 2025.
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22: Lori Lightfoot returns to the headlines, ICE murder-for-hire trial, and Chicago prepares for layoffs.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot has launched her “ICE Accountability Project. How effective will her effort be and what is behind it? The trial of an alleged gang member charged with orchestrating an attempted assassination of ICE Commander Greg Bovino suffers a defeat. AFter a contentious budget debate, Mayor Johnson warns layoffs could come to city government by summer. Is this possible? We’ll discuss.
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Chicago Board of Education squeezes another $40 million from taxpayers, Mayor Johnson responds to ICE shooting in Minnesota
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
A BOE meeting in late December, board members voted overwhelmingly to raise the levy limit to take in another $40M. Why was the levy limit raised after the CPS received $552M in TIF funds? Following the vote, BOE president Sean Harden fumed over leaks to media over the vote. An investigation was launched. After federal agents fatally shot a woman interfering with immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Mayor Johnson issued a brief video denouncing the incident and rebuking Trump. Why is Johnson seemingly more concerned with violent incidents outside the city over which he presides as mayor? In...
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20: Budget deal reached, Samantha Steele in hot water, Toni Preckwinkle’s Tyler Technologies nightmare.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
Chicago finally reaches a budget deal, but Mayor Johnson refuses to sign. Why is the mayor refusing to endorse a budget deal which gave him 98 percent of what he sought? Cook County Board of Review’s Samantha Steele is at the center of another controversy. Steele’s challenger, Liz Nicholson has leveled the accusation Steele attempted to lure Nicholson to drop her bid in exchange for a County job. Nicholson has filed a complaint; Steele denies the charge. Who is telling the truth? Cook County property taxes are outrageous. Complicating matters is the network applied to overhaul of the...
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19: Chicago’s budget battle continues, Preckwinkle fires a MAGA salvo at campaign rival, Mayor Johnson’s new CTA safety plan.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
In a rebuke to Mayor Johnson, aldermen have passed a budget counterproposal without the Head Tax. Will Johnson veto the budget and shut down city government? Long-time County Board president Toni Preckwinkle released her first campaign video attacking Ald. Brendan Reilly as a MAGA Republican and Trump ally. Will the charge dog Reilly? After a ghastly attack on the CTA, the Trump White House threatened to withhold federal aid until Chicago creates a safety plan for the city’s public transit system. The CTA announced dozens of additional CPD will work CTA platforms and private security would...
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Budget impasse, Cook County property tax, and the Socialists throw a party in Chicago.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
Now stretching into its sixth week, the budget stalemate is dragging on. Which side will blink first? Will aldermen with a budget counterproposal cave and allow the mayor to prevail? Can aldermen avoid any defections to prevent the job-killing Head Tax? A federal judge has ruled Cook County’s sale tax was unconstitutional. Will Cook County now be on the hook for a massive settlement? The NAARPR held its annual convention in Chicago in November. The radicals, including Mayor Johnson, didn’t hold back any inflammatory language. We;ll discuss.
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CTU’s troubles mount, new rules for Christkindlmarket suffocate business, Eileen O’Neill Burke’s first year as State’s Attorney.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
The embattled Chicago Teachers Union is facing new scrutiny. After five years of refusing to release the Audit Reports, the U. S. House Committee. The Education and the Workforce Committee is requesting that the CTU turn over the long-sought reports. The CTU has pledged to cooperate. Will the union comply with the House? It’s been one year since Eileen O’Neill Burke took over as Cook County State’s Attorney. We will discuss her record and progress over the last year.
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Mass shooting downtown spoils Christmas tree lighting, WBEZ piece shows rise in CPD pointing their weapons at people, CFL leader urges aldermen to consider property tax increase.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
Another mass shooting downtown, Chicago’s 62nd, ruins the annual Christmas tree lighting event. Chicago leaders were aware of the teen gathering for the event. Did political leaders do enough to prevent the shooting? How did Mayor Johnson react? The good folks at WBEZ published an article revealing an increase in Chicago Police pointing their weapons at people. Is this a problem? With CPD suffering an increase in attacks with a firearm, is it a surprise officers are forced to remove their firearms more often? Rob Reiter, who heads the Chicago Federation of Labor, is calling on aldermen to...
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Mayor Johnson’s tax package fails in Finance Cmte., CTA safety again in question, Maria Pappas joins mayoral race.
Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast
Mayor Johnson suffered a humiliating defeat when the Finance Cmte. overwhelmingly rejected his tax package. The mayor was defiant after the loss and placed the onus for a solution on aldermen. Will aldermen cave, find a compromise, or will there be a stalemate? After a horrific crime on the CTA, questions about a secure, safe public transit system have reemerged. The mayor insists a repeat offender setting a woman on fire is an isolated incident. Is the CTA safe? What is the mayor’s solution to save the CTA after this crime? A fixture in Chicago politics, Maria Pappas, has thrown her hat...
info_outlineA BOE meeting in late December, board members voted overwhelmingly to raise the levy limit to take in another $40M. Why was the levy limit raised after the CPS received $552M in TIF funds? Following the vote, BOE president Sean Harden fumed over leaks to media over the vote. An investigation was launched.
After federal agents fatally shot a woman interfering with immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Mayor Johnson issued a brief video denouncing the incident and rebuking Trump.
Why is Johnson seemingly more concerned with violent incidents outside the city over which he presides as mayor? In an insightful essay, Patrick Dent profiles several progressive aldermen in the City Council and state lawmakers representing the city in the IGA.
The thread which binds them together, Dent says, is none have any real, meaningful accomplishments prior to taking office.