Dupage Policy Journal

Former state representative and gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives took to Twitter on July 7 to blast Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson over his vision for the city, saying Johnson's transition plan is too costly for residents.

"Buckle Up taxpayers and business - Johnson's roadmap to a more equitable and just Chicago will require lots of Chicago-style taxes and fees," she wrote in the post. "Maybe he'll just sell the Lakefront to pay for it. Reparations, free college, homes for crime victims..."

On July 6, Johnson unveiled the 223-page transition plan, called “Building Bridges and Growing the Soul of Chicago: A Blueprint for Creating a more Just and Vibrant City for All,” at Greater Harvest Baptist Church, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times.

The transition plan doesn’t offer any guidelines for how the city would raise the revenue needed to advance Johnson's anti-violence programs, such as creating a public bank to drive development in predominantly minority neighborhoods, establishing an Office of Freedom Bureau to handle reparations, and creating a guaranteed college fund for babies born in Chicago, the Sun-Times reported.

While most new mayors tend to release their transition plans before officially taking office, Johnson elected not to do so until he had been in power for almost two months, with Johnson saying the people of Chicago understand the need for his administration to take its time in order to gets things right.

Divided into 11 different topic areas, includes headings for such areas as Arts & Culture; Economic Vitality & Equity; Education; Environmental Justice; Health & Human Services; Housing; Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion; Immigration; Public Safety; Transportation; and Workers’ Rights & Labor, the Sun-Times reported.

As a candidate, Johnson vowed to generate at least $800 million in new taxes and fees in order to cover his $1 billion “investments in people” plan, which is the centerpiece of his ant-violence plan, the story said.