In wake of CTA shooting, Mayor Johnson does not directly answer questions about transit safety
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson was pressed on several topics during a news conference Wednesday—including a shooting on the CTA Red Line that left a man wounded during the morning rush.
The mayor did not provide any specifics about what new ideas he would consider for the Chicago Transit Authority, and he refused to discuss whether a change in leadership was necessary going forward.
"Well, what's in Chicago is what has been happening in Chicago for a very long time. People have ignored the needs of people," Johnson said when asked for a message for those who have to rely on the CTA in the wake of the shooting and other crime on the system. "But there's a new day for Chicago."
At 8:40 a.m. Monday, a 33-year-old man was on a Red Line train near the Argyle stop in Uptown when a 23-year-old woman approached him and they got into a quarrel. The woman spat on the man, and then pulled out a gun and shot him in the left shoulder, according to police.
The shooting prompted some passengers to flee the train, some of them exiting along elevated tracks—an incredibly dangerous move as the third rail was still electrified.
Back on Labor Day, four people were shot and killed just before 5:30 a.m. on the Eisenhower Expressway branch of the Blue Line near the terminal in west suburban Forest Park. All four had been sleeping on the train prosecutors said Rhanni Davis, 30, of Chicago, shot them all.
CBS News Chicago asked Mayor Johnson about the shootings on both the Red and Blue lines—citing concerns heard from riders and CTA staff for their security.
Still, the mayor would only talk about his long-term wholesale approach to public safety—which includes more affordable housing, improving public education, and reducing crime by offering job opportunities to young people—among other things.
In August, the CTA announced a new software designed to detect guns on the 'L'—powered by artificial intelligence. This software, ZeroEyes, started rolling out in July as part of a pilot program—but it is not clear where the technology exists on the transit system or how effective it has been in preventing crime by detecting weapons.
CBS News Chicago asked the mayor about ZeroEyes and whether it is working—and whether there he supports ZeroEyes or if he could promise alternative in the hour-term. Mayor Johnson interrupted the question as he answered.
"First of all, it's not policing and technology alone. That is actually lazy," Johnson said. "You know, if it was just technology, then we all could just go home and pull out our iPads, and feel good about ourselves. Now so people probably do that—I don't have a judgment."
The mayor again referenced his wholesale approach to violence prevention.
Mayor Johnson also asked about city budget, clashes with CPS CEO Martinez
Meanwhile, budget hearings are looming, and the city is facing a budget shortfall of almost $1 billion. Reporters on Wednesday pressed Mayor Johnson for his plans to balance it all.
When asked, the mayor said the same thing repeatedly—that he plans to balance the city's budget, get Chicago Public Schools teachers their pensions, and invest in people—all at the same time. What is not clear is how he plans to fund all this.
"Everything's on the table now. The ideal situation would've been what we've been calling for which is a fair tax. The State of Illinois, our partners in Springfield, I hope they consider that," Johnson said. "The rich in the ultra-wealthy and major corporations continue to get tax breaks—they circumvent their responsibility by moving through these loopholes—but they have to do more."
It was not the first time, but on Wednesday, the mayor again neither confirmed nor denied that he would consider a property tax increase as a way to raise funds for his initiatives.
Previously, CBS News Chicago reported that in addition to the $1 billion gap for next year, the city also projects a $222.9 million deficit for the end of this fiscal year—expenditures the city says are "outside of public safety operations."
Meanwhile, sources said tensions between Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez and Mayor Johnson continue amid talks of who will pay for raises for the city's public school teachers.
Earlier this month, Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and other sources said Johnson asked Martinez to resign, but Martinez refused. Martinez later penned an editorial in the Chicago Tribune, saying Johnson asked him to resign, but he declined to avert "creating a leadership vacuum and instability that could disrupt the strategic progress we've made to date."
But at an unrelated event Monday morning, Johnson denied asking Martinez to step down. On Wednesday, he addressed the issue again.
"As I said, I don't discuss personnel issues. I don't do that. It's irresponsible," the mayor said. "But I can tell you this though, for sure, that the people of Chicago expect me to fight for families—and that's what I'm going to do."
A few days ago, the mayor delayed his budget address, which will eventually outline his plan to balance his initiatives with the deficit. He insisted Wednesday that the city is still on track to pass a budget on time.
