quote:

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s reelection campaign sent an email to Chicago Public Schools teachers Wednesday asking them to encourage their students to volunteer to help Lightfoot win a second term as mayor – and earn class credit.

It was unclear how many Chicago teachers received the email from Megan Crane, whose LinkedIn page identifies her as the deputy campaign manager for Lightfoot. The message was sent to teachers’ official work email accounts, which end in cps.edu.

The email says participants in the “externship program” would be expected to contribute 12 hours per week to the Lightfoot campaign and students could earn “class credit.”

“We’re simply looking for enthusiastic, curious and hard-working young people eager to help Mayor Lightfoot win this spring,” according to an email obtained by WTTW News.


In Addition to CPS Teachers, Lightfoot Campaign Also Asked City Colleges Instructors to Encourage Students to Help Her Win Reelection – for Credit


A spokesperson for the Lightfoot campaign told WTTW News in an inital statement that the effort was designed “to provide young people with the opportunity to engage with our campaign, learn more about the importance of civic engagement and participate in the most American of processes” and “done using publicly available contact information.”

After WTTW News published details about the emails, generating a wave of criticism from other candidates in the race, Lightfoot's campaign put out a second statement that said the campaign would "cease contact with CPS employees” out of an “abundance of caution."

Less than two hours later, Lightfoot’s campaign issued a third version of the statement:

“All [Lightfoot for Chicago] campaign staff have been reminded about the solid wall that must exist between campaign and official activities and that contacts with any city of Chicago, or other sister agency employees, including CPS employees, even through publicly available sources is off limits. Period.”

As mayor of Chicago, Lightfoot appoints not only the superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools but also the members of the Chicago Board of Education. Chicago’s ethics ordinance prohibits the use of public resources, including email accounts, for non-official purposes.

A Chicago Public Schools spokesperson told WTTW News that “as a rule, the district does not coordinate with any political candidates or campaigns. It has not done so to date and will not be doing so.”

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates told WTTW News the campaign’s action was “unethical” and that she was concerned teachers who decline to volunteer for the mayor’s campaign, or encourage their students to do so, could face retaliation.

Davis Gates said it was unclear how many teachers received the email, which attorneys for the union believe not only violates the city’s government ethics ordinance but also the ethics policy imposed by Lightfoot when she took office in 2019.

The teachers’ union has endorsed Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson in the race for mayor. Johnson is a paid staff member of the union.

All employees of the city and its sister agencies are prohibited from engaging in work on behalf of political campaigns while being paid with taxpayer funds. Encouraging their students to volunteer for a particular campaign could violate those rules, and could result in the employees’ discipline.

In July, the Chicago Board of Education rejected a recommendation from Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez to fire two George Washington High School teachers who protested city officials’ decision to allow a metal shredding and recycling operation to move from the North Side to the Southeast Side.

Chicago Teachers Union leaders accused Lightfoot of retaliating against Lauren Bianchi and Chuck Stark for protesting the decision to give the parent company of General Iron the green light to move its metal shredding and recycling operation from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side outside the mayor’s Logan Square home.

Political patronage has long plagued all levels of Illinois government, with employees’ jobs often hinging on their political activities in support of – or against – specific political candidates. The practice – which gave the Chicago machine much of its power – has been outlawed after a series of court decisions that forced government agencies to reform their practices.

Lightfoot ran for mayor in 2019 on a platform promising to root out corruption at City Hall and toughen the city’s ethics regulations in an attempt to break the grip of the city's “corrupt political machine.”

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Originally posted by recoatlift:
Hey armored, question…have the Dems always been entrenched? Without looking, I can’t think of a conservative ever getting in.

I just remember old man Daley and on.
I was born at Jackson Park Hospital, 76th & Stoney Island eons ago.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:

quote:

Originally posted by recoatlift:
Hey armored, question…have the Dems always been entrenched? Without looking, I can’t think of a conservative ever getting in.

I just remember old man Daley and on.
I was born at Jackson Park Hospital, 76th & Stoney Island eons ago.

Before Daley (BOTH),there were Republicans around and some would give the Dems a run.
Back in the day, Dems were a bit more liberal than republicans, not the day and night you see now.

The vast majority back then were adults who were in WW2 or lived through WW2 and the great depression. Some had fought in WW1 and WW2 and many had fought in Korea and Vietnam. A Dem in the 50's-60's -and 70's were what I would consider a middle of the road Republican now.

With the unions in there pockets the Dems around here have owned this city for many decades but Republicans were NOT a dirty word like today in Chicago.
My Alderman,(Napolitano) in private, will state (with a wink) he is a Republican but will NEVER add a Republican title on his campaign literature or signs. I think he is the only non proclaimed Dem in the City. He is a former Chicago cop and Firefighter.
20+ years ago the Cops and Firefighters were SOLID Dems, now that the Dems have shit all over the police some Police are now more republican than in years past. I have no hope that this city will ever turn republican or even go with a more centered Dem policy, all is lost here.
I had hope as I saw this City tearing itself to pieces in the last decade. With no one to blame but liberal Dems I thought people here would see the light, that never happened and I'm convinced now it never will.

The leaches and ignorant citizens are now the majority of the voters. Who ever gives out the most free shit will get elected.

Its now between the Hispanics and the Blacks, Whites need not apply even if they are liberal Dems.
Despite what the conservative Republican media outlets may say, Hispanics and Blacks will NEVER vote Republican, around here at least.