It’s a historic moment to welcome Lori Lightfoot as our new mayor of Chicago. We have put trust in you to take the helm of this city. It’s a challenging task, but with our blessings, we know you will prevail.
— Mumtaz U. Khan, Chicago
Pulling for the new mayor
Mayor Lori Lightfoot does not look like a forceful person — until she opens her mouth. She comes across as a highly intelligent, ethically minded civic leader with a backbone of steel who is determined to do the best she can for all of Chicago. That means dealing with the major financial shortages she inherits, a dilemma Rahm Emanuel tried for eight years to overcome. It means cleaning up and changing problematic old habits in the City Council despite expected opposition. Most challenging of all, it means dealing with gang- and gun-infested South and West Side neighborhoods that need more projects that will keep vulnerable young people out of drug-selling trouble and help families survive disadvantaged conditions. Hopefully, the new mayor’s African American heritage will benefit her in this regard.
Lightfoot seems to have the mental toughness to confront these issues and others. She also will need diplomatic and public relations skills, which she already has, as indicated by her wide-ranging, harmony-seeking and money-raising connections with other political forces. I'm a suburban resident who identifies primarily with Chicago, where I spent much of my life. So I'm pulling for Lori Lightfoot to get all the support she needs to be an effective mayor.
— Ed Stone, Northbrook
Outsourcing security
Some of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s priorities are to restore faith in City Hall and fill the hole in the city budget. However, she is outsourcing some security jobs traditionally filled by Chicago police officers. This means adding people to the payroll, and likely these new jobs will offer pensions or some other benefits. So instead of looking within the Police Department’s talent pool for someone already on the payroll, whose pension will not cost the city and its residents more money, Lightfoot has chosen to dig a different hole that will need to be filled. This is hardly a step in restoring confidence in government. I thought with this last election, “the machine” had finally been broken, but apparently the parts are just being oiled.
— Brigid Cronin, Chicago
Increase foot patrols
As Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes the reins of our Chicago, I would like to suggest that one of her first requests of police Superintendent Eddie Johnson be to immediately push his officers to perform more foot patrols on the South and West sides.
Police need to be seen as members of the community, as well as its protectors. Foot patrols ensure exercise, neighborhood conversations and high visibility, along with giving officers a chance to really understand the areas that they are assigned to.
Bringing back the age-old image of Officer Friendly strolling up and down the street is one form of community policing that never goes out of style.
— Ephraim Lee, Chicago
Will the mayor help teachers?
I am a Chicago Public Schools teacher currently teaching third grade on the West Side at Spencer Elementary Technology Academy.
I understand that Mayor Lori Lightfoot supports local schools. I want to bring in the light with her. However, there are CPS schools in a state of survival mode. Teachers are verbally, mentally and sometimes physically abused daily. Teachers of color and middle school teachers have it the worst.
CPS wants teachers to be perfect in an imperfect system. We are not supported by parents, school officials, our administration or students. “Bad teachers” are not born, but they are made in Chicago. I wish Lightfoot could see firsthand the injustice, abuse and neglect of teachers.
Become a substitute teacher for a month or send someone to be your eyes and ears as a temporarily assigned teacher in an elementary school on the West or South Side. Throw the school ratings out the window. Teaching is a never-ending story. We are never done with paperwork, and we are not appreciated! Parents want us to “parent” their children when it is convenient. We pay for a plethora of school supplies, coats, uniforms, field trips and projects out of our own salaries.
I would love to know the new mayor’s plans for the future of teachers and students in Chicago.
— Angela Brunson, Chicago