Mayor Lori Lightfoot dances in Windy City streets as murders rise

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfood was blasted after becoming viral for dancing in the streets of Chicago on Sunday, making a stir Sunday as video of her dancing went viral amid continuous violent crime and the loss of more major establishments on the city’s “Magnificent Mile.”

On Sunday, Lightfoot was spotted dancing to the beat of drums at the city’s Lunar New Year parade, just four weeks away from what polls indicate would be an uphill Democratic primary struggle against multiple opponents.

One Twitter user commented, “Since [Lightfoot’s] term began, Chicago has experienced 2,278 homicides and over 9,000 shots.” Since January 1, 41 homicides and 194 shootings have occurred in the city. Yet here Lightfoot is dancing joyfully and begging voters to reelect her. Lightfoot is out of touch with reality.

In addition to rising crime – with overall crime up a shocking 61 percent in the first four weeks of 2023 compared to the same period last year – Lightfoot has over seen vacancies of nearly 30 percent after flagship stores on the Magnificent Mile abandoned, along with major brands such as Macy’s, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap, Uniqlo, and Timberland.

The video of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfood dancing went viral on Sunday, drawing criticism amid persistent violent crime and the closure of more major stores on the ‘Magnificent Mile’ shopping corridor.

Since @chicagosmayor’s term began, 2,278 homicides and over 9,000 people have been shot in Chicago.

Since January 1, 41 homicides and 194 shootings have occurred in the city.

Yet here Lightfoot is dancing joyfully and begging voters to reelect her.

— Chicago Contrarian (@ChicagoContrarian) on 29 January 2023

On Sunday, a journalist filmed a deserted shopping district in Chicago that, despite bad weather, would have been bustling with shoppers in the past.

According to NBC Chicago, the Magnificent Mile’s vacancy rate was less than five percent just six years ago.

Lightfoot made history as the first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as mayor of Chicago, winning the election four years ago as an outsider who promised to clear City Hall of corruption and establish a safer, more equitable city.

Concerns about continuing high crime in the nation’s third-largest city and accusations that she is overly hostile and sometimes downright mean have put her bid for a second term in jeopardy. She has dismissed these allegations as sexist and racist attacks against a tough leader who is passionate about Chicago.

Ahead of the packed election on February 28, Lightfoot has been forced to defend herself in a contentious race that has become both a personality fight and a policy debate.

During a recent discussion, Lightfoot declared, “We have begun to transform Chicago for the better.” I want to complete the work that we have begun.

With nine candidates, it seems unlikely that anyone will surpass the 50% level required to win the ostensibly nonpartisan election. This indicates that the winner will likely be determined in a runoff between the top two vote-getters on April 4.

On Sunday, Lightfoot was spotted dancing at the city’s Lunar New Year parade to a drumline, barely four weeks before what polls indicate would be an uphill Democratic primary struggle against multiple opponents.

One Twitter user stated of Lightfoot’s appearance, “Since [Lightfoot’s] term began, Chicago has experienced 2,278 homicides and over 9,000 shootings.” Since January 1, 41 homicides and 194 shootings have occurred in the city. Yet here Lightfoot is dancing joyfully and begging voters to reelect her. Lightfoot is out of touch with reality.

At the city’s annual Lunar New Year parade, Lightfoot rallied her floundering re-election campaign.

If she were to lose, Lightfoot would be the first incumbent Chicago mayor to lose a reelection bid in decades. And in contrast to her predecessors, Lightfoot does not have a funding advantage over her leading opponents.

This year’s election will be an early test of how crime factors into mayoral campaigns in Democratic strongholds in large cities. Other big cities electing mayors this year, including Philadelphia, are also attempting to strike a balance between progressive ideals and people’ day-to-day worries around family safety.

Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor who had never previously ran for political office, emerged from a crowded field in 2019 to defeat far more well-known contenders with the backing of citizens weary of political corruption and cover-ups.

She asserts that her administration has made tangible progress on crucial issues, including as reinvesting in long-neglected areas and removing illicit firearms from the streets. She emphasizes, however, that the last four years have not been easy, citing a global pandemic and protests against police violence as “some of the most difficult times we’ve ever faced” in Chicago.

Occasionally, Lightfoot’s crisis management has garnered plaudits, such as when she ordered lockdowns early in the coronavirus outbreak and an image of the stern-faced mayor became a meme. But occasionally, Lightfoot’s actions have been criticized.

According to Cushman & Wakefield, the Magnificent Mile’s vacancy rate was under five percent just six years ago.

Former Gap location at 555 Michigan Avenue on the Magnificent Mile

Uniqlo is the latest company to abandon Chicago amidst the unrest.

Lightfoot ordered the city to raise drawbridges over the Chicago River in an effort to prevent demonstrators from entering the downtown area, after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked protests and civil disorder, including the destruction of storefront glass.

Some residents of the city viewed it as elitist, as a means of shielding upscale areas of the highly segregated city at the expense of neighborhoods with struggling business districts that also sustained significant damage.

In 2021, there were over 800 homicides, a 25-year high. However, Lightfoot has received the most criticism for the surge in violence.

Lightfoot asserts that her plan is effective, citing the decline in homicides over the past year as evidence. However, they are still higher than when she entered office, and there are growing concerns about carjackings and other violent crimes in the city.

Lightfoot stated, “We have made progress every year.” However, I acknowledge that city dwellers do not feel safe.

Lightfoot (seen third from right) confronts a densely populated primary field. She must win a majority vote or place in the top two to force an April runoff.

A pedestrian passes by an empty storefront on the Magnificent Mile.

In 2023, approximately 30 percent of the establishments on the wonderful mile will be vacant, about six times as many as in 2016.

Two-term U.S. Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia, a former member of the Chicago City Council, state Senate, and county board who lost a runoff to then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel eight years ago, may be Lightfoot’s most formidable opponent.

Lightfoot has aired television advertisements accusing Garcia of corruption, stating that his House campaign accepted contributions from Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who is accused of committing significant financial fraud. Garcia stated that he was unfamiliar with Bankman-Fried, and his campaign refunded direct donations.

Garcia promotes his record of working with communities around the city and getting along well with others, whereas Lightfoot, according to Garcia, has not.

She is belligerent without justification. She is excessive,’ remarked Garcia.

Lightfoot, who was elected as a reform-minded outsider who would rid the city of pay-to-play politics, was ridiculed after a campaign employee sent an email to public school teachers requesting volunteers in exchange for class credit.

Paul Vallas (shown on the left) and Representative Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia are Lightfoot’s leading competitors (pictured right)

Retailers are leaving the high-end shopping neighborhood, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic and a spate of robberies and store thefts.

Lightfoot expressed regret, calling it an oversight. Inspectors general are investigating possible infractions of policy.

Some of Lightfoot’s most significant conflicts have been with the Chicago Teachers Union, which supported her opponent in her first run for mayor. During an 11-day teachers strike in 2019, both sides clashed over the restoration of in-school instruction during the pandemic.

This year, the teachers union backed Lightfoot’s opponent Brandon Johnson, a Cook County commissioner and former Chicago teacher and union organizer.

Johnson, who has slammed Lightfoot for running as a progressive and then breaking campaign pledges, wants to shift money from the police department to improved mental health treatment and other services for long-neglected neighborhoods such as the West Side, where he resides.

Lightfoot has also clashed with the Fraternal Order of Police, the Chicago police union. Lightfoot was caught on microphone at a City Council meeting referring to a union representative as “this FOP clown.”

Paul Vallas, a former city budget director and schools leader who advised the police union during discussions with City Hall, has been endorsed by the police union as a contender for mayor. He has consistently demanded more police personnel, claiming that “crime is out of control.”

On Michigan Avenue, pedestrians pass by a vacant storefront.

A now-closed Banana Republic store on the Magnificent Mile at 744 Michigan Avenue

Lightfoot has blasted Vallas for masquerading as a Republican, pointing out that he has received campaign funds from Republicans.

Her campaign criticized him for being too tight with the police union, labeling the organization’s chairman a ‘notorious racist’ and an admirer of former President Donald Trump.

In certain city neighborhoods, Lightfoot’s support has grown. Ex-Rep. Bobby Rush, a notable critic during her first campaign but has now become a significant supporter, joined Reps. Danny Davis and Robin Kelly – whose districts contain primarily Black neighborhoods – in complimenting her dedication to investing in the areas.

Rush stated that Lightfoot maintained this commitment even in the most difficult of situations.

The mayor’s record of accomplishments includes passing a $15 minimum wage that labor unions had wanted for years and approving a casino that is expected to generate millions of dollars in income and thousands of jobs.

She has also budgeted over $3 million to protect abortion access, especially for those who fly to Chicago from places where the practice is prohibited.

Other candidates include rich businessman Willie Wilson, Chicago City Council members Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer, activist Ja’Mal Green, and state Representative Kambium ‘Kam’ Buckner.

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