WISHERS AS IS CUSTOM IN HIS FIFTH FLOOR OFFICE.

>> AND PARIS, NOW, OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT MORE ON THE INAUGURATION OF NEW MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON AND HIS VISION FOR CHICAGO MOVING FORWARD.

IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM JOINING US IN THE STUDIO OR, OF COURSE, PARIS RIGHT HERE, HEATHER CHERONE, AND SPECIAL GUEST SITTING IN WITH THE BAND TODAY.

WELCOME, ALBAN, PLUS AMANDA VINICKY IS WITH US IN SPRINGFIELD.

THANKS, EVERYBODY.

HEATHER, LET'S START WITH YOU.

WHAT IS YOUR INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF JOHNSON'S SPEECH BOTH IN TONE AND ALSO HIS MESSAGE?

>> WELL, HIS MESSAGE REALLY TRIED TO PAINT A PICTURE OF A CHICAGO THAT CAN COME TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE REAL SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT IT FACES.

AND HE DID THAT BY RHETORICALLY SORT OF TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE CALLED THE SOUL OF CHICAGO.

AND HE SORT OF PAINTED THIS PICTURE AS THAT'S WHAT MAKES CHICAGO SPECIAL STARTING WITH THE POTAWATOMI TRIBE TO THE DOWNTOWN SKYSCRAPERS TO SORT OF THE ELOTE'S ON 26th STREET IN LITTLE VILLAGE.

HE SAID WE'RE ALL CHICAGOANS, THAT WHAT DIVIDES US IS NOT GREATER THAN WHAT UNITES US.

IF WE PULL TOGETHER TO STOP FOCUSING ON WHAT WE DON'T AGREE WITH, WE CAN GET MORE DONE.

THAT ESSENTIALLY IS HIS PITCH FOR HIS TIME IN OFFICE.

AND IF HE'S ABLE TO DO THAT, THEN THAT WILL MAKE HIM SUCCESSFUL.

IT IS A BIG, BIG TASK THOUGH.

>> ALDAN, WHAT DID YOU SEE FROM SOME OF THE KEY THEMES?

>> I THINK HE'S TALKING ABOUT IT VERY DIRECTLY TO ALL CHICAGOANS.

BUT HE DID CALL OUT SOME VERY SPECIFIC CHICAGOANS.

THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY.

HE TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE A PART OF HIS TEAM AND ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE COUNCIL, PEOPLE WHO ARE WITHIN CPS, FOLKS WITH THE CTU, THAT WE ALL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS THING WORK.

THAT HE CAN'T GET ALL OF THIS DONE ON HIS OWN.. THAT HE'S GOING TO NEED THE HELP OF OTHERS EVEN DOWN TO THEIR EXPERTISE AND SKILLS AND TALENTS.

>> HE CALLED OUT A LOT OF NAMES, A LOT OF FIRST NAMES.

IT'S NOT A CALL OUT, BUT A CALL IN.

PARIS, HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INAUGURATION SPEECH IN TERMS OF SETTING THE INITIAL TONE AND THE EXPECTATIONS FOR HIS NEW ADMINISTRATION?

>> CLEARLY VERY IMPORTANT.

NO ONE HAS FORGOTTEN MAYOR LIGHTFOOT'S INAUGURAL SPEECH WHERE SHE TURNED AROUND AND SCOLDED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UNFORTUNATELY THAT HAS KIND OF LIVED WITH HER SINCE THEN.

BUT YOU KNOW, BRANDON JOHNSON HAS A VERY SKILLED COMMUNICATIONS SET OF TALENTS AS AN ORDER AND AS A SPEECH MAKER.

ACTUALLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY UNIQUE FOR THE FIFTH FLOOR CITY HALL BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT IN PREVIOUS MAYORS.

PROBABLY SINCE HERALD WASHINGTON.

THE LAST THREE MAYORS, WHATEVER THEIR STRENGTHS WERE, IT WASN'T PUBLIC SPEAKING.

HE GREW UP IN THE PULPIT.

HE IS A VERY SKILLED PUBLIC SPEAKER, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT IN ESTABLISHING A BULLY PULPIT HERE TO GET FOLKS ON BOARD WITH HIS AGENDA.

TO GET COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MIGHT BE SKEPTICAL ON BOARD.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO SERVE HIM VERY WELL GOING FORWARD.

>> I THINK PARIS NAILED IT.

THERE WERE MOMENTS TODAY WHERE IT FELT LIKE WE HAD GONE TO CHURCH.

SO IT WASN'T JUST KAREN CLARK.

IT WASN'T JUST SORT OF THE REPEATED USE OF SCRIPTURE.

THIS WAS AN EVENT THAT WAS CLEARLY ROOTED IN CHICAGO'S BLACK CHURCH.

AND IT WAS SORT OF THAT TRADITION, SORT OF PULLING TOGETHER, FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE.

IT'S WHERE THE CIVIL RIGHTS WAS FOUGHT AND CALLING ON THAT INSTITUTIONAL MEMORIES TO FOCUS ON THE PROBLEMS.

HE ALSO MADE IT CLEAR HE'S NOT JUST TALKING TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS SINCE THE GREAT MIGRATION.

HE SPOKE SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE CRISIS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS THAT WE'RE FACING TODAY.

>> DEFINITELY BRINGING THE CROWD TO THE FEET A NUMBER OF TIMES DURING THAT SPEECH.

AND PARIS, SOMETHING THAT YOU REFERENCED, YOU KNOW, IT'S GENERALLY AGREED THAT MAYOR LIGHTFOOT IS CALLING OUT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THE WAY SHE DID DURING HER INAUGURATION SPEECH DID NOT HELP HER GOING FORWARD.

BUT HERE IS HOW JOHNSON TALKED TO HIS NEW CITY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TODAY.

>> PEOPLE OF CHICAGO ARE COUNTING ON US TO WORK TOGETHER.

TO COLLABORATE TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER EVERY DAY.

NOW WE WON'T ALWAYS AGREE, BUT I WON'T EVER QUESTION YOUR MOTIVES OR YOUR COMMITMENT.

AND I WILL ALWAYS DO MY PART TO FIND COMMON GROUND.

>> HEATHER, WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP DO YOU EXPECT THE MAYOR WILL HAVE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL?

>> IT IS GOING TO BE ONE THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN IN CHICAGO HISTORY.

WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL WHERE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ALDERPEOPLE WANT TO BE A PART OF AN INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE BODY SETTING POLICY FOR THE WHOLE CITY.

THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN BEING ANYONE'S RUBBER STAMP, NOT BRANDON JOHNSON'S, NOT ANYONE.

AND SORT OF HOW THAT ALL WORKS TO SELF OUT, CONSIDERING HOW THERE IS A CONCERTED AND COMMITTED CONSERVATIVE MINORITY ON THE CITY COUNCIL, I THINK IT'S REALLY GOING TO SORT OF TELL THE TALE.

>> HE WROTE ABOUT HOW BLACK CHICAGOANS TURNED OUT TO HELP JOHNSON WIN FOR NOT VOTING ON HIS TOP OPPONENT.

HOW U WILL THAT INFORM HIS APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY?

>> I THINK HE'S GOING TO HAVE THE APPROACH HE HAS ARTICULATED ALONG THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

WE'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IN THE AFTERMATH OF WHAT HAPPENED DOWNTOWN IN MID-APRIL.

WHERE HE CAME OUT TO TALK ABOUT NOT ESSENTIALLY DEMONIZING YOUNG PEOPLE, WHICH HE DID CATCH A LITTLE BIT OF HEAT FOR.

SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE HIM TALK ABOUT A LOT OF PROGRESSIVE METHODS, TRYING TO GET AT-ROOT CAUSES, AND NOT NECESSARILY A SLEDGEHAMMER TYPE OF APPROACH, TOUGH ON CRIME, HARSH PENALTIES, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

THE QUESTION IS AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE KIND OF CRIME NUMBERS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING, HOW LONG WILL THE CHICAGO, THE FULL CHICAGO HAVE AN APPETITE FOR WHAT THEY FEEL IS NOT VERY DECISIVE ACTION?

WHO WOULD PICK THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HELP SET THE TONE IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF POLICING STRATEGY HE'S LOOKING FOR.

BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH DANCE FOR HIM.

IT'S GOING TO LAST THE ENTIRE TIME HE'S IN OFFICE.

>> AND HE ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE NEED FOR GREATER RESOURCES FOR CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

>> OUR SCHOOLS CALLED OUT FOR MORE RESOURCES TO FULFILL THEIR MANDATE OF PROVIDING EVERY SINGLE CHILD IN OUR CITY WITH THE WORLD CLASS EDUCATION E. THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS AND DESPITE THE TRAUMA THESE CHALLENGES PRODUCE, TWO FEW CAN RELY ON THE CONSISTENT ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE THAT THEY DESPERATELY NEED.

>> SO OF COURSE, HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA IN WHICH THE CHILD CARE IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL AND IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD REOPENING MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS, WHICH HE HAS TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.

BUT HE SAID HE'S NOT GOING TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES, PARIS.

HOW WILL HE BE?

>> THAT WILL BE THE $100 MILLION QUESTION.

THE $16 BILLION QUESTION, WHATEVER THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S BUDGET IS.

WELL YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE GOVERNOR PRITZKER HAS THROWN COLD WATER ON ONE OF THE IDEAS HE CAMPAIGNED ON, TRANSACTIONS TAX FOR LASALLE STREET FINANCIAL EXCHANGES.

THOSE EXCHANGES SAID IF YOU DO THAT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO STAY HERE.

VERY UNLIKELY THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT AN EXTRA REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX ON PROPERTIES OVER $1 MILLION TO HELP FUND HOMELESSNESS.

PERHAPS THAT HAS A BETTER CHANCE.

BUT THE MATH HERE STILL DOESN'T ADD UP.

THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE A TON MORE REVENUE NEEDED FOR THESE PRIORITIES, REOPENING MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS AS HEATHER REPORTED.

AND THEN NEGOTIATING THAT NEW CT UCONN TRACT.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY RAISES THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THAT.

BUT ALSO MORE STAFF MEMBERS, MORE COUNSELORS, MORE MUSIC TEACHERS.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE MONEY.

>> THOSE WRAP AROUND SERVICES THAT THEY TALK ABOUT.

AND HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCE IN POLICING, REFERENCING THE DEATHS OF ADAM TOLEDO AND ARIANA PRESTON.

>> TEARS TO ADAM TOLEDO'S PARENTS ARE MADE OF THE SAME SORROW AS THE PARENTS OF OFFICER OF OFFICER AREANAH PRESTON'S PARENTS.

>> HE SAID ESSENTIALLY THE SAME VIOLENCE THAT CLAIMED ADAM TOLEDO'S LIFE CLAIMED AREANAH PRESTON'S LIFE.

THAT'S AN OPEN WOUND RIGHT NOW AS WE ALL MOURN HER DEATH.

AND I THINK THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A GASP IN THE CROWD WHEN HE SAID THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE DO NOT OFTEN THINK OF THOSE DEATHS BEING LINKED.

WE THINK OF THESE BEING AS SOMEBODY WHO IS A POLICE OFFICER OR SOMEBODY WHO IS RUNNING FROM THE POLICE OFFICER.

JOHNSON HAS SET NO SMALL TASK FOR HIMSELF TO TRY TO BRING THE CITY TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ALL SUFFER FOR EACH OF THOSE DEATHS, AND WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SOLVE THE VIOLENCE THAT IS AT PLAY HERE.

>> ESPECIALLY PARENTS, THE PARENTS OF ADAM TOLEDO LOST A YOUNG SON, AND THE PARENTS OF AREANAH PRESTON LOST A PROMISING AND WONDERFUL DAUGHTER.

YOU KNOW, PARENTS MOURN THE SAME HOWEVER YOUR CHILD IS LOST.

I WANT TO BRING IN AMANDA VINICKY HERE BECAUSE SHE'S GOT THE VIEW IN SPRINGFIELD, OF COURSE.

AMANDA, IS THE NEW MAYOR GOING TO FIND A VERY RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IF HE SHOULD ASK FOR FUNDING FOR CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC?

>> Reporter: HE'S MADE KNOWN HE WANTS THOSE THINGS TO BE COMING FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

I DO THINK HE'S GOING TO HAVE SOME WHAT OF A RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE.

AND STARTING QUITE LATE BECAUSE YOU HAD MANY OF THE POWER PLAYERS, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, THE GOVERNOR, A LOT OF THE CHICAGO CONTINGENTS AT THE INAUGURATION, AT THE SPEECH.

THEY WANT TO BE THERE FOR IT.

AND FROM A COUPLE THAT I SPOKE TO, THEY SAID THEY REALLY APPRECIATED WHAT THEY HEARD, THAT THOSE SKILLS THAT WERE ON FIRE WERE WELCOMING TO THEIR EARS.

THAT SAID IT'S A MATTER OF MONEY HERE IN SPRINGFIELD AS WELL AS IN CHICAGO.

SO JUST BECAUSE HE MAKES THE ASKS, I DON'T THINK IT IS GOING TO NECESSARILY BE EASY AT ALL FOR LAWMAKERS TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE THEM.

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WHILE CHICAGO DOES MAKE UP A GREAT PORTION OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, THERE ARE LEGISLATORS FROM ALL OVER.

SO THEY'RE CONSTANTLY GOING TO BE FIGHTING FOR MONEY FOR THEIR DISTRICTS, FOR THEIR TOWNS, FOR THEIR SCHOOLS THAT LIKEWISE NEED AND WANT MORE FUNDING.

>> CAN I ADD IN JOHNSON'S ALREADY BEEN IN SPRINGFIELD LOBBYING.

AND THEN CTU PRESIDENT WENT TOGETHER WITH PEDRO MARTINEZ TO LOBBY FOR MORE MONEY.

AND SO HE'S TRYING TO LAY THE GROUND THERE.

MAYOR LIGHTFOOT DID NOT HAVE A GREAT RECORD.

SHE DID GET A FEW THINGS LIKE THE CASINO, BUT JOHNSON KNOWS HE HAS TO IMPROVE ON THAT TO GET THE PRIORITIES HE WANTS.

>> WE'VE GOT A MINUTE LEFT.

HOW CHALLENGING DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE TO MEET OR AT LEAST MANAGE EXPECTATIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR HIS PROGRESSIVE SUPPORTERS WHEN THE BUDGETARY REALITIES HIT?

>> YEAH, I THINK PROGRESSIVES IN CHICAGO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A VERY LONG TIME FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN ASKING FOR.

IF THEY DON'T HAPPEN OVER NIGHT, THEN I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO JUMP SHIP.

BUT THERE IS GOING TO BE PRESSURE FOR HIM TO DELIVER ON SOME OF THE THINGS HE'S PROMISED.

HE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THEM ALL.

I DON'T THINK THERE IS ENOUGH RESOURCES TO GET THEM ALL.

IF HE CAN GET A WIN ON MORE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS, I THINK THEY MIGHT SWAY THE APPETITES THAT HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE FOR CHANGE.

BUT JUST NOT BEING THE MAYORS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, I THINK IT WILL ALSO BE GOOD FOR THEM.

>> ALL RIGHT, DAY TWO, HEATHER