>>> THE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR SQUARE OFF IN THE FIRST RUNOFF FORUM SO FAR.

THIS AND MUCH MORE INTO NIGHTS SPOTLIGHT POLITICS.

TONIGHT WE ARE JOINED BY HEATHER SHARON AND ANGELA ROSA, SENIOR EDITOR OF POLITICS AT WBE CHICAGO.

LET'S START WITH THE MAY ORAL RUNOFF FORUM WHERE PAUL VALLAS AND BRANDON JOHNSON ADDRESS EACH OTHER AS EXTREME.

>> I REALLY FOCUS ON RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN, THAT'S ALL I WILL APPEAL TO ALL OF CHICAGO.

>> THE REASON PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN IS BECAUSE WE ARE TELLING PEOPLE THE TRUTH.

THE REASON WHY FOLKS ARE BEING FORCED OUT OF THE CITY IS BECAUSE IT'S UNSAFE AND THEY ARE BURDENED BY THE PROPERTY TAX THAT WAS CREATED IN 1990 BY PAUL VALLAS.

>> HEATHER, A LOT OF FIRE DIRECTED AT PAUL VALLAS, IT SEEMED A LITTLE MUTED THE OTHER WAY.

ARE THEY BOTH KIND OF ACTING LIKE VALLAS IS THE FRONT RUNNER?

>> IT CERTAINLY SEEMED LIKE JOHNSON WAS MORE AGGRESSIVE OUT OF THE GATE.

BUT VALLAS GOT HIS LICKS IN AS WELL CALLING SOME OF THE REMARKS NONSENSE.

HE ALSO BLAMED THE SCHOOL CLOSURES DURING THE PANDEMIC WHICH WERE SUPPORTED BY THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION, AT BRANDON JOHNSON'S FEET.

AND SAYING THAT THE REASON VIOLENCE HAS SURGED IN CHICAGO CLAIMING THE LIVES OF SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE IN CHICAGO.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN COUNT THAT AS MUTED BUT IT'S A PARTICULARLY POINTED CRITICISM.

>> CERTAINLY BOTH OF THEM GOT THEIR JABS IN.

WE HAVE ENDORSEMENTS COMING IN.

BRANDON JOHNSON GETS DANNY DAVIS, THE CONGRESSMAN, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN TERMS OF VOTES AND BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

>> THE ENDORSEMENTS JUST KEEP ROLLING IN FOR BOTH SIDES.

I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR QUESTION.

I THINK BOTH QUEST -- CANDIDATES ARE LOOKING AT ATTRACTING PEOPLE FROM BOTH SIDES.

YOU COULD ARGUE THE UNIONS LINING UP BEHIND JOHNSON ARE MAYBE NOT UNEXPECTED.

YOU COULD SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT CONSERVATIVES LINING UP BEHIND PAUL VALLAS WHO HAS SHOWN TO HAVE MORE CONSERVATIVE STRIDE.

THE QUESTION IS, DOES ANYBODY CARE?

ARE PEOPLE GOING TO VOTE BECAUSE OF WHAT ONE OR ANOTHER PERSON SAYS?

WE WILL HAVE TO SEE.

>> IT DOES SEEM LIKE THIS RACE IS ON CERTAIN FAULT LINES.

MAYBE NOT ON RACE ITSELF BUT CERTAINLY CLASS WHEN YOU LOOK AT LABOR ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING-CLASS FOLKS BEHIND BRANDON JOHNSON AND THE MONEY GOING TO PAUL VALLAS.

LOTS OF THE 1% OF CHICAGO, IN VERBAL SUPPORT.

>> THIS IS A CLASSIC CASE OF MANAGEMENT VERSUS LABOR.

I THINK BOTH JOHNSON AND VALLAS ARE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BEING SORT OF THE LINE THAT THIS FALLS ON.

BUT THERE WAS ONLY A FEW THINGS THAT THEY AGREED ON.

THEY BOTH DON'T LIKE THE AUTOMATIC PROPERTY TAX HIKE, THEY DON'T LIKE THE SPEED CAMERAS AND THEY DON'T LIKE THE MILLENNIUM PARK CURFEW FOR TEENAGERS.

BEYOND THAT THEY ARE OPPOSED ON HOW THE CITY SHOULD RUN.

>> DO WE KNOW HOW ANY OF THEM FEEL ABOUT THIS WHOLE NASCAR EVENT HAPPENING THIS SUMMER AND THE FACT THAT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THE SAME WEEK THE TASTE OF CHICAGO IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN SO THE TASTE IS MOVING TO THE NAVY PIER WE THINK?

>> WE DON'T KNOW.

EVERY YEAR THE CITY HAS TO APPROVE A SPECIAL EVENTS ORDINANCE AND USUALLY THIS IS A ROUTINE ORDINANCE.

THIS YEAR IT IS STALLED BECAUSE ALDERMAN BRENDAN RILEY WHO REPRESENTS DOWNTOWN, WAS FURIOUS TO LEARN THE TASTE OF CHICAGO WAS MOVED.

BECAUSE THEY CAN'T HOLD IT IN GRANT PARK BECAUSE THERE WILL BE ALL OF FOUR DAYS THIS SUMMER OF THE 87 DAY SUMMER THAT GRANT PARK WILL BE FULLY OPEN.

BECAUSE OF THE RACE AND LOLLAPALOOZA.

>> THAT'S AN AMAZING STAT.

ONLY FOUR DAYS THAT THIS PUBLIC PARK , CHICAGO'S FRONT YARD, PEOPLE RELAXING .

ONLY FOUR DAYS THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN USE THE ENTIRE PARK BECAUSE OF THESE EVENTS?

>> WE ARE HEARING A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON THIS.

WHAT IS CHICAGO FOR?

WHAT IS THE PARK FOR?

YOU COULD ARGUE THAT, IT MAKES A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY AND YOU HAVE THESE HUGE FESTIVALS .

I THINK A LOT OF RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THE ATHLETIC ONES WORRY ABOUT SOFTBALL AND THEY CAN'T PLAY THERE ANYMORE.

SO THE QUESTION IS WHO ARE THESE PARKS FOR.

WE START RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND ROOM TO GET TO THE PARK.

WHO IS A REALLY FOR?

>> I SHOULD MENTION THAT WHEN I PLAYED BASEBALL WE USED THE SOFTBALL DIAMOND THAT GRANT PARK, NOW NO ONE CAN DO THAT EXCEPT FOR THOSE FOUR DAYS.

SO YOU MENTIONED THE ALDERMEN DELAYING THIS, HOW DOES THIS GET RESOLVED?

>> WE HEARD ALDERMAN RILEY SAY THIS SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE NEXT MAYOR.

HOWEVER, THE TASTE OF CHICAGO IS NOT AN EVENT THAT GETS PUT ON OVERNIGHT AND THEY NEED TO APPROVE THIS NOW.

THERE HAS BEEN SOME SUGGESTIONS MAY BE A SHOULD MOVED TO THE SOUTH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT BUT TIME IS TICKING AND THIS WILL BE ANOTHER INDICATION THAT MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT IS GOING TO FACE A VERY TOUGH PERIOD GETTING ANYTHING THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL.

>> THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A HEARING ON THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT GOT CANCELED.

IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL SOMEONE ELSE'S SWORN IN.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS OFFICER ROBERT BAKER WHO HAD TIES TO THE PROUD BOYS.

ANGELA, HOW IS IT THAT HE'S ABLE TO HAVE HIS JOB BACK AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT HE'S DOING WITH THE CPD.

>> I THINK CPD HAS AN ISSUE.

HE'S AMONG A NUMBER OF OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN TIED TO EXTREMISM GROUPS , THERE'S ANOTHER OFFICER WHO WAS A PART OF THE MARCH 20th 2020 PROTESTS.

>> LET'S NOT GET OUR PERCENTAGES CONFUSED.

>> HE'S BEEN INVESTIGATED MULTIPLE TIMES BY POLICED BUT HASN'T FACED ANY DISCIPLINE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THESE EXTREMIST GROUPS HAVE SOME INTEGRITY ISSUES AND SOME ABUSE ISSUES AND POTENTIALLY THERE ARE TIES TO JANUARY SIXTH.

ARE THESE PEOPLE WE WANT TO BE LEADING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT?

THERE ARE LOTS OF LITTLE INTRICACIES AND RULES THAT GOVERN HOW YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, IS IT TRULY AN EXTREMISM GROUP?

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM THE COUNCIL SAYING WE REALLY NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO ROOT OUT INDIVIDUALS.

THERE'S MORE THAN A DOZEN POLICE OFFICERS LAST YEAR FOUND TO BE TIED TO THIS AND SOME OF THEM ARE STILL ON THE FOREST.

IT KEEPS COMING BACK TO HAUNT THE COMMUNITY AS THEY INVESTIGATE.

>> IT'S CERTAINLY DANGEROUS TO HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATING WITH THESE GROUPS.

IT SEEMS LIKE CPD WASN'T REALLY DIVULGING MUCH.

SO WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO?

WILL HE BE TROLLING?

>> I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HE WILL BE TASKED TO DO AS A POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION IS, AND I SPOKE WITH BRIAN JOHNSON, OF THE LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION, HE SAID PEOPLE IN CHICAGO WILL NOT FEEL SAFE BECAUSE THE CANNOT TRUST THESE OFFICERS TO PROTECT THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS.

THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL INTEGRITY ISSUE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY CASES OVER THE YEARS WHERE THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS FALLEN SHORT IN POLICING ITS OWN AND THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST RECENT HIGH PROFILE EXAMPLE OF THOSE INTRICACIES GETTING IN THE WAY OF HOLDING OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE.

>> WE HAVE SAID MANY TIMES THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SAID HE