Chicago Tonight: Black Voices
What's Next for the Bring Chicago Home Campaign
Clip: 3/20/2024 | 7m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
The measure would allow City Council to hike taxes on property sales over $1 million.
With 20 city precincts and nearly 110,000 mail-in ballots still uncounted, the measure known as Bring Chicago Home is still too close to call following Tuesday's election.
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Chicago Tonight: Black Voices is a local public television program presented by WTTW
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices
What's Next for the Bring Chicago Home Campaign
Clip: 3/20/2024 | 7m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
With 20 city precincts and nearly 110,000 mail-in ballots still uncounted, the measure known as Bring Chicago Home is still too close to call following Tuesday's election.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipWITH THE 20 CITY PRECINCTS AND NEARLY 110,000 MAIL IN BALLOTS STILL UNCOUNTED THE MEASURE KNOWN AS BRING CHICAGO HOME IS STILL TOO CLOSE TO CALL FOLLOWING TUESDAY'S ELECTION.
NOW, THIS IS, OF COURSE, THE MEASURE THAT CALLED FOR HIKING THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX ON PROPERTY SALES OVER 1 MILLION DOLLARS.
>> SUPPORTERS SAY THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE WOULD FUND EFFORTS TO FIGHT HOMELESSNESS.
BUT THE CLOSE RACE COULD POINT TO SOME DISAGREEMENT AMONG CHICAGOANS OVER HOW TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S UNHOUSED.
JOINING US AGAIN, OUR COREY OWENS, A MEMBER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDING OWNERS ALLIANCE AND ALDERMAN WILLIAM HULL OF THE 6TH WAR.
GENTLEMAN, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS ON MONDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE STATUS OF THIS CORIO AND I WANT TO START WITH YOU BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD BRANDON JOHNSON AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ON THE SHOW, DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS LOSS HERE, NOT DISCOURAGING HIM FROM CONTINUING HIS AGENDA.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE AWAY FROM LAST NIGHT'S VOTE RIGHT NOW?
>> I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO TO SEE WHAT IS GOING TO BE AND HOW IT'S GOING TO GO.
BUT TO I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE OPTIMISTIC.
BUT I MEAN, ANYBODY WHO CALLS IT A WIN, I THINK IS NOT THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE CHICAGO IN THE HOUSES.
WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE WAY THAT IS GOING TO WORK BEST FOR CITY CHICAGO, A BILL TO PROVIDE IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
I HOPE BRANDON JOHNSON CONTINUES TO FIGHT FOR THIS AND CONTINUES TO TRY TO FIND TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS IN CHICAGO.
MEAN THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
AND AS HOUSING PROVIDERS, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THAT FIGHT AS WELL.
>> SAME QUESTION TO YOU.
WHAT'S YOUR TAKEAWAY THE VOTE SO FAR?
>> WELL, SO FAR I SEE A BREEZE RIGHT TO VOTE.
DID NOT HAPPEN AT THE JUAN MARCH.
APARTHEID DID NOT SIMPLY UP TO ONE MARGIN EITHER.
SO WE WOULD DO IS CONTINUE TO MARCH FOR ORGANIZED.
A GAME IS ALL ABOUT WHAT'S TEARS.
I'M GRATEFUL TO HEAR THE CORE LET SPAWNED THE MIDDLE ON THIS.
BUT AGAIN, IDEA THAT PEOPLE SLEEPING ON IN KIDS IN PLACE TO GO BUT BIGGER THAN THAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED IN NEIGHBORHOODS PRODUCES JOBS AND PRODUCES A FISH YEAR OF THE 16 BILLION DOLLAR.
WE FIGURED OUT.
>> ALDERMAN WHOLE.
DO YOU THINK THE BRING CHICAGO HOME MOVEMENT NEEDS TO CONSIDER MAKING CHANGES TO APPROACH?
>> WELL, I DO THINK THAT THIS MOVEMENT, AT HIS CORE IS CENTERED EQUITY IMPAIRED AND THAT THE CORE OF THIS IS SIMPLY JUST SAY THIS IS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
AND WHAT WE WANT IS INVESTMENT IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT.
ESSENTIALLY LESS THAN 1 MILLION DOLLARS.
IT'S CHEAPER TO BUY NEIGHBORHOODS WITH BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE LIVE.
WE'RE INVITING WISHING ONE ECONOMIC HOSPITALITY.
THINK COMING IN.
CARGO EMPOWERMENT ZONES, THESE EXEMPT YOU FROM TAXES.
WE WANT GOOGLE TO CUMBIA.
WE WANT FORCE WE WANT UNITED AIRLINES TO BUILD SOMETHING SMALLER IN NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROWTH MATTERS.
WE SEE THE EXIT IS THE BLACK POPULATION OF BLACK POPULATION IN THE CITY.
CHICAGO.
SO WE WANT TO BRING PEOPLE BACK TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND INVEST IN NEIGHBORHOODS BEFORE THE VOTE APPEARED WITH THIS MOVEMENT SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF MOMENTUM AND A LOT OF BACKING ALDERMAN.
WHERE DO YOU THINK THINGS MIGHT FALLEN SHORT?
>> WELL, ESSENTIALLY THIS I MEAN, IT'S IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK IS THAT EVERY ELECTION MATTERS IN PRIMARY.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT AS A >> PRIORITY, WHICH WE WILL CHANGE THAT.
BUT MOREOVER, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE WAS NOT DEFEATED STILL NOT DEFEATED.
AGAIN, WE LOOK AT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
DO WE WITH ON US THAT WE STOPPED DOGS TRYING TO BUY NOTE AND THIS IS REALLY OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME BACK AND EXPAND MORE VOICES.
SO MANY PEOPLE DID NOT KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS MOVEMENT WAS UNTIL YESTERDAY AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FAILURE.
IF YOU DON'T TRY TO GIVE ME.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE CONVERSATION.
ECONOMIC COREY OWENS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS REFERENDUM THAT YOU THINK WOULD WORK?
>> WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE BASELINE ON THE NEWS, WE NEED TO FIND A FUNDING FOR FOR HOMELESSNESS RIGHT TO 2 CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUE TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFFORDABLY, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WITH DEVELOPMENT IS SPECIFICALLY ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF CHICAGO IS TO REALLY DO NEW DEVELOPMENT THE WAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THE ECONOMICS DON'T WORK FOR IT, RIGHT.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO SOLVE OR EVEN BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF HOUSING HOMELESSNESS, WE GOT TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF HOW DO WE CREATE MORE HOUSING IN AREAS WHERE WE'RE SEEING VACANT LAND OR WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF BOARDED-UP BUILDINGS AND HOW DO WE THEN CREATE A SYSTEM THAT WILL BRIDGE ECONOMIC GAP SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE THOSE ARE HOUSING AFFORDABLY AND ALSO, YOU SUSTAINABLY.
SO APPARENTLY THE REFERENDUM WASN'T ENOUGH TO BRING MANY VOTERS TO THE BALLOT BOX WITH VOTER TURNOUT.
CHICAGO ONLY AROUND 20%.
>> WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF IT?
>> WELL, I I DON'T KNOW THAT'S AN ISSUE.
SPECIFIC THING.
YOU KNOW, I THINK HISTORICALLY IN PRIMARIES WE ALWAYS SEE A LOAD OF A LOWER VOTER TURNOUT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT.
YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO AND EDUCATE PEOPLE AND SHOW THEM WHY THEY GOT TO BRING OUT AND DO THEIR CIVIC DUTY IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT THAT IN THE FUTURE THAT EVERYBODY'S VOICE EVERYBODY HAS HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD AND SHOWING THAT IT'S NOT A MATTER OF WINNING AND LOSING.
I'M NOT AN ADVERSARY.
HE'S, YOU KNOW, HOME.
I'M NOT ADVERSARIAL TO.
THE MAYOR WERE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM.
WE ALL WATCH THE CAR GOING TO BE A BETTER PLACE.
WE JUST SAW AN ISSUE AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEWS ON HOW TO SOLVE THAT ISSUE.
AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO KIND OF STOPPED LIKE I'M NOT THE ENEMY.
WE'RE NOT THE VILLAINS.
YOU GUYS AREN'T DEVELOPED BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PROVIDE HOMELESSNESS.
WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM.
WE JUST GOT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, IT'S OK FOR ME TO HAVE A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW ON HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
LET'S FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO AS A WHOLE BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET BACK AND WE WANT TO GET BEHIND YOU ON THIS AS WELL.
WE WANT TO BRING OUR SUPPORT TO YOU.
>> ALDERMAN NOT ONLY DID ONLY 20% OF REGISTERED VOTERS SHOW UP FOR THIS, WHICH CAN HAPPEN IN THE PRIVATE PRIMARY HAS DISCUSSED.
BUT THE VOTE IS STILL VERY CLOSE.
WHAT WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?
BECAUSE USUALLY WHEN THERE'S A WIDE MARGIN THAT THERE'S THE VOTERS ARE GIVING YOU A VERY DEFINITIVE ANSWER.
BUT WHAT DOES IT SAY TO YOU THAT THE VOTE IS STILL TOO CLOSE TO EVEN CALL?
>> WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, IT WILL NEVER BE BROKEN.
WHAT HE SAYS IS THAT OVER 125,000 PEOPLE, BELIEVE IN THE IDEA OF ECONOMIC PARITY, THIS ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE GET MIXED UP.
THE ONE THING IS NOT THING THAT'S NOT CONFUSING.
ONE THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT WE DON'T WANT KIDS SLEEPING ON TRAINS WE WANT WE DON'T WANT KIDS.
PEOPLE ON COUCHES IN COUCH SURFING.
AND SO AGAIN, THE ECONOMIC FORMULA THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY THEY WANT TO SIMPLY THIS WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING 40 TO $50,000 A YEAR, PAY MORE TAXES CAN BILLIONAIRES.
THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
AND SO THE FORMULA THAT WE PRESENTED AGAINST SIMPLER THAN SIMILAR TO MATCH, NEED TO ADD AND SUBTRACT.
SO WHAT WE WILL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET A GUN.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ATTACKING PEOPLE THAT WERE PARDONED, HAVE ACCUMULATED WEALTH AND WEALTH HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT THIS IS A 16 BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY THAT ESSENTIALLY CAN 1000 JOBS.
NO ONE ON BOTH SIDES DISAGREES ON JOB CREATION.
NOBODY ON BOTH SIDES DISAGREES OR HOUSING FOR THOSE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, ESPECIALLY AND ON MONDAY.
WARD CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BLACK CAUCUS.
COLEMAN'S WARD HAS 0% OF ANYTHING OVER MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
THIS PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN WITH MAYOR JOHNSON BECAME A YEAR SO WE CAN FIX IT OVER TIME AND TO GET SOUNDS LIKE NOW.
>> OBVIOUSLY IT'S SOMETHING WE ALL AGREE ON.
HOMELESSNESS IS A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, COREY, IT'S IT'S IT'S DIFFERENCE OF OF HOW WHAT THAT SOLUTION LOOKS LIKE FOR EVERYONE.
THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO
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