Ed Zotti
Columnist
Ed Zotti writes “City at the Crossroads,” a biweekly series about the trends shaping Chicago and the decisions we must make.
Raising taxes while cutting back on what people get for their money is a sure way to get them to bail, City at the Crossroads columnist Ed Zotti writes.
Even if a deal could be reached for an amendment to the state constitution to ease the city’s huge pension burden, the impact would be modest. We’d still owe billions we don’t have.
First, cut Metra fares. Then, integrate that agency with the CTA, so riders could use both in a single commute and pay just one full fare.
The first phase of redevelopment was a residential boom than began around 2000, ending with the recession. Since, recovery has been slow and uneven. Here’s a breakdown.
Conditions for black Chicagoans have become worse vs. the country overall and also compared to the rest of black America. Yet there are signs of a population turnaround.
There are changes, but it’s not just that the city is getting hotter. Summer nights are warmer but summer days not so much — except in super-hot years.
Other cities and regions are bigger visitor draws or growing faster. Based on hotel-room demand growth, downtown Chicago has done better than Los Angeles but is well behind New York City.
Despite gentrification worries, the recent influx has kept the city from going the way of Detroit. But the exodus of the black middle class is pushing many neighborhoods into poverty.
It’s also where most new employment in the city will continue to be. And it isn’t just people with MBAs or law degrees who will be getting hired.