In a temporary victory for common sense, a Cook County Judge acted in the best interest of the City. 
Story Background
On December 20, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s hand-picked school board voted unanimously to fire Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez without cause.
Johnson’s entire board resigned unanimously in November when Johnson told them to fire CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. Johnson sought to terminate Martinez because Martinez didn’t support Johnson’s push to take out a high-interest loan to cover CPS’ $300 million shortfall.
The Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU) proposal includes annual raises of 10-12 percent after factoring in cost-of-living adjustments. And the union demands 13,000 new positions despite falling school enrollment.
Martinez filed suit on his removal from the CTU negotiations because his contact calls for 180 days extension if he is fired without cause.
Martinez Wins Temporary Restraining Order
Yahoo!Finance reports Pedro Martinez Wins Temporary Restraining Order Against School Board After Ouster.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s handpicked school board was blocked from modifying Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez’s duties by a Cook County Judge on Tuesday, giving the embattled schools chief a victory as he battles with City Hall over the district’s future.
Judge Joel Chupack granted Martinez a temporary restraining order against CPS board members after hearing arguments that they obstructed Martinez’s performance of his job duties.
The Tuesday hearing — which lasted over an hour and a half — included an assertion by Martinez’s lawyer William J. Quinlan that CPS board members appointed by Johnson met with the teachers union but not their own team while negotiating the teachers contract Monday.
“They’re not shy about the interference. They’re brazen. They’re bullish. And they’ll tell you that,” said Martinez’s attorney Quinlan of Quinlan Law Firm LLC before the judge.
Quinlan filed a lawsuit in the Cook County Court last Friday to prevent the board from firing the CEO, and then amended the complaint early Tuesday morning.
“The CEO, is the ‘sole representative of the Board’ authorized to conduct such negotiations,” according to the complaint.
“(The board) didn’t even go to my team. They went directly to CTU, and even went after to strategize,” Martinez told the judge. “They feel empowered … They have the mayor and the board. And so they’re telling my team to agree.”
The conflict dates back to September when the mayor asked CPS CEO Martinez to take out a $300 million high-interest loan to cover a new proposed teachers contract and a pension payment previously paid for by the city. Facing deficits of around $500 million in each of the next five years, Martinez said the loan would be fiscally irresponsible.
Johnson then gave directives for Martinez to resign, according to an internal memo obtained by the Tribune. The mayor’s board resigned in October around the dispute, and Johnson — a former teacher and union organizer — appointed a new board.
Quinlan handwrote an injunction that he handed to the judge before signing off for the holidays. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for Jan. 9 at 3:15 p.m.
The corrupt CTU will no doubt take this up with the equally corrupt Illinois Supreme Court that is continually in bed with unions.
Would the higher court be willing to do the right thing? I suspect we will find out.
Conceivably, the US Supreme Court could eventually get involved. But such maneuvers can only last for 180 days.
Eventually, the CTU is likely to get what it wants despite the fact there is no way to pay for it.
The CPS Budget
The district’s budget is about $10 billion. It’s up nearly 30% increase in five years while serving fewer students.
By 2029 or 2030, the deficit is projected to be $4 billion per year on a $10 billion budget.
The city is broke.
The Corruption and Incompetence of Chicago’s Mayor Has No Bounds
For further discussion, please see The Corruption and Incompetence of Chicago’s Mayor Has No Bounds
I can’t help but think Johnson will eventually find jail because history suggests corrupt Illinois politicians eventually get there.
Meanwhile, the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent kids are destroyed in a worst in the nation public school system.
Meanwhile, please note that In Chicago There’s Under a 50 Percent Chance Police Show Up If You are Shot
Good luck in Chicago getting the police to show up if you are shot, stabbed, a victim of domestic violence, or any number of other serious crimes.
But hey, Chicago hired 179 new community services administrators. How’s that working for you?
If you voted for Johnson, you got what you deserve. Unfortunately, it’s not what the city deserved.
What is the Chicago Public Schools credit rating? Ditto for the City of Chicago? If they are not junk yet expect them to soon be. There is no (moral) prospect that they can repay any bonds.
(And God save us from the US Federal Reserve buying those bonds, or any other Federal agency bailing them out.)
This is getting past “filing for bankruptcy” to really is/are bankrupt and no one will provide any services without payment up front. For the unionized teachers their contract and scrip representing their pay (which no one will honor) plus a dollar will buy a cup of coffee.
Plain and simple, Johnson is a communist. Chicago is screwed in so many ways that we can’t even mention them all here.
“Johnson — a former teacher and union organizer…”
I guess that’s where Chicago voters made their mistake.
The Dems New America, “IF THEY” had gotten into Power once again. Let this be remembered, as the way “They Role” so we don’t get rolled over and eliminated!
It’s absolutely disgusting, what these People Will Do!!!
The Depletion Paradox – Goehring & Rozencwajg Natural Resource Investors
The great drama of American shale production may now be nearing its final act. For years, we have anticipated that the relentless growth in shale output would crest by late 2024 or early 2025, catching many off-guard. In hindsight, even this expectation might have erred on the side of caution. Quietly and without much fanfare, both shale oil and shale gas appear to have passed their zenith several months ago.
Recent data from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) reveal that shale crude oil production reached its high-water mark in November 2023, only to slide 2%— roughly 200,000 barrels per day—since then. Likewise, shale dry gas production peaked that same month and has since slipped by 1% or 1 billion cubic feet per day. The trajectory from here, according to our models, looks steeper still.
Our models point to a sobering conclusion: even with substantially higher prices and an abundance of undrilled locations, production is set to continue its decline. We call this phenomenon the “depletion paradox.” It is a familiar story, and history provides a clear precedent. Read More
These school districts are far west Cook County and east DuPage County.
Hinsdale and Burr Ridge are the high-roller property values / taxes.
Hinsdale Teacher Absenteeism Drops | Hinsdale, IL Patch
School district% of teachers with 10 or more absences
Burr Ridge 180: 38%
Cass 63: 38%
Center Cass 66: 36%
Darien 61: 16%
Elmhurst 205: 36%
Gower 62: 33%
Hinsdale 181: 33%
Hinsdale 86: 24%
La Grange 102: 0%
La Grange 105 46%
La Grange Highlands 106: 34%
Lyons Township High: 27%
Pleasantdale 107: 25%
Western Springs 10: 0%
Meanwhile, Hinsdale High School District 86 saw a big drop in teachers who missed at least 10 days, which was 24 percent last year, down from nearly 50 percent the previous two years.
Last year, the statewide average was 34 percent.
Under state law, the rate EXCLUDES absences for professional development, leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, long-term disability or parental leave.
So when do they actually, um… Never mind, as they obviously don’t!!
Liberal failures abound.
The American and western free money and the dollar reserve currency imperialism is coming to an end.
Vivek Ramaswamy Says America Doesn’t Have Enough Engineers Because We Mocked Steve UrkelAmerica loves jocks, and that’s why we don’t have any good engineers… or something.
There are plenty of great engineers in the US, but they’re too uppity to work 80 hour weeks for 70k in a HCOL area. Here at X, we’ve replaced them with H1B Indian immigrants that get kicked out of the country if we fire them. They don’t do as good a job, but they’re cheap!
Plumbers, firemen, and auto assemblers earn more than American engineers. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. You get what you pay for.
I wish! No fancy pants PHD will take the 18 bucks an hour my assemblers do.
Many US universities cater to foreign students for their Engineering programs. My so chose Purdue over Illinois precisely because of this. Group projects are often conducted in Chinese… I am amazed that they are highly sought after but the Pay for engineers is pretty low with little prospect for high pay. The best and the brightest major in it but companies push for foreign engineers (so they don’t have to pay them what they are worth). When engineers make less than plumbers, is it a surprise that our best and brightest look in other directions and leave it to the foreign students?
Rod Blagoyevich needs to step in and make a public service announcement, “I was convicted of corruption and served time in prison. Don’t push this issue.”
Fatso was on the other end of the line of that infamous call regarding the Obama vacated U.S. Senate seat.
Blagoyevich went on the Joe Rogan podcast and talked about how corrupt the Chicago Teachers Union is. Guess it still takes one to know one!
If only the judge could fire the mayor. Scott LeBoo probably has sads over his favorite mayor getting bitch-slapped.
Life in the fast lane for those public union’s Jill and Jane.
RICO RICO RICO them.
Funny how RICO only applies to organized crime as in street gangs, not Government officials like ex Senator Corzine.