People's Budget Chicago 2021: Little Village, youth (virtual)
Finance
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This is a remote assignment to document a People’s Budget Chicago event for youth, hosted by Chicago United for Equity (CUE) and Yollocalli Arts Reach. If assigned, we will loop you in with the planning team via email.
Background Every year the City of Chicago undergoes the process of defining a budget for the city—this budget impacts every department of city government and many of the issues that affect Chicagoans every day.
In advance of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s budget recommendations to City Council, and the final budget approval by the end of this year, our friends at Chicago United for Equity (CUE) are coordinating The People’s Budget, an inclusive, community-led process to define investment priorities, creating an accountability framework and, ultimately, designing a budget that centers the voices of our most impacted communities.
CUE is hosting interactive discussions on the city budget in partnership with community groups located in areas with the greatest historical disinvestment, including Austin, Bronzeville, Brighton Park, Little Village and North Lawndale.
This is our second year partnering with CUE on the People’s Budget! Documenters content will be used to inform upcoming information and resources from Chicago United for Equity on the 2021 budget process.
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Live reporting by
William Garcia
Chicago budget conversation
Bill Garcia
@BillGDocumenter
Hi, I'll be live-tweeting this morning's People's Budget Chicago 2021: Little Village Youth event for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters
10:16 AM Jul 8, 2021 CDT
Today's People's Budget: Little Village event will begin at 11:00am and is hosted by @cueChicago and @yollocalli.
Background: Every year the City of Chicago undergoes the process of defining a budget for the city—this budget impacts every department of city government and many of the issues that affect Chicagoans every day.
Prior to the Mayor's budget recommendations to City Council and the final budget approval by the end of this year, @cueChicago coordinates The People’s Budget, an inclusive, community-led process to define investment priorities and design a city budget.
CUE hosts interactive discussions on the city budget in partnership with community groups located in areas with the greatest historical disinvestment. Today's discussion focuses on Little Village youth and is in partnership with @yollocalli.
More info: peoplesbudgetchicago.com
More info: peoplesbudgetchicago.com
The People's Budget event has begun. Folks are introducing themselves. There are ten people connected to the Zoom meeting.
Folks are asked what neighborhoods and communities they are connected to and what issues they are carrying with them. Participants are representing Hyde Park, Bridgeport, Little Village, Pilsen, North Lawndale, West Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, and Avondale.
Participants note they are facing issues surrounding community disinvestment, traffic congestion, environmental issues (pollution, air quality), raising children, investment disparities in schools, transportation safety for youth, and gentrification.
Folks are asked to choose one of the communities they represent in allocating their budgets.
Q: What do you like most about your neighborhood?
As:
- Running in the neighborhood (green spaces/parks)
- Restaurants, diversity of food
- Family, church, group activities, work, restaurants
- Safety, peace, and food
- Underground music shows
- Culture and community fests
As:
- Running in the neighborhood (green spaces/parks)
- Restaurants, diversity of food
- Family, church, group activities, work, restaurants
- Safety, peace, and food
- Underground music shows
- Culture and community fests
Next, folks are asked to think about what their community needs to be safe and thriving. Participants are given a bit of time to think about and write down their responses.
A chill tune plays in the background as the group contemplates the question.
A chill tune plays in the background as the group contemplates the question.
As:
- Safe from developers (affordable housing), accessible, preserve culture and identity, ability for arts and businesses to thrive
- Community support, especially for at-risk youth
- Less stigmatization, focus on mental health and the resources to support that, closeness
- Safe from developers (affordable housing), accessible, preserve culture and identity, ability for arts and businesses to thrive
- Community support, especially for at-risk youth
- Less stigmatization, focus on mental health and the resources to support that, closeness
(Continued)
- Safety, preventing crime, open-mindedness, compassion for community members
- Strong local economy (spending money within the community), healthy/fresh food options, additional street lighting for safety
- Resources and funding for arts and community schools
- Safety, preventing crime, open-mindedness, compassion for community members
- Strong local economy (spending money within the community), healthy/fresh food options, additional street lighting for safety
- Resources and funding for arts and community schools
(Continued)
- More businesses, school funding, community-run projects
- More businesses, school funding, community-run projects
The group notes that mental health, education, funding, safety, and community engagement are common themes discussed by fellow participants.
Participants are asked to think about the following categories and how they would allocate $100 between them in forming a city budget.
Health, Education, Housing, Infrastructure, Community Resources, Carceral System. https://t.co/uUoF5INam8
Health, Education, Housing, Infrastructure, Community Resources, Carceral System. https://t.co/uUoF5INam8
The group notes that only early childhood education would be considered under the Education category, as the Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges budgets fall outside the City of Chicago budget.
Q: If you only had $1, where would the first dollar get allocated?
As:
- Community Resources (3 votes)
- Health (3 votes)
- Education (1 vote)
As:
- Community Resources (3 votes)
- Health (3 votes)
- Education (1 vote)
After spending their first $1, participants are now asked how they would spend their remaining budget.
Folks have been split into groups based on the neighborhoods they are representing.
How respondents have allocated funds. The top three folks are representing Little Village, with the rest representing a city-wide budget. Folks are asked how they would challenge their team members on their budget allocations. https://t.co/9VZvOO3QKB
There is some pushback regarding how much individuals have allocated to the carceral system. Through discussion the group notes that greater funds allocated to community resources and mental health would reduce crime, although no one has been persuaded yet to reduce carceral $.
We're breaking out into two rooms -- one for the Little Village community budget, and one for the city-wide budget. I'll be in the latter.
For the city-wide group, there were four people with a total budget of $100 (so $25 each). Each person was asked how they would invest their own $25. It's an interesting question, as each person could not know how their colleagues would invest their dollars.
The city-wide group is now asked to work with their group members to agree on an allocation for their final city-wide budget allocation.
Adjusted budget allocations after break-out sessions https://t.co/94kYpfc7rk
Actual City of Chicago 2020 budget in the context of the $100 situation https://t.co/Xt8iPA4Gmu
The group notes the significant differences in how they would allocate money to health/carceral systems and the actual 2020 budget.
Additional @cueChicago 2020 budget slides. The departments shown in Slide 2 are not part of the People's Budget, because the categories were not aligned to the 6 categories that people said were their core values. https://t.co/9iEQzWReFo
Participants are asked who they would nominate from their group to talk to the City regarding their proposed budget.
Two members of the group were selected. @cueChicago will put these folks in touch with their aldermen. Other members of the group were chosen to hold their group representatives accountable to ensure they meet with the aldermen.
The group notes that, typically, City Council passes the mayor's proposed budget without much resistance. Mayors Washington and Lightfoot have encountered the most resistance. For Lightfoot, her budget passed 29-21 (26 needed to pass).
The group is discussing next steps and strategy for communicating with aldermen and holding them accountable.
In the final few minutes, CUE asks folks how they can improve the People's Budget process, especially via Zoom.
As:
- Better preparation with break-out rooms and perhaps use Google Meets instead
- Put questions posed to participants in the chat as well
As:
- Better preparation with break-out rooms and perhaps use Google Meets instead
- Put questions posed to participants in the chat as well
The meeting has concluded. Participants have noted they've enjoyed the event, calling it engaging.
This concludes my coverage for @CHIdocumenters. #CHIDocumenters
Please see peoplesbudgetchicago.com for more information. Reply to this thread or DM me with any questions.
Please see peoplesbudgetchicago.com for more information. Reply to this thread or DM me with any questions.
The July 17th event will be hosted at @yollocalli, 2801 S Ridgeway. Watch their Instagram (handle: yollocalli) for details.