Colin Kaepernick offers recollections of his life as a teenage dual-threat baseball/football prospect in “Colin in Black and White.” | NETFLIX

‘Colin in Black & White,’ ‘Swagger’ dramatize the formative years of the two outspoken athletes.

The NBA superstar Kevin Durant has known his fair of controversies through the years, but it’s been confined to the usual types of dustups, e.g., Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, his heated in-game conflict with Warriors teammate Draymond Green and a handful of social media-fueled embarrassments and arguments.

At 33, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is the same age as Durant — but while the latter remains one of the best players in the game when healthy, the former hasn’t played a down in the NFL since 2016, despite having better credentials and more talent than any number of journeyman QB’s who find work holding a clipboard and wearing a baseball hat for team after team after team. Try to make the argument Kaepernick is out of the league because of injuries and diminished skills, but come on — if he had never sat on the bench or taken a knee during the national anthem, if he had never been such an outspoken activist, is there any doubt Colin Kaepernick would still be in the league?

By true coincidence, this week marks the release of limited dramatic series based on the lives of Durant and Kaepernick — but each show is set approximately two decades in the past, chronicling the journeys of a young basketball phenom in the Washington, D.C., area and a two-sport athlete in northern California. Both series are smart, insightful, engaging and provocative efforts, with crisp writing, some bold and creative touches, and terrific performances from young and essentially unknown actors who are working with some talented and familiar veterans.

‘Swagger’

The 10-part Apple TV+ series “Swagger” is inspired by Kevin Durant’s experiences as a prized, 14-year-old hoops prospect in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) metropolitan area, but it’s a work of fiction set in the present day. Some of the creative forces behind the brilliant “Friday Night Lights” TV series are also involved in “Swagger,” and while this new effort isn’t quite in the same league as that Hall of Fame show, you can recognize some of the influences, from the infectious soundtrack to the docudrama feel to the multiple storylines that go far beyond sports.

Apple TV+
A coach known as “Icon” (O’Shea Jackson Jr., right) becomes a father figure for 14-year-old Jace (Isaiah Hill) on “Swagger.”

Youth basketball player turned actor Isaiah Hill is a natural presence as Jace Carson, whose on-court skills have attracted the attention of scouts, coaches, pro stars and social media audiences even though he hasn’t yet entered high school. “Swagger” hits the ground running and gives us the feeling we’re eavesdropping on fully formed lives and ongoing storylines from the opening tipoff, as we’re introduced to a number of key players in Jace’s life, including:

Jace’s mother, Jenna (an outstanding and luminous Shinelle Azoroh), a single mom who is raising two children and recognizes her son has the potential to become an NBA superstar — but is also fiercely protective of him and leery of all the adults who come calling, claiming they only have Jace’s best interests in mind.

The former high school phenom turned youth coach known as “Icon” (O’Shea Jackson, Jr., in one of his best performances), who tries to instill the values of teamwork and unselfishness in his players and becomes a father figure to Jace.
Jace’s best friend and potential love interest, Crystal (Quvenshane Walls, outstanding), who has some mad basketball skills of her own and a loving albeit demanding nuclear family.

John Lamparski/Getty Images
Kevin Durant attends a premiere of his Apple TV+ series “Swagger” on Tuesday in New York.

As was the case with “Friday Night Lights,” many an episode features the obligatory Pivotal Game, but the most compelling developments take place off the court, whether it’s the police detaining Jace for making the mistake of being a young Black man taking out the garbage after dark, Crystal dealing with the aftermath of a sexual assault by her coach, or an athletic apparel rep wooing Jace and other young talents with shoes and clothing and promises of major endorsement deals — and that’s just a small sampling of the ongoing and interconnecting storylines. Whether you’re a basketball junkie or a casual fan, “Swagger” is an instantly captivating and authentic dramatic ride.

‘Colin in Black and White’

There’s much more of a “Malcolm in the Middle” meets “The Wonder Years” meets “Young Rock” vibe to the six-part Netflix series “Colin in Black and White” which combines nostalgic storytelling with documentary footage of Colin Kaepernick as he narrates the story of his life as a teenage dual-threat baseball/football prospect in the early 2000s and appears in interstitial segments in which he delivers historical lessons and valuable insights about matters of racial and social significance.

NETFLIX
Mary-Louise Parker and Nick Offerman play the adoptive parents of young Colin Kaepernick (Jaden Michael).

In the warm and often lightly comedic but occasionally sobering dramatic segments, Jaden Michael is empathetic and enormously likable as young Colin, an outstanding pitcher and quarterback who lives with his adoptive, white parents (Nick Offerman and Mary-Louise Parker, both delivering Emmy-quality work) in a comfortable, conservative California community. The 14-year-old Colin is experiencing cultural awakenings at every turn, whether he’s getting his hair styled like his new sports hero Allen Iverson (much to the bewilderment of his well-meaning but often clueless parents); dealing with football coaches who admire his talent but tell him he’s not the “prototype QB,” i.e., he’s not white, or experiencing casually cruel racism from white hotel employees while on a road trip with his baseball team. (As Colin stands with his parents in a hotel lobby, an employee approaches and asks them if this young man is bothering him.)

From time to time, we cut to Kaepernick in present day, as he gives an ongoing Ted talk-type presentation, recounting his own experiences and offering quick lessons about phenomena such as “micro aggressions,” e.g., we see an older, white partner in a law firm interviewing a Black candidate, complimenting him on being “clean” and “articulate,” but also wondering if he’s going to wear his hair in those dreads in the office. Both the traditional fictional narrative and the real-world messages are often delivered with wicked-smart comedic touches — an especially effective means of providing social commentary without making us feel as if we’re sitting in on a lecture. My only complaint about “Colin in Black and White” is that six episodes aren’t enough.

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Bears receiver Allen Robinson, left, and quarterback Justin Fields are still sorting through their chemistry. | AP Photos

NFL teams set aside a time for their starting quarterback and wide receivers to develop chemistry. It’s called training camp. The Bears, though, have no such luxury — at least not with this quarterback.

NFL teams set aside a time for their starting quarterback and wide receivers to develop chemistry. It’s called training camp.

The Bears, though, have no such luxury — at least not with this quarterback. One of the fundamental flaws of Matt Nagy anointing Andy Dalton his unquestioned starter in the spring is that Dalton — not rookie Justin Fields — got to spend all OTAs and training camp running plays with the first-string receivers. Fields did so only rarely.

When Dalton got injured six quarters into the season, Fields was left to — among a laundry list of first-time responsibilities — learn his receivers’ preferences, tendencies and rhythms on the fly.

It’s not going well.

Expected to make a huge leap in Year 2, Darnell Mooney is averaging the same number of receptions per game as he did last year. Allen Robinson looks nothing like his former self — he’s averaging roughly half as many catches and receiving yards per game as he did last season. Receivers Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd have combined for 13 catches and 120 yards all season.

Tuesday, Robinson stated the obvious when asked about his struggles synching up with Fields.

“There weren’t many snaps we took throughout training camp,” he said.

Chemistry comes from a Crock Pot, not a microwave. It’s built on the backs of off-campus spring throwing sessions, minicamps, training camp, practices and games. Dalton was the quarterback who did most of that this year.

“Of course, the more reps you get with your receivers the better chemistry you have,” Fields said. “It’s that simple, really.”

Fields then laid out a plan to try to make up for lost time.

“We have solid chemistry,” Fields said of Robinson. “We, of course, need to get better. It’s not the best in the country, of course, but we’re growing each and every day …

“Me, him and some other receivers are going to start meeting on Zoom by ourselves and kind of start getting our own thing together.”

Fields and the receivers plan to meet apart from their teammates to watch film on Zoom — and, perhaps when the team is out of a strict coronavirus protocol, in person. Doing so will allow them to talk through potential audibles and defensive tendencies.

The act of watching film together isn’t earth-shattering — the Bears already do that, in different groupings — but the Bears saying something needs to change at least acknowledges the dismal state of the offense.

They average 255.4 yards per game, the fewest in the NFL by 17 yards — and 205 yards less than the league-leading Cowboys. Their 124.4 passing yards per game ranks dead last, too — and is a whopping 200 yards per game less than the Buccaneers, who boast the best passing offense in football.

“it means a lot,” Mooney said of the meeting plan. “Obviously [Fields] wants to win. We want to win as well. So I mean, chemistry takes a long time to build up. But we’re trying to speed up the process, get it to where we need it to be right now. That’s the thing we’re working on.”

Asked how often they’ll meet on their own, Fields was blunt — “As much as we need to,” he said — even as he projected optimism that the offense will turn around.

“You just have those feelings,” he said. “You just feel it. It’s coming.”

Mooney does, too.

“You can see it,” he said. “You just gotta bring it from practice to the game … Everybody’s success echoes off of each other. It starts up front, and then it starts at the quarterback, then running back, run game, then receivers, you know?

“So we all gotta do our thing, do our job, and everything will work out as it should.”

That job, starting this week, includes an extra Zoom meeting.

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John Catanzara, president of Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police, addresses protesters and supporters outside City Hall on Monday at a rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

In all, 13 joined the call for the special meeting to consider the repeal ordinance. Still, 13 more must show up to form a quorum. And 8 more than that are needed for a vote to suspend the rules, allowing immediate consideration of the repeal.

More than a dozen City Council members who are among the police union’s staunchest supporters have called a special Council meeting for Friday to consider repealing the vaccine mandate being fought tooth-and-nail by the Fraternal Order of Police.

Earlier this week, the repeal ordinance championed by Alderpersons Silvana Tabares (23rd) and Anthony Napolitano was shunted to the Rules Committee, the traditional burial ground where ordinances opposed by the mayor go to die.

Tabares told the Sun-Times she wasn’t giving up. On Wednesday, she made good on that threat.

She joined Napolitano, embattled Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th), indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th), Alderpersons Matt O’Shea (19th) and a host of other police allies in calling a special meeting for 11 a.m. Friday to consider the repeal ordinance. In all, 13 alderpersons joined the call for the special meeting for “immediate consideration” of the repeal ordinance.

Still, 13 more must show up to form a quorum. And they’ll need 8 more than that for a vote to suspend the rules and allow immediate consideration of the repeal.

That’s a tall order, given that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has vowed to “do everything I can to stop it” and make certain the ordinance “never sees the light of day.”

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Among the City Council members who have called for a special meeting Friday to consider repealing Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees are: Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th), Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) and Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st), shown here at Monday’s Council meeting at City Hall.

Lightfoot said she’s surprised Tabares would side with an FOP president who “spews hatred” against her Hispanic constituents.

“That is not reflective of her community. … It’s really stunning to me that a woman of color would carry the water for a guy like that, who every single day spews hatred against people who look like her and have her background,” Lightfoot said last week.

“It is really, really shameful. And she’ll have to answer for that.”

The ordinance would effectively repeal the vaccine mandate, retroactively requiring City Council approval of “all policies, rules and regulations governing discipline” of city employees.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of the city code to the contrary and subject to the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement approved by city council, any new policy rule or regulation that provides for placing city employees on non-disciplinary, no-pay status requires City Council approval,” the ordinance states.

Lightfoot’s mandate that city employees report their vaccination status on the city’s data portal took effect on Oct 8. The ordinance “shall be retroactive” to Oct. 1.

Burke introduced a second ordinance that also was sent to the Rules Committee. It is not on Friday’s agenda. It would require the continuation of health care benefits for the dependents of city employees for the duration of the dispute.

Many of those beneficiaries are “being treated for life-threatening diseases, mental health illnesses and are receiving hospital and in-patient treatment which will be at risk,” the ordinance states.

“No provision of the municipal code authorizes the Mayor of Chicago to take this draconian action. And furthermore, no action of the municipal code requires city employees to submit the information” on their vaccine status.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) gets a round of applause as she walks among Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 members and their supporters as they protest against COVID-19 mandates outside City Hall before Monday’s Chicago City Council meeting.

Earlier this week, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara demanded a show of hands from alderpersons who support the repeal. Then, he delivered an ominous political warning to those who refused to take a stand against the mayor’s mandate.

“We’re taking a report card and anybody who does not raise their hand, you will be challenged in 2023,” Catanzara said.

“We are coming for every one of your damn seats because this is not the way government is supposed to run. It is not a queen on that throne.”

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Alison Victoria’s Bucktown home sold Monday for $2,145,000. | Sun-Times staff

Like the show itself, the home has its own set of controversy, drama and legal battles.

“Windy City Rehab” star Alison Victoria Gramenos finally sold her personal Bucktown home, which was constructed by her former co-host-turned-foe Donovan Eckhardt.

The sale closed Monday at $2,145,000, $150,000 less than the $2,295,000 price tag she originally placed on the home when it first came on the market a little over a year ago.

Eckhardt pointed out he built the home Gramenos just cashed in on to zing his former co-host in a defamation suit alleging she falsely characterized him as an unreliable home builder and a cheat.

“Alison, who made most of the false and defamatory statements about me during the season two episodes … lives in Chicago (in a home that I built),” Eckhardt stated in the suit, which was tossed out by a Cook County judge who decided the proper venue for the legal battle was California. The suit, which names the companies behind the show, not Gramenos, has since been refiled in Sacramento.

The Bucktown home and its potential sale also briefly became a pawn in a legal case filed by a couple seeking to claw back money from Gramenos and Eckhardt after they allegedly sold them a rehabbed house in Lincoln Square that was plagued with leaks.

The couple feared Victoria would try to shield money gained from the sale of her personal home from being part of any future judgment in the case. A Cook County judge denied the couple’s request to block the sale; the lawsuit is still pending.

It seems Gramenos spared no expense on her own Bucktown home.

The masonry brick-and-limestone single-family home boasts a custom fireplace imported from Paris, a rooftop deck with a wet bar, a back patio with an outdoor kitchen and wood-burning brick oven and a built-in grill and pizza oven, according to the listing.

It has five bedrooms, including a bedroom suite that takes up half of the second floor.

Public records show Gramenos bought a home at the same address in 2016 for $660,000 and built a new house on the land in 2018.

Gramenos, who in interviews has said she also spends time in Las Vegas where her company, Alison Victoria Interiors, has offices, could not be reached for comment.

Showrunners announced in February that nine new episodes would begin airing in late 2021 but have since been silent about exactly when the episodes would debut.

Gramenos is known on the show as Alison Victoria, but her full name is Alison Victoria Gramenos.

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In honoring Joakim Noah at the United Center on Thursday, it’s a reminder of the pettiness that The Chairman was still holding onto after all these years when it comes to the second-best coach in franchise history in Thibodeau.

The Bulls have always celebrated their warriors.

Whether it’s a video tribute in a first return to the grounds they once fought on at the United Center, or just declaring an entire evening to honor a player like they will do with Joakim Noah on Thursday, it’s an organization built on maintaining that loyalty.

In paying tribute to those on-the-court soldiers.

One glaring problem? They’re forgetting the generals.

In particular, former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.

This is where Jerry Reinsdorf’s pettiness remains his Achilles Heel.

As disconnected as the relationship has gotten between myself and the Chairman over the years, I will always maintain he is the best sports owner the city of Chicago has ever had, and has seven championship trophies to prove it.

Luck, circumstance in what he inherited, great timing, however his critics want to try and dent the hardware he’s collected it falls on deaf ears. His teams won titles and his nameplate was on the owner’s office door.

In our last encounter, he still carried himself like the smartest man in the room, because most rooms he walks in he often is.

Reinsdorf didn’t stumble into having billions in team value, he earned it. There’s an elite intelligence with that.

But in honoring the likes of Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Deng and Noah from those beloved 2010-2015 Bulls teams, he’s purposely spitting at the man that made those players, put Reinsdorf’s team back on the global map post-Michael Jordan, and frankly made the Chairman millions.

Thibodeau did all of those things, and yet isn’t fit for a 45-second tribute video after all these years?

Sure, he was fired and didn’t go out in the best circumstances in the opinion of what has now proven to be a then-incompetent front office, but for a guy that practices and preaches loyalty – almost to a fault – like Reinsdorf does, his disloyalty to Thibodeau and what the second-best coach in the history of the organization did is sinful.

Not once since he was fired has Thibodeau said anything but kind words about Jerry, his son Michael, and even former executive John Paxson. Both publicly and privately.

Even when Reinsdorf tried to diminish Thibodeau as a coach and person in a statement after the firing, Thibodeau took the high road and thanked Reinsdorf for the chance. And continues to do that to this day.

Reinsdorf is going to be 86 years old this February. He can either start letting grudges go or dig his feet deeper into the mud.

The shame is he can afford really expensive boots.

As for Thibodeau, the Knicks coach was just grateful for the opportunity to be in attendance on the night Noah will be honored.

“I’m thrilled for him,” Thibodeau said of Noah on Tuesday. “He’s a special guy, had an incredible career. That team resonated with the city, and Jo was the heart and soul of that team. When you watched his game, aesthetically his shot wasn’t pretty, but it went in. The beauty of his game was his effort, his heart, and he’d make three, four, five efforts on a play, and that’s special. He got the absolute most out of his ability.

“He was an emotional guy. I loved him, I fought with him. I loved him, I fought with him. He’s a dear friend now, and that’s maybe the best part of coaching is the afterlife when there’s an appreciation for each other.”

Maybe Reinsdorf will find that “appreciation” with Thibodeau.

Maybe there will be an “afterlife” between the two.

The general deserves that.

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How these BFFs snack, exercise, and unwind (often together).Read More

Khalil Mack has played 53 of a possible 55 games since the Bears traded for him in 2018. | Kamil Krzaczynski/AP

Mack is seventh in the NFL with six sacks, but has been struggling with a foot injury since Week 3.

The one thing the Bears have been able to count on the last few seasons is that Khalil Mack will be in the lineup and spearheading their pass rush, no matter how much damage his body incurs along the way.

Even that, however, is no longer certain.

Mack has been missing practice ever since spraining his foot in Week 3 against the Browns, and the Bears have reached a point where it might be more sensible to let him heal rather than spend the rest of the season playing through it.

Coach Matt Nagy said Wednesday the team is considering putting him on injured reserve, which would keep him out of at least the next three games. That’s a decision the Bears would likely finalize Saturday.

“The only thing I would say is that we’re working through everything right now with Khalil,” Nagy said. “We’ll just kinda see where that all ends up.

“We’ll have those discussions [about injured reserve]. We’re not there yet.”

It’d be a tough loss for the Bears at a time when they can’t afford it. They go into their game against the 49ers at 3-4, desperate to keep their season afloat.

Not only would their most talented player be stepping away, but they’re already missing the other pillars of their pass rush. Outside linebacker Robert Quinn remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks missed the game last week because of a groin injury.

Those three are essential to the Bears’ blueprint, which prioritized having an elite pass rush. Mack is seventh in the NFL with six sacks, and Quinn is 12th with 5.5.

The trio of Mack, Quinn and Hicks — all in question against the 49ers — account for 20% of the salary cap this season with a combined hit of $37.9 million.

Mack, who has made six consecutive Pro Bowls, has been incredibly reliable despite several significant injuries since joining the Bears in 2018. He has played 69% of the defensive snaps this season and has played 55 of a possible 57 games, including playoffs, for the Bears over the last four seasons.

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When the Chicago Bulls continued their undefeated ways with a victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, it came with a cost. All Star guard Zach LaVine injured his thumb in the win, and an MRI confirmed a ligament tear. LaVine ended his night with 22 points, five assists and four rebounds as he […] Chicago Bulls News: Zach LaVine making LeBron James look soft – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

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The Chicago City Council met Wednesday at City Hall for final approval of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $16.7 billion spending plan. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $16.7 billion budget is on course to sail through the City Council, thanks to an avalanche of federal relief funds that paved the way for an unprecedented 30% increase in city spending.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot likes to celebrate her budget victories with a steak, a Scotch and a cigar.

After Wednesday’s City Council vote that will culminate the most tranquil budget season in recent memory, she might want add dessert to the menu.

Lightfoot’s $16.7 billion budget is on course to sail through the City Council, thanks to an avalanche of federal stimulus funds that paved the way for an unprecedented, 30% increase in city spending.

“There is something for everyone,” License Committee Chairman Emma Mitts (37th) told her colleagues after debate began shortly before 10:30 a.m.

Education Committee Chairman Michael Scott Jr. (24th) cited the $50 million for “street interventions” to tamp down violence and the increased spending for mental health.

Scott applauded the mayor for skillfully navigating the “tightrope walk between doing what is fiscally prudent and investing in” the city’s neediest residents.

Chicago’s property tax levy will rise by $76.5 million — on the heels of a $94 million hike in real estate taxes last year.

The increase includes: $22.9 million for an automatic escalator tied to the consumer price index; $25 million to bankroll the 2022 installment of Lightfoot’s $3.7 billion capital plan and $28.6 million captured from “new property.”

The increase — minus the new property — is expected to cost the owner of a home valued at $250,000 an extra $38-a-year.

At least a dozen “no” votes are expected against the property tax increase. But Lightfoot has easily sloughed off a demand from downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and the Hispanic Caucus to repeal the automatic escalator at a time when homeowners and business owners are already reeling from skyrocketing reassessments.

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President Jack Lavin made a similar plea on behalf of businesses bracing for a fundamental shift in how business property is assessed.

What the mayor has called a “once in a lifetime opportunity to transform” Chicago literally allowed Lightfoot to play Santa Claus, instead of Grinch.

That’s even after using about two-thirds of federal relief money to replace revenues lost to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. She salted away $537.4 million of it to use in 2022 and 2023.

To reduce poverty made worse by the pandemic, Chicago will set aside $31.5 million to launch a one-year test of a concept known as universal basic income.

Under the plan, the city will send $500 checks, no strings attached, to 5,000 of Chicago’s neediest families. Lightfoot has called it the largest such cash assistance program of its kind in the nation.

Civic Federation President Laurence Msall called that program, championed by Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), chairman of the Council’s Hispanic Caucus, a “worthy experiment.” But Msall also said he’s concerned about creating a permanent dependency.

“It’s only for one year. Or, at the most, two years. City finance officials have assured us that there is no ongoing commitment once this money is passed out. But will there be an expectation by those recipients that more people will get that money, or they will continue to get it, even after the federal stimulus money is no longer available?” he said.

“It’s a reasonable question that many are asking. How can the city afford to do this going forward once the federal money is no longer available?”

Lightfoot moved up the budget process by a month to coincide with the unveiling of her plan to spend the federal relief funds.

She ended up using 68% of the federal money for revenue replacement. That freed up the city’s corporate fund to repay a $450 million line of credit used to eliminate a pandemic-induced shortfall and cancel $500 million in refinancing that would have been necessary without the second round of stimulus funds.

Still, she managed to earmark $1.2 billion for new investments by pooling $563 million in federal money with the $660 million that represents the 2022 installment of her capital plan.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Mayor Lori Lightfoot presiding at Wednesday’s meeting of the Chicago City Council.

Christmas in Chicago will also come early with: $202 million to reduce homelessness; $52 million in new investments for mental health initiatives, $15 million of it to expand a pilot alternate response program for mental health emergencies; $150 million for youth programming; and $85 million for violence intervention.

To combat global warming, the mayor’s budget calls for planting 75,000 new trees over the next five years while reducing the year-long wait to get a tree trimmed by nearly doubling the number of crews devoted to that vital service.

There’s a $20 million Artist Relief and Works Fund, including $10 million in relief funds and a matching $10 million “dedicated revenue stream” from the corporate budget that will “no longer be subject to the vagaries of the hotel tax.”

The budget also includes several new or enhanced programs to relieve the burden on low-income Chicagoans driven into debt and bankruptcy by the city’s over-reliance on ticket revenues.

That includes so-called “fix-it tickets” for certain compliance violations, such as an invalid or missing city sticker, and a 50% reduction in tickets for low-income drivers.

In the horse-trading that preceded the final vote, Lightfoot also ratcheted up investments to satisfy the demands of Council members.

“When it was time to bend, you did. When it was time to [stand] steadfast, you did,” indicted Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) told Budget Director Susie Park.

“I wanted to extract some more money out of you. But, you weren’t budging.”

Austin then directly addressed the mayor who dumped her as Budget Committee chairman and forced her out as chairman of the consolation Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity after her indictment.

“These are trying times for all of us. They are trying times for you. But, I know you’ve done 100 percent for the people who elected you,” Austin told Lightfoot.

Lightfoot steadfastly resisted demands to reopen mental health clinics shuttered by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But she did agree to increase staffing at the five city clinics that remain open by 72%. That includes 18 additional staffers and an expansion of evening hours.

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), chairman of the Democratic Socialist Caucus, has hailed that level of investment in mental health personnel as “something we haven’t seen happen in decades.”

Other 11th-hour concessions include more money for homeless outreach, single-room-occupancy buildings, food equity, forestry, marketing at the Commission on Animal Care and Control and additional city planners to oversee land sales.

In response to aldermanic concerns, an oversight sub-committee chaired by Budget Committee Chairman Pat Dowell (3rd) is also being created to ride herd of how the city spends the avalanche of federal stimulus funds.

With those changes — and more — the progressive agenda that can never be fully satisfied is, at the very least, appeased.

“This is a progressive budget,” Ald. Sophia King (4th), chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus, declared last week.

“I appreciate the collaboration we had on this budget and how my colleagues pushed to make sure that there are resources for the most neediest in our community.”

Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) praised her colleagues in the Progressive and Black Caucuses for “pushing the limits” and going “somewhere we’ve never gone before as a Council.

Thanks to that pressure, “We can really begin to have meaningful direction is moving towards a city that is fairer for all,” Hairston has said.

Last year Lightfoot balanced her budget by, in part, eliminating 614 Chicago Police Department vacancies and shrinking CPD by attrition.

This year, she’s increasing police spending by $189 million — to just under $1.9 billion. But, Park has said the “full driver” of that increase is the new police contract, with its 20% pay raise over eight years.

Meanwhile, the tidal wave of police retirements continues with 703 retirements already this year and 987 sworn vacancies.

Far Northwest Side Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st), downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) and O’Shea wanted Lightfoot to restore some positions.

But the mayor has argued that CPD will have enough trouble just filling the 1,000 vacancies amid waning interest in the police profession.

“Our challenge is not the vacancies. The challenge is that, to be blunt, we get butts in seats to take the test. And then, once we get them into the academy, make sure they stay as police officers here in Chicago and not go to the suburbs or go to other city employment like the fire department,” Lightfoot told the Sun-Times editorial board on the day she introduced her budget.

Despite the political euphoria that will surely come with having put the budget to bed in record time, Msall warned Chicago is hardly out of the woods.

Although the city has “climbed the ramp” to actuarial funding for all four pension funds, there is still no long-term funding source from Springfield, like a tax on retirement income or a sales tax on professional services. Nor has the Il. General Assembly heeded the Civic Federation’s call for a constitutional amendment eliminating the pension protection clause going forward.

Msall also remains concerned about the mayor’s continued reliance on one-time revenues, the city’s mountain of debt and about her plan to refinance $1.2 billion more and use $232 million of the savings to bankroll four years of back pay for Chicago Police officers.

He’s equally concerned about what will happen “when the federal ARP money goes away” — particularly if the $153 million in federal relief reserved for revenue replacement in 2023 is not enough.

“What’s Plan B if the city does not recover at the aggressive and robust growth that the city is hoping for? We need to have a Plan B? Will we try to raise taxes if the economic disruption caused by the pandemic continues? Will we make structural changes? Will we be cutting?” he said.

“In likelihood, it’s going to have to be a combination of all of that. But if we don’t see a return where business travel comes back, where convention attendance [comes] back, the city is going to have a hard to meeting its debt obligations for many of the key investments that those industries support.”

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