Austin Berg (@Austin_

Austin Berg

8,218 posts

Austin Berg

@Austin__Berg

Co-founder @ironlightinc (2025 @C_and_E Public Affairs Firm of the Year) | Chicago Policy Center + @illinoispolicy | Co-author of “The New Chicago Way”

Chicago, IL

Joined May 2011

Pinned
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Feb 1
NEW: Chicago’s greatest challenge is not a lack of natural resources. Nor top-tier universities. Nor basic infrastructure. It is the compounded effect of decades of poor financial decisions. Here are the top five steps Chicago's next mayor can take to fix city finances
5 steps Chicago’s next mayor can take to fix city finances
From thelastward.org
240K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Jan 29, 2025
BREAKING: Chicago’s Inspector General just dropped a report exposing Mayor Brandon Johnson’s secret gift stash. Jewelry, whiskey, handbags, and shoes—all stored in a “Gift Room” hidden from investigators as well as Johnson’s personal office. Just as scandalous: The report reveals
3.7M
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Nov 14, 2024
BREAKING: Chicago City Council just struck down Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's $300M property tax hike on a unanimous vote: 50-0. Stunning loss for a sitting mayor. Fantastic win for Chicagoans.
1.7M
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Jun 23, 2025
NEW: As Zohran Mamdani surges in the polls and prediction markets today, the Chicago Tribune editorial board issues a warning to New York City voters. “Want to know how a socialist mayor would govern New York City? Ask Chicago.”
Chicago Tribune
@chicagotribune
Jun 23, 2025
From the Editorial Board: If New Yorkers are frustrated with Mayor Eric Adams, they should be careful not to trade him for someone who makes governance even harder. Trust us – we’ve been there. trib.al/uCc4Pfs
1.1M
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Jul 20, 2024
NEW: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is rejecting Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s calls for a state bailout to pay for the Chicago Teachers Union’s contract demands. This is one of the most consequential public embarrassments yet for the mayor and his largest campaign backer.
705K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Oct 4, 2024
BREAKING: All seven members of the Chicago Board of Education have announced they will resign. This is unprecedented. The move comes after weeks of heavy pressure from Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union, demanding board members do two things ⬇️ 1. Issue a
2.4M
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Jan 9, 2025
NEW: Illinois State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, has filed a bill allowing for a mayoral recall election in the city of Chicago (HB 1084).
543K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Jan 29, 2025
Replying to @Austin__Berg
2/ Chicago’s Government Ethics Ordinance (GEO) prohibits city officials, including the mayor, from accepting gifts over $50. One exception is that officials may take gifts that are “accepted on behalf of the City.” These gifts are supposed to be approved in advance by the Board
222K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Aug 21, 2024
Illinois property taxes are like a second mortgage. And Chicago sales taxes are the highest of any major city in the country. That won’t change until lawmakers get serious about our debt problem. I joined @BretBaier tonight to discuss.
00:00
249K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Nov 7, 2024
BREAKING: 29 of 50 Chicago aldermen have called a special meeting to vote down Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed property tax hike. The meeting will take place next Wednesday, Nov. 13.
539K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Nov 14, 2024
I don’t believe there has been a 0-50 unanimous no vote in Chicago City Council for at least 50 years. Mayor Brandon Johnson is unifying the city in ways we never thought possible.
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Nov 14, 2024
BREAKING: Chicago City Council just struck down Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's $300M property tax hike on a unanimous vote: 50-0. Stunning loss for a sitting mayor. Fantastic win for Chicagoans.
207K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Oct 28, 2024
BREAKING: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will call for a property tax hike in his upcoming budget, violating one of his signature campaign promises.
606K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Sep 9, 2025
NEW: Illinois has stopped tracking the recidivism rate, according to a WGN investigation. The state literally cannot report the share of formerly incarcerated people who commit new crimes after release. As someone who has worked on re-entry reform in Illinois and a dozen other
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Ben Bradley
@BenBradleyTV
Sep 9, 2025
State prison officials can't currently say how many Illinois inmates commit new crimes after they're released. IDOC has also rejected an offer of help with re-entry programs. New from WGN Investigates: wgntv.com/news/wgn-inves…
190K
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Oct 7, 2024
WATCH: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson refuses to let reporters ask his slate of new school board members whether they support a $300M high-interest payday loan to fund the contract demands of Johnson’s top campaign donor, the Chicago Teachers Union.
00:00
Austin Berg
@Austin__Berg
Oct 4, 2024
BREAKING: All seven members of the Chicago Board of Education have announced they will resign. This is unprecedented. The move comes after weeks of heavy pressure from Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union, demanding board members do two things ⬇️ 1. Issue a
1.4M