Progressive Policies Turning Chicago’s Magnificent Mile Into Murderous Mile

Authored by Thoimas DeVore via RealClearPolitics.com,

One of Illinois’ major advantages is Chicago, which – until recently – was one of the most vibrant cities in the world. People from across the globe have made their way to Chicago to do business, tour our famous museums, theaters, and restaurants, take in sporting events, and to build their lives. Chicago is a beautiful city that used to be full of opportunity.

Tragically, this vibrant, once-thriving community is being destroyed by the policies of leftist ideologues ruling the city and state: JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot, and Kim Foxx.

Consider this: There were four times as many crimes reported in the few blocks around Water Tower Place, one of the more exclusive areas of the city, over the last year than were reported in the once-notorious Cabrini-Green.

I recently visited the scene of one of Chicago’s many crimes in downtown Chicago. It was a chilling experience, and these statistics should shock us to our core. But they seem to have numbed many, as each Monday morning we just read the weekend’s body count in the Chicago Tribune right along with the sports scores.

Violent Crime (Assault, Battery, Homicide, Criminal Sexual Assault) Data (04/10/2022 – 08/19/2022), City of Chicago

The greatest shopping district in the Midwest – the Magnificent Mile – has seen some truly horrific crimes. Just days ago, a man was murdered in the late afternoon right outside high-end shops. His throat was slashed. And he died literally in the middle of Michigan Avenue.

What happens to Chicago if Michigan Avenue becomes known as the Murderous Mile?

The explosion in crime drives away businesses. Who wants to set up a store in a city where the mayor handcuffs police and a county that allows criminals to steal up to $1000 in merchandise before it is considered a felony? The rising crime also repels shoppers – that trip to Neiman Marcus is a lot less glamorous when there is no guarantee you won’t be a crime victim in the parking garage.

As vacancies rise and streets empty, property values fall. According to Redfin, the average sale price of a home in Magnificent Mile was $365K last month, down 50.6% since last year. As home values in the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile fell by 50%, homes in Miami are up 21% over the last 12 months.

This is nothing short of a catastrophe. The ongoing destruction of Chicago is a direct consequence of the radical prosecutorial policies pursued by Kim Foxx. Far from doing anything about it, crime will actually go up after Jan. 1 as Pritzker’s anti-police, pro-criminal SAFE-T Act goes into effect and even more criminals held in Cook County jails are released onto the streets. Chicago politicians, just in the past five years, have made the people of Cook County and the surrounding counties of Will and DuPage (which have also seen rising crime, as it bleeds over the borders of Cook) less safe.

Michigan Avenue can be Magnificent again, but only if the extreme pro-criminal, anti-police ideologues ruining Illinois are turned out of office. Illinoisans shouldn’t have to move to Miami to be safe and happy. All they need to do is stop voting for the people who are coming up with these insane policies.

The attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state, but Kwame Raoul is also Kim Foxx’s silent partner in non-prosecution. Foxx has the obligation under the law to prosecute criminals on behalf of the people.

But she and Raoul have been very cavalier about other people’s lives. Her refusal to do her duty is nothing short of criminal. When a public officer fails to perform a mandatory duty in Illinois, that’s official misconduct – and that’s a felony in Illinois.

I can be a supportive partner to a prosecutor who fights crime on behalf of the people, but I will not stand by silently if Kim Foxx refuses to do her job putting criminals behind bars. No public official should be permitted to destroy a city and the opportunities and property values of the people who reside there. Fiddling as Chicago burns is not an option I find acceptable.

Some called me a bulldog for my refusal to stand by as Gov. Pritzker exceeded his constitutional authority with his illegal mandates. Others called me a watchdog as I highlighted for the people the corruption that goes right into the governor’s office in the Thornley case.

I don’t care what you call me. As a private practice attorney, I stood up for parents, first responders, and state workers against a governor and mayor who were abusing their power over them. I will do the same as attorney general. Illinoisans need a check on the powerful in this state now more than ever. I have been a fighter for you. My loyalty has always been and will always be to you – the people, not the powerful.

Let’s take back Chicago in November. With your vote, we can make the Magnificent Mile truly magnificent again.

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Thomas DeVore is an attorney in private practice and is the GOP candidate for Illinois attorney general.