EPISODE · Jan 23, 2026 · 10 MIN
Johnson's BILLIONS Parking Meters BUYBACK: Chicago's Next Taxpayer DISASTER
from News For Reasonable People · host Sean Reynolds
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to spend BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to buy back parking meters the city sold in 2008 for $1.15 billion. The revenue since then? More than double that price. What could go wrong? The city's finance committee chair is already sounding the alarm: "This will only cost Chicago taxpayers more money, which we can't afford, and will potentially lead to another credit downgrade." But this is the same mayor who just raised property taxes 100%+ in some neighborhoods and hiked the cloud tax to push businesses out of the city. Now he wants to drop billions on a convoluted parking meter deal with 57 years left on the lease. If this was such a money maker, why is someone selling it? Here's the thing: I actually want to see this happen. The entertainment value alone would be worth it. What do you think—should Chicago let Brandon Johnson buy back these meters? Is this fiscal responsibility or just another billion-dollar disaster waiting to happen? Hit subscribe and that notification bell so you don't miss the inevitable fallout. This is going to be podcast gold for years.
What this episode covers
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to spend BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to buy back parking meters the city sold in 2008 for $1.15 billion. The revenue since then? More than double that price. What could go wrong? The city's finance committee chair is already sounding the alarm: "This will only cost Chicago taxpayers more money, which we can't afford, and will potentially lead to another credit downgrade." But this is the same mayor who just raised property taxes 100%+ in some neighborhoods and hiked the cloud tax to push businesses out of the city. Now he wants to drop billions on a convoluted parking meter deal with 57 years left on the lease. If this was such a money maker, why is someone selling it? Here's the thing: I actually want to see this happen. The entertainment value alone would be worth it. What do you think—should Chicago let Brandon Johnson buy back these meters? Is this fiscal responsibility or just another billion-dollar disaster waiting to happen? Hit subscribe and that notification bell so you don't miss the inevitable fallout. This is going to be podcast gold for years.
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Johnson's BILLIONS Parking Meters BUYBACK: Chicago's Next Taxpayer DISASTER
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