That\u2019s from an\u00a0open letter<\/a>\u00a0sent Wednesday by the president of Sudler, one of the biggest property management companies in Chicago, to Mayor Lori Lightfoot.<\/p>\n He\u2019s hardly alone. A chorus of similar voices arose after Sunday night\u2019s riots from a broad sector of Chicagoans. A few examples:<\/p>\n Black Chicagoans are perhaps more fed up than anybody. Englewood residents told Black Lives Matter members to get lost when they\u00a0tried to stage a protest<\/a>\u00a0there and, nationally, a whopping\u00a081%<\/a>\u00a0of black Americans don\u2019t want less police presence, which BLM wants.<\/p>\n Maybe the city got at least got some comfort Monday when Lightfoot finally showed no sympathy for the rioters and called for tougher prosecutions.<\/p>\n On MSNBC, she was shown a clip of President Trump\u2019s reaction to the riots which, uncharacteristically, was restrained, polite and non-accusatory. He said Chicago had the resources to handle its own problems \u2013 which is exactly what Lightfoot has often said \u2013 and he\u00a0added<\/a>,<\/p>\n I\u2019m offering all available federal support requested to stop the violence and arrest the criminals. We have to be asked by the governors or the mayors, and we\u2019ll be there very rapidly. It\u2019s ready, willing and able. We\u2019re all ready, willing and able to go these jurisdictions and take care of them. We\u2019ll do them very quickly.<\/em><\/p>\n That, too, is consistent with what Lightfoot has always said about federal aid.<\/p>\n But what was her response to Trump\u2019s new tone and message?<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, those are the words of somebody who doesn\u2019t understand the first thing about local policing, doesn\u2019t understand the first thing about building authentic relationships with members of the community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She went on to criticize Trump\u2019s handling of Portland and blamed lack of tougher federal gun control measures for Chicago\u2019s problems. Portland and guns had nothing to do with Sunday\u2019s riots or Trump\u2019s offer.<\/p>\n What good does a response like that do for the Chicago? The city desperately needs federal money to make ends meet, as Lightfoot herself has said. So does the State of Illinois and Chicago Public Schools, whose\u00a0new budget assumes it will get a whopping $343 million in new federal help<\/a>.<\/p>\n With an attitude like Lightfoot\u2019s in response to an offer for help, it should be no surprise that Congress was unable to agree on any federal relief package for states and cities. Many GOP Senators, whose votes are needed for an aid package, represent states still in reasonably good shape and they are loath to asking their taxpayers bail out places like Chicago. Congress has now gone on recess until after Labor Day.<\/p>\n Lightfoot added not a single comment that might be constructive towards resolving the impasse. The relevant potion of her interview is below.<\/p>\n\n
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But a different Lightfoot went on national television Wednesday, resorting to partisan blather that was entirely unresponsive to people\u2019s fears and against the city\u2019s interest.<\/p>\n