We hate to keep picking on Chicago, but the wheels are coming off there.  It turns out (shockingly!!) that Mayor Brandon Johnson lied through his teeth when he pledged to voters he wouldn’t raise property taxes. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the mayor’s $17 billion budget includes “steep property tax hikes” in order to fund a bloated budget (including no layoffs), a $300 million raise to pay for the nation’s worst schools, and payments for bloated pension deficits.

It’s a “pay for nonperformance” budget strategy. Johnson said it was “an excruciating” decision to break his promise and choose the teacher unions over the families who live in Chicago. Sure. We’re sure he lost a lot of sleep over this voter betrayal.

Chicago voters have only themselves to blame for this fiscal debacle. They chose Johnson – a teachers union organizer – over a reform candidate last year.

It’s a useful reminder that elections do have consequences.