Mayor Lori Lightfoot fired back Wednesday at McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski after he raised concerns about crime in Chicago, and she defended the city’s economic outlook.
Lightfoot was asked about last week’s comments by Kempczinski to the Economic Club of Chicago where he referenced the recent departures of high-profile companies such as Caterpillar, Boeing and Citadel from the area and said the city needed to “face facts.” He said the city is “in crisis” and noted that there are “fewer large companies headquartered in Chicago this year than last year.”
At her customary post-City Council press conference Wednesday, Lightfoot used one of her favorite lines to rebut criticism.
“What would have been helpful is for the McDonald’s CEO to educate himself before he spoke,” Lightfoot said.
The mayor also referenced an open letter by Michael Fassnacht, her handpicked head of World Business Chicago, that she said “lays out in exactly detail all the good news, economic news, about what’s happening in our city, so I’m going to focus on those things and not the comments of CEO of McDonald’s.”
”While the departures of Citadel and Boeing are disappointing and not to be ignored, encourage us to consider the 112 companies who have moved or opened their doors i Chicago over the last 18 months. These 112 company relocations or new market entrants created over 19,000 direct and indirect jobs. Additionally, the BLS business establishment data shows there are 7,400 more businesses today in the Chicago metro area than pre-COVID,” Fassnacht wrote.
A McDonald’s spokesperson declined to comment on Lightfoot’s Wednesday remarks.
McDonald’s was based in Oak Brook from the early 1970s to 2018, when it moved about 2,000 employees to a new $250 million headquarters in the West Loop.
Despite Kempczinski’s concerns, the fast-food giant announced it plans to shift up to 120 more jobs to its downtown headquarters from a location in Romeoville.
Since Kempczinski made his comments, the company has attempted to reiterate its commitment to Chicago, including by publishing an ad in the Tribune.
Tribune’s Robert Channick contributed.
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idiots who are incompetent like this lesbian mayor need not lecture anybody and the same goes for adams in new york.
they have turned there cities into baghdad and fallujah pure war zones.
idiology is the god of the leftist.
HE HAS educated himself. BY JUST WATCHING the news.
One does NOT get educated by watching the news.
They get indoctrinated by the treasonous socialist Democrat Party political propaganda.
Being in business is the only education Mr. Kempczinski needs to know, his duty is to make a profit for the company without impediments like robberies, break-ins, damage repair, unsavory conditions,etc, and also protect his customers and employees. The latter being a police function and not for private security. He’s doing the very things for his business that the mayor should be doing for her city.
This half-breed of a human is a pure unadulterated thug and crook! DISGUSTING!
“What would have been helpful is for the McDonald’s CEO to educate himself before he spoke,” Lightfoot said.
Obviously, Mr. Kempczinski has educated himself.
As a libtard, she is unfortunately, INCAPABLE OF following her own advice.
Won’t someone rid us of this menace? Poor Chicago. The ARROGANCE!
It sounds like lots of crime and chaos is something that fits her vision for her city. It allows her to delude herself and any fool dumb enough to listen to her that Leftist policies of socialism, race hustling fear mongering, along with CRT, 1619 project etc. are decent, wholesome, helpful, even desirable.
Stupidity trying to come across as intelligence.
And Heavyfart is a worthless, consummate, undeniable IDIOT. She is the one who needs to be educated. Oh wait, she a gubment “worker” and is the very definition of the pale.
“The mayor also referenced an open letter by Michael Fassnacht, her handpicked head of World Business Chicago….”so I’m going to focus on those things and not the comments of CEO of McDonald’s.” ”
Groucho did it better: “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?
Pay someone to write a story, then, use that story as evidence of an alternate reality. Right out of the Socialist Democrat playbook.
I get all sorts of fundraiser emails from energetic younger conservatives who have their sights set on statewide or national offices. Some have very impressive military backgrounds showcasing superb leadership skills. Would love to see them take on some of the incumbent mayors in various Dem-dominated cities where plenty of vocal residents have been crying out for effective leadership for numerous years. Unless stories are spun to feed their egos and further their political machines.
Anyone ever driven through West Baltimore over the past decade or so? I have at night via US Route 40. No grocery stores there anymore, I just read in the Baltimore Sun. We know that Lightfoot and her mayoral clones don’t wish to be bothered with the harsh reality of a West Chicago, West Baltimore, and so forth. Unless a story is spun to feed their political agenda.