On Wednesday’s broadcast of Chicago’s WCPT 820’s “Driving it Home,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city is “literally paying artists,” “to create these activities that ultimately provide the type of mental health support that’s so critical, right? With so many things that are going on and so much anxiety as Donald Trump has, essentially militarized the ICE agents and has increased their budget to the extent to which the only other two budgets that are bigger than ICE are the militaries of the United States of America and China.” And there are around 200 artists they’re paying.
While discussing mental health services in the city, Johnson said, “[W]e’re also connecting mental health towards what we call our Healing Arts Chicago program, working with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and with our community colleges where we’re literally paying artists, paying artists to provide activities to ensure that — and roughly 200 artists, to be specific — paying these artists to create these activities that ultimately provide the type of mental health support that’s so critical, right? With so many things that are going on and so much anxiety as Donald Trump has, essentially militarized the ICE agents and has increased their budget to the extent to which the only other two budgets that are bigger than ICE are the militaries of the United States of America and China.”
He continued, “This is just an absolute[ly] egregious act at a time at which he’s cutting Medicaid from people, he’s cutting SNAP, literally taking away food and medicine, shortchanging our veterans as well, all of these cuts, … over $800 million just taken out of violence prevention, and, when we talk about the mental health and the stability of our communities, it is so crucial that we are partnering with these community-based organizations, … along with the city services to ensure that a safe and affordable community can actually be realized and we’re paying attention to the mental well-being of our residents.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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