Chicago Tribune Features Letter on Why Our City Is Worth Fighting For
We’re proud to share that the Chicago Tribune published a letter from our founder, Bill Quinlan, underscoring why Chicago’s future is still worth fighting for.
In response to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s claim that the city has reached the “point of no return,” Bill rejected the idea that Chicago is beyond saving. He reminded readers that Chicago has always been a city of resilience: “We organize. We innovate. And we fight for a stronger future.”
Through Leading a Better Chicago, we’re committed to transparency, accountability, and bold solutions to the city’s biggest challenges—especially its structural fiscal crisis. Partnering with Tusk Philanthropies, we’ve launched an in-depth analysis of Chicago’s finances to chart realistic, data-driven reforms modeled on successful strategies in cities like New York, Detroit, and Philadelphia.
This work isn’t just a critique. It’s a call to action rooted in proven solutions and shaped by Chicago voices.
Read the full Tribune letter below or as a PDF.
Chicago is worth it
By BILL QUINLAN | August 12, 2025 | OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Mayor Brandon Johnson made an alarming statement in saying that “we have reached the point of no return” when it comes to Chicago’s financial situation. While it’s true that the city faces grave challenges — including the mayor’s own decision to borrow $830 million for city operations and the mounting $35 billion in unfunded pension liabilities — I reject the notion that Chicago is beyond saving. Chicago has always been a city of resilience. We don’t give up when things get hard. We organize. We innovate. And we fight for a stronger future. That’s exactly why I launched Leading A Better Chicago — a civic engagement initiative dedicated to bringing transparency, accountability and bold action to the city’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is to reimagine how we tackle long-standing issues, starting with the city’s structural fiscal crisis. Our first step has been to partner with Tusk Philanthropies to commission an in-depth analysis of Chicago’s current fiscal state, laying out out a road map of realistic, impactful reforms by examining proven approaches from cities such as New York, Detroit and Philadelphia and adapting them to fit Chicago’s unique landscape. It’s not just a critique — it’s a call to action, rooted in data and informed by what has worked elsewhere. We don’t just want to study the problem. We want to solve it. Leading A Better Chicago will pair this research with realworld input from people all across the city. We’ll gather feedback from residents, engage with community and business leaders, and tap national policy experts to generate bold, actionable ideas for change. Does the mayor believe that there are no feasible solutions to Chicago’s issues, that its leaders have tried everything and failed? I believe we haven’t tried enough. What we need now isn’t despair but determination. Chicago needs fresh thinking, a willingness to challenge the status quo and, most importantly, serious leadership. Because despite what anyone says, Chicago hasn’t reached the point of no return. Chicago is always worth fighting for.
— Bill Quinlan, attorney, founder, Leading A Better Chicago