If you want to see what happens when far-left Democrats get total control of a city and decide to run it like a socialist fantasy camp—just look at Chicago.
Under the leadership of progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), the Windy City has become a high-speed, taxpayer-funded crash course in what not to do. In just two years, Johnson’s far-left agenda has helped drive the city into a projected $1.1 billion deficit for 2026—and now he wants to fix it the only way socialists know how: by jacking up taxes.
Johnson has blamed “underfunded systems” and insisted the only solution is to razz citizens and businesses for more cash. He’s floated everything from property tax hikes to congestion fees and even a “head tax” on employers—punishing companies for hiring workers in the city.
In typical fashion, Johnson says he’s just getting “creative” with revenue. Translation? He’s taking more of your money to fund programs that aren’t working.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is now facing a $1.1 billion budget gap for 2026, and it’ll likely get larger.
So, what’s his solution? Raise taxes on the wealthy. Only problem, Chicago is already facing an exodus and raising taxes will just make that worse.
(nbcchicago on TT) pic.twitter.com/p2XTjsOPDV
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) August 7, 2025
This isn’t just bad policy. It’s a case study in what happens when a city embraces socialism: bloated union contracts, massive payouts for illegal migrants, and spending sprees on city-owned housing and social experiments that sound good in theory but collapse under the weight of their own price tag.
And the fallout isn’t just being noticed by conservatives. Even Democrats are sounding the alarm.
During a recent appearance on NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas Reports, Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) didn’t mince words. “Socialism doesn’t work,” she said. “We need to lower costs for Americans.”
Host Elizabeth Vargas echoed the sentiment: “We only have to look at…the great city of Chicago to see what happened to that progressive mayor…abysmal approval ratings…a bit of a disaster.”
Chicago’s breakdown is becoming a blueprint for what not to do—and a warning sign for every other American city being tempted by the same progressive promises. Johnson promised equality and utopia. What he delivered was skyrocketing costs, vanishing businesses, and a city on the brink of collapse.
Let Chicago serve as a lesson: socialism doesn’t lift people up. It drags entire cities down.