Daniel Kirk

Attorney and former prosecutor in Chicago, Illinois. Believer in justice, reasonable centrism and good outcomes for real people.

[State’s Attorney Eileen Burke @saeileenburke]

The Electronic Monitoring system is broken. Violent people who pose a risk to public safety aren’t being adequately monitored, and they shouldn’t receive credit for time served at home instead of in custody.

I sat down with @nbcchicago to talk through some potential solutions.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

@FrankCalabrese 3 words: Eileen O’Neill Burke

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

@GovPritzker Welp, that should do the trick.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

Sadly, you are right. That's why I inserted the "IF". Lots of big IFs in there. What we can all agree on is that virtually no one who is currently in elected office in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois could be trusted to manage this project. But IF the right people were in place, this could be a game changer just as it has been in other major cities across the world.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

This would be a game changing economic boost for Chicago.

[ABC 7 Chicago @ABC7Chicago]

Chicago business and civic leaders announced plans Tuesday for what they're calling the "O'Hare Flyer." https://t.co/jFTdKZArKX

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

@klastastic @ri47088688 That's encouraging to hear. But for every encouraging word like this that I hear, I hear 5 more people who used to be regular CTA patrons say that they no longer ride it due to safety concerns and cleanliness.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

You might be right but IF this can be built efficiently and without a bunch of proverbial hands in pockets AND if it is safe to ride and clean, then yes, I see this as a game changer because many people will choose this over smoke, garbage, and crime filled urine-scented cars of the blue line.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

In addition to a long list of challenges for the next mayor of Chicago, education is at the top of the list. Consider the following (shocking) facts:

1) There has been an enrollment decline of around/more than 24,000 students since 2020.

2) Despite that decline in enrollment, CPS has had INCREASE of about 8,250 positions since 2020.

3) Despite all of that, CPS' budget has GROWN by ~$2.4 billion to a record $10.11 billion for FY2027.

4) And most sadly, despite all of that, a mere ~27% of grade-school (primarily grades 3–8) students meet grade-level math standards.

5) And if that doesn't already send you into a head shaking rage, over 40% of CPS teachers missed 10+ days in the 2024-25 school year.

6) When you consider what this means to the average taxpayer in Cook County, ≈55% of tax dollars go to funding of education and taxes have risen ≈23.6% since 2020.

Bottom line: you pay more, children get less, the number of CTU members increase and they make more. And while I have enormous respect for educators who go to work and do their best to do a very difficult job, Chicago teachers are already among the highest paid teachers in the nation.

Who wins here? It's not the tax payer and it's certainly not the student. And none of that even comes close to calculating the cost to society in years to come of having a population that is not being properly educated and will have to try to navigate life suffering from that kind of systemic failure.

This topic and more is what I want to hear talked about by candidates for mayor.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

Trib Ed Bd 🎯

[Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune]

From the Editorial Board: The inability of Illinois’ political leaders to get their act together so as to put an alternative on the table in the face of Indiana’s aggressive move to poach the Bears is a stinging indictment of this state’s politicians. https://t.co/nUvgBTrViP

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

@GovPritzker Like it or not, this governor will hold the dubious title of the governor who lost the Bears. That’s disqualifying for any future office.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

@RaymondALopez Clearly, the intent was never to end it. The intent was to take its place.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

@DarrenBaileyIL The gaslighting is off the charts

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

Dumbest story is right. I mean seriously, whats the story? In a departure from her incompetent and anti-law enforcement predecessor, Eileen O’Neill Burke stays true to her oath, upholds the law and stands up for retailers who, because of massive losses due to shoplifting, have been forced to close thereby depriving people of places to shop. Is that the story? What do they want her to do, ignore the law and just let more Walgreens in neighborhoods close?

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

While I know that fomenting class warfare and demonizing leaders who create success is a favorite play of some politicians, I am left to wonder how many Illinoisans could have benefitted from the $3.5B that walked out the door as a result of Ken Griffin’s departure alone.

[The Independent with Scott Atlas @ScottAtlas_IT]

When Ken Griffin and Citadel left Chicago:
Total 3-Year Impact: $846M in lost taxes + $2.65B in lost spending = $3.5B economic hit to Illinois/Chicago (not including philanthropy losses).

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

1) the judiciary is “the neutral” in the process, not a law enforcement agency. Therefore, the responsibility for monitoring and enforcing should not be vested in the judiciary. This point is elementary.

2) The Chief Judge should be commended for making this admission. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

3) The final finding from the Office of the Chief Judge ought to be that it is not the appropriate home for electronic monitoring and there should be haste in appointing a law enforcement agency (either an existing one or a new creation specifically tasked with this role) to take over this function.

4) As a general matter, electronic monitoring is not an appropriate remedy for violent or repeat offenders. As recent events have emphasized, misapplying it here creates an extreme danger to the public.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

When journalists intentionally highlight some information and do their best to hide other information, they cease being journalists and become political operatives. Chicago media is full of political operatives. Walter Cronkite is no where to be found.

[Chicago Contrarian @ChicagoContrar1]

It's been 5 days since @CWBChicago reported Kim Foxx admitted under oath evidence suggested two men she exonerated were indeed guilty.

This story should have rampaged across the headlines.

Not. One. Word.

Reporters from both papers breathlessly reported on the exoneration, but they are silent now.

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

Yet, despite its efficacy in helping police solve violent crime, there are legislators in Springfield, IL who want to prevent police from using the technology. It feels like there are some in Illinois government who think there should be a level playing field between police and criminals - like some sort of moral equivalence. It's absurd.

https://t.co/qKsAObWsUr

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

Let's take another crack at your headline: "Illinois abolished cash bail which allowed many violent offenders to roam the streets under frm State's Attorney who was not fond of prosecuting crime. Now Cook County has a State's Attorney who believes in accountability and locking up violent criminals AND crime is going DOWN." There, I fixed it for you you! You're welcome!

[Daniel Kirk @AttyDanKirk]

Well, the undeniable truth is that the only reason this criminal was in position to murder anyone, let alone a Chicago Police Officer, is because the SAFE-T Act was passed. It served as a clarion call to all who work in criminal justice that excusing the criminal now takes precedence over the rights of people to not be victimized.

[A.J. Manaseer @AJManaseer]

JB Pritzker trying to lay blame on the judges is like a parent trying to lay blame on a toddler who marked up walls after being unsupervised and handed a marker.

Everyone knows there are judges and others throughout our criminal justice system who are activists or itch to limit punishments as much as possible. And remember, they passed it while Kim Foxx was in charge!

The fatal flaw with the SAFE-T Act is that it gives cover for these types to endanger the public. Lyke himself mentioned how “our esteemed (lol) legislature says you must be released.”

The onus was on JB to see around these corners.

He failed.