A brief note about a lump of coal whose pre-Christmas delivery was foreordained long ago. Some of you may be aware of the continuing scandal that is Brandon Johnson’s hand-in-glove “negotiation” with the Chicago Teacher’s Union for a new contract. I have covered the scandal many times here for National Review, and you can review those pieces at your leisure. The short version is that Johnson is a creature of the CTU installed in office by a hairsbreadth with their money and electioneering, so he does their bidding even before any of his other mad progressive priorities.

When the current CEO of the Chicago Public School system, Pedro Martinez, refused to take out an incredibly risky high-interest payday loan to fund his giveaway to the CTU, Johnson all but ordered his handpicked slate of school board members to fire him. Instead of publicly buckle to such vulgar pressure, they resigned as a group. Johnson immediately appointed a second, more loyal interim slate of school board members, right before his CTU-backed candidates surprisingly got pasted in November’s first-ever elections for the position.

So before the new school board members take office in January, Brandon Johnson ordered them to vote on Martinez Friday. The outcome was guaranteed: In a uninamous vote, Johnson’s handpicked school board fired him. A new, and compliant, schools CEO will be installed, Johnson will get his budget-destroying loan, the teacher’s union will get what it wants, and everybody else in the city of Chicago loses. Happy holidays.