Candidate for Chicago City Council

About the Candidate

Name: Deondre’ Rutues
DOB: June 24, 1987
Occupation: UPS Management - Pre-Load Supervisor
Website: rutuesfor37th.wixsite.com/austin

Candidate Statement

Hi, my name is Deondre’ Lamar Rutues and I am the Candidate for the 37th Ward Aldermanic race. I want to thank everyone for the love, support and opportunity to represent such diverse and character-rich communities. I decided to run for Alderman because I am not satisfied with the present condition of our communities. For far too long we’ve lived in divested neighborhoods that are littered with trash, vacant homes and empty lots. We have the highest unemployment rates, the highest crime rates, the highest disease rates. We lack a quality education, access to mental health facilities and we still qualify to live in a food desert. Haven’t you been beaten down enough? I have, and this is where I take a stand! As your Alderman, I will fight against all tax hikes that interfere with our quality of life. I will support investment into small business and ensure all corporations that think about coming into our communities understand what Corporate Social Responsibility is all about. I will fight for an elected school board, made up of stakeholders that has the best interests of our children in mind. I will fight for the re-introduction of Vocational academies and STEM academies, so our children are better prepared for the present and future. I will create a better relationship between the community and police and I support Restorative Justice initiatives to combat crime and make our communities safer. I support CPAC, NO COP ACADEMY and I’m Pro-Union! As a 31-year-old man that grew up in the Austin community, I know now is the time that we have new representation because we have suffered long enough. It is past time that we created more leaders in our communities. It is past time that we addressed root issues in our communities. It is past time that our communities realized its potential and move past its current state. It is past time that we became more knowledgeable on matters involving the law, politics, finances, health, and self. It is past time that we employed a collectivist mindset that forces unity among the entire generational spectrum of the community. It is past time for an Alderman that can move us past the past and bring our communities present. It is time for Transformational Leadership. I am that leader!

Candidate Q&A

What is your vision for this office?

My office will be transformative for the community. I will utilize a transformative leadership style to bring REAL change to the community. It is past time that we created more leaders in the community. It is past time that we addressed root issues in the community, and not use fancy rhetoric to distract from REAL concerns. It is past time that our community realized its potential and how to advance it past its current incarnation. It is past time we became more knowledgeable on matters involving the law, politics, finances, health, and self. It is past time that we employed a collectivist mindset that forces unity among the entire generational spectrum of the community. It is past time for new leadership that can move us past the past and bring the community present. This is what my office will accomplish. This is the vision.

What is the most pressing issue facing constituents, and how can you help address it?

The most pressing issue for the community is quality of life. This overarching, all-encompassing status of well-being is the most significant cause for concern in the community. Our community lacks adequate education, access to resources, there aren’t enough mental health institutions, we live in a food desert, there’s rampart prostitution, drug use and open-air drug markets. We lack affordable housing, healthcare is a joke, the lack of black business ownership is alarming and there is no hope. We accept crumbs while other neighborhoods are given TIFs to increase their comfortability and opportunities. There is a “black flight” from Chicago because quality of life has severely deteriorated. I will address this issue by proving that Chicago is a world-class city capable of taking care of all the neighborhoods and communities within it. I will unify the community to fight for what we have earned because we built this city and we deserve better treatment than we have gotten. I will raise the awareness of the community and put pressure on other elected officials to speak up for our neglected community. I will fight until our conditions improve and I will fight for every person in the community!