2023 Chicago Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

I am running because we live in one of the richest cities in the world, yet one that is becoming increasingly unaffordable for the working class. Rents and prices go up, but our wages don’t keep pace. Meanwhile racism and white supremacy are on the rise and CPD conducts itself like an occupying force in our communities.

We have tremendous resources in Chicago that should be used to meet the needs of the people who make this city run. I am running not just for myself, but for all those who feel left out of the political process and are looking for a way to reclaim their voice. I haven’t seen anyone else with a concrete program that speaks directly to these people and these needs, and I realized that we can’t wait for politicians to come and save us, but that we ourselves have to come together and do the work to create a better and more equitable ward and city.

For years I’ve been an organizer fighting outside and often against the political system in Chicago; now I want to continue that same fight from inside city hall. 

What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?

Currently, the office does well at giving handouts to rich developers and silencing dissent. We must eliminate corporate control from our political system. Corporate interests are at acute contradictions with the needs of the people and the needs of the climate crisis. By eliminating corporate control. we can take back control of not only improving our communities socially but also economically. We need to then put that control back in the hands of the people, with frequent consultation with residents and community groups through forums, hearings and meetings that brings more people into the political process.

What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?

There are so many pressing issues in our ward. We need affordable housing, we need more resources for education and teachers, we need to fight back against racism and police abuses, and we need to remove all of the lead pipes. Truthfully, these and much more can all be done, the money is there, it is only a question of political will.

I'm running to put power into the hands of working people through regular community interaction and consultation. What we need is not just another politician, but a people’s movement, and that's what my campaign is about.

What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?

From the start, I have been clear that this campaign isn’t just about me, but about building a larger movement that can take part in real decision making for the 45th Ward. We are already doing that. It is that movement that will get me elected, and it is that movement that we will still need after I take office. 

Ensuring that my office is as accessible and responsive as possible is a top priority. I plan to regularly hold town hall meetings on a variety of issues (housing, safety, the environment, and more) so that I can adequately assess the needs of the community and we can collaboratively come up with solutions.

I also want to work with existing community organizations that are already looking at these same problems. Additionally, I will have staff that speak English and Spanish to accommodate the growing number of Latinx residents in the Ward.

Do you believe in the tradition of aldermanic prerogative, which gives each City Council member the final say on issues in their ward?

Aldermanic prerogative has a long history in Chicago of blocking much needed things that the people of the ward need, like affordable housing. It also can easily lead to corruption among the city council, eroding public trust. While I want to be able to serve residents of the 45th Ward in the most direct way possible, it is time for this antiquated practice to end.

Should the $1.9 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department increase, stay the same or decrease?

It must be massively decreased. The Chicago Police Department receives an outlandish amount of money. While we continue to funnel money into CPD that does little to improve public safety, we see a deterioration in public services. Meanwhile, CPD itself mainly terrorizes Black and brown Chicagoans and fights tooth and nail against any and all reforms. We should remember that the police department is under a federal consent decree due to consistently and institutionally biased practices, and yet it has continuously failed to meet deadlines for reform.

Instead, we need to use the money into things that will actually benefit Chicagoans and really address public safety. We must invest it in violence prevention and interruption programs, public transportation, affordable housing, mental health services and economic opportunity. These are proven methods to increase public safety far beyond simply throwing more money at an already bloated police budget.

Should the city raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax on properties sold for more than $1 million to fund programs to help unhoused Chicagoans?

Yes, absolutely. Chicago dedicates far less money to the homeless than any other major city. This would establish a dedicated revenue stream that would ensure that we are finding equitable ways to provide decent lives to all Chicagoans, and I have been a proud supporter of the Bring Chicago Home ordinance since the beginning of my campaign.

Should the city open and operate mental health clinics to provide free care to Chicagoans?

Yes.  The clinics which were closed by Rahm Emanuel, along with public schools, have had ripple effects that are still being felt now in our city.  There needs to be an expansion to health care access which means building community health. I will fight for the expansion and building of city-run clinics and community clinics  to increase access to mental health providers, and community workers.

How should Chicago build the 120,000 homes it needs for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans?

The first step is to stop allowing developers to skirt existing rules on the number of affordable units that must be included with any new development. The city must also be proactive in directly building more affordable housing throughout the city. 

In the 45th Ward, 700 people signed up to get affordable housing in a new development that had only 75 available units. As Alderperson this would be a top priority of mine. 

Instead of shelling out billions of dollars for high end developments like Lincoln Yards, that money should be going to build decent, affordable and environmentally friendly affordable housing.

What do you see as potential solutions to address the number of shootings in Chicago?

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, and gun violence in our city is something we should all be concerned about. However, to address it effectively, our concern can’t start when the trigger is pulled. For every bullet fired, there have been hundreds of failures of the system leading up to that point that caused this to happen, from underfunded schools, to low-paying jobs, to lack of healthcare and other needed resources.

To properly address the issue, we must invest in people and our communities from the start. We need to create job programs, increase mental health services, give people decent affordable housing, and pass the Treatment not Trauma ordinance.

There are also more immediate solutions that we can implement, like violence interruption, which started in Chicago and has shown to be widely effective at breaking the cycle.

We also need to realize that gun violence is a problem in CPD. Police cannot keep killing Chicagoans with impunity. There is still no justice for families like Anthony Alvarez or Adam Toledo, who were victims of police violence. I believe that officers and these and similar cases must be held accountable.

Should the city do more to encourage residents to live close to where they work and shop by building dense multi-unit apartment complexes near transportation hubs?

Yes, the city should encourage this as this will ultimately benefit all Chicagoans. Chicago has some of the worst traffic in the country, and we need to increase the use of the CTA as well as encouraging alternative forms of transportation like biking. This also means increasing our funding for CTA, improving services, and making it free so that it is seen as the public good and investment that it truly is. These units must also be affordable for all families in the city.

Should the city prioritize the construction of bicycle lanes and encourage people to use bicycles to commute to work?

Yes, as it stands, there are still too few bike lanes. I will fight to build bike lanes throughout the whole city. We should not have a singular primary mode of transportation. In order to combat the climate crisis and reduce emissions, we must encourage Chicagoans to drive less.  The city can incentivize residents by continuing the bike giveaway to low-income residents.

Should city employees continue to be required to live in Chicago?

Yes, I believe that this requirement should stay in place. This will ensure that city employees are more involved in their jobs and their neighborhoods.