About the Candidate
Name: Neftalie Gonzalez
Date of Birth: 09/08/1964
Occupation: Transportation Security Officer
Political Experience: None
Political Party: Democrat
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Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I am running this year because we need a truly independent voice in the City Council. Indictment after indictment shows the regular way of doing city politics does not work for the residents of the city. Campaign contributions are legalized bribery and when a politician is paid, he owes a favor, that’s just reality. No one is paying thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands to a politician and not expecting anything in return. I do not accept campaign contributions of any kind, I am not for sale. The people of the 22nd ward have been ignored for too long and I am the one to put them first.
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
The position of Alderperson can be a powerful tool for local residents to be heard. That all depends on if the Alderperson is focused on the needs of the community or accepting campaign contributions from special interests. This needs to be changed, everyone knows campaign contributions are legal bribes and the one who contributes the most, gets what they want which leaves the residents ignored and forgotten.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
The most important issues facing our ward are crime and lack of jobs paying a livable wage. Poverty and a lack of a stable financial future breed crime. When people, especially young people have access to jobs in their neighborhood that pay a livable wage, they have a sense of pride in themselves and in their community. Instability and poverty breed crime, local jobs paying a livable wage provide stability and real income, both of which are powerful antidotes to crime. In the short term we need more police presence and a system that does more than catch and release.
I would propose measures that solve this issue from both ends, job training and job opportunities for Chicago residents; attracting middle class jobs to the city, not just corporate headquarters; hiring more police, and increasing the training required for the new recruits; proposing a mental health crisis team that works under EMS, not CPD, because mental health is a healthcare issue, not a law enforcement issue.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?
By putting the residents of our ward first by continuing not to be bought off by campaign contributions. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you put the residents first and not a few special interests with deep pockets.
My ward office will have a hotline that will have someone available 24/7. In addition to that, the ward webpage will have email, and social media links for residents to make contact. I am a firm believer in face to face contact and will continue to make community meetings and town hall meetings a priority.
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 been abused and used for the personal enrichment of some Alderpersons. Because of this Aldermanic prerogative needs to be curtailed and reformed. Wards should not be the personal fiefdom of an Alderperson.
Should the $1.9 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department increase, stay the same or decrease?
The budget for the Chicago Police Department needs to be increased. We need to not only hire more police, we need more training for the police as well. CPD is an important public service and cutting their budget will negatively impact all residents of Chicago.
Should the city raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax on properties sold for more than $1 million to fund programs to help unhoused Chicagoans?
The transfer tax should be raised to not only fund the unhoused but also the under housed. Too many residents are being pushed out of their lifelong neighborhoods or forced into a life of permanent renting and the city should help fund homeownership based on income limits.
Should the city open and operate mental health clinics to provide free care to Chicagoans?
Government mental health facilities have been tried before and were places of abuse and neglect. I believe the city should fund existing mental health facilities and encourage the opening of new ones that are owned and operated by healthcare professionals, not government employees.
How should Chicago build the 120,000 homes it needs for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans?
The city could start by not releasing TIFs to wealthy developers to create luxury housing in trendy neighborhoods, like Lincoln Yards. The city should encourage the building of smaller square footage multi-family homes through tax incentives, TIFs, and ordinances. Two and three flats are a traditional form of Chicago housing and work well for urban density, and public transportation. A three flat occupied by three owners is much more efficient and affordable to build and maintain than three single family homes.
What do you see as potential solutions to address the number of shootings in Chicago?
Shootings can be decreased, but it takes more than an Alderperson. It takes the cooperation of residents, police, city, and county government. Jobs paying a livable wage, communities working with police, government officials willing to keep shooters and gun criminals in jail for more than a few days, and laws that ensure repeat offenders are not on the streets to terrorize and kill people are all important parts of solving this issue.
How can the city better serve Spanish-speaking residents?
Provide the Spanish-speaking resident with Bilingual assistance.
Should the city do more to help undocumented immigrants?
Yes, undocumented Immigrants are part of our society. Undocumented immigrants are often times targeted for crime because of their hesitation to contact police, the city should develop a special task force to educate undocumented immigrants on how CPD will not inquire or report their immigration status. Labor, especially undocumented immigrant labor, are also victims of wage theft. Business owners take advantage of labor not knowing their rights by withholding pay, not paying overtime, or forcing workers to work off the clock. Wage theft needs to be made a criminal matter, just like any other theft. Why is it if some stranger on the street steals your hard earned pay, you can call 911 and the perpetrator can be caught and arrested, but if your boss steals your hard earned pay, it’s a civil matter and police cannot be involved. Theft is theft and if a workers pay is stolen by his boss, his boss should be arrested the same as any other criminal. The fact that is a civil matter just goes to show that labor and immigrants are not respected. The rich few with the money who make “campaign contributions” make the rules, not the people, and that must change.