January 25, 2011
First Responders All Agree that Michael Carroll is the Best Choice for Alderman
Michael Carroll, candidate for Alderman of the 46th Ward, has received major endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police – Chicago Lodge 7, Chicago Firefighters Local 2, and the Chicago Police Sergeants’ Association. After reviewing all the candidates, each first responders’ union independently reached the same conclusion: Michael Carroll is the right choice for 46th Ward Alderman.
“We are unanimously endorsing Michael Carroll as the best candidate to reduce crime in the 46th Ward,” stated Mark Donahue, president of the Fraternal Order of Police – Chicago Lodge 7. “His proactive plan for fighting crime and over seven years of experience as a Chicago Police Officer make him the right choice for voters”
Michael will protect the interests of our officers and their families and serve as a voice for all our citizens on the City Council,” Donahue added.
The unions represent every emergency first responder that works for the City of Chicago. Fraternal Order of Police - Chicago Lodge 7 represents about 17,000 active and retired Chicago police officers. The Chicago Firefighters Local 2 represents about 5,000 active and retired Chicago firefighters. Chicago Police Sergeants' Association represents around 2,000 active and retired Chicago police sergeants.
"We think Michael Carroll will bring a considerate and realistic work ethic to the City Council," said Tom Ryan, President of Chicago Fire Fighters Local 2. "Firefighters live in the very wards that we serve and so we share the same passion and concerns that our neighbors have. Because we have common needs, we can find common solutions and I know that Michael welcomes that cooperation."
This means the people who work everyday to protect the health and safety of the City of Chicago all agree that the best choice for the 46th Ward Alderman is Michael Carroll.
“I am grateful to the Chicago Police, Firefighters, and Sergeants unions for their endorsement,” Carroll said. “As Alderman, I will work tirelessly alongside the police and firefighters and be their advocate on the City Council as we work to improve public safety and fight crime here in the 46th Ward.”
“This is our neighborhood, our home, and I vow everyday to protect our citizens,” Carroll continued
About Michael Carroll: Michael Carroll is a 32-year-old candidate for Alderman of the 46th Ward. Michael has served as a Chicago Police Officer for over seven years and now works in the Targeted Response Unit, responsible for targeting gangs, guns, and drugs in Chicago’s high crime areas. He joined the race for Alderman in late October 2009. For more information, visit http://www.carroll46.com.
About Me
- Michael Carroll
- Chicago, IL, United States
- Michael Carroll has been an active member of the 46th Ward community since he made historic Buena Park his home in 2004. Just seven blocks south of Uptown and three blocks north of East Lakeview, Michael lives in the center of the 46th Ward.
REMINDER!! Fundrasier for Michael Carroll is tomorrow night!!
Come out and support Michael Carroll '97, Candidate for Alderman of the 46th Ward at Bernie's Tavern, located at 3664 N Clark Street in Chicago.
Bernie's Tavern is a Rambler-owned business that knows how important it is to support fellow Loyola Academy graduates. This type of generous support allows our Loyola family to improve the community.
Tickets are only $40 each and they include open bar for three hours, as well as light appetizers.
Also consider becoming a Sponsor, Co-Host, or Host for this event at $150, $250, or $500 respectively.
Please come out and support a fellow Loyola Academy Rambler! As a Man for Others, Michael Carroll is working to make Chicago a better place for all!
Visit http://www.carroll46.com/oct23.htm to purchase tickets and support a fellow Rambler!
Bernie's Tavern is a Rambler-owned business that knows how important it is to support fellow Loyola Academy graduates. This type of generous support allows our Loyola family to improve the community.
Tickets are only $40 each and they include open bar for three hours, as well as light appetizers.
Also consider becoming a Sponsor, Co-Host, or Host for this event at $150, $250, or $500 respectively.
Please come out and support a fellow Loyola Academy Rambler! As a Man for Others, Michael Carroll is working to make Chicago a better place for all!
Visit http://www.carroll46.com/oct23.htm to purchase tickets and support a fellow Rambler!
Ramblers for Carroll
Please Join Us Saturday, October 23rd!!
Come out and support Michael Carroll '97, Candidate for Alderman of the 46th Ward at Bernie's Tavern, located at 3664 N Clark Street in Chicago.
Bernie's Tavern is a Rambler-owned business that knows how important it is to support fellow Loyola Academy graduates. This type of generous support allows our Loyola family to improve the community.
Tickets are only $40 each and they include open bar for three hours, as well as light appetizers.
Also consider becoming a Sponsor, Co-Host, or Host for this event at $150, $250, or $500 respectively.
Please come out and support a fellow Loyola Academy Rambler! As a Man for Others, Michael Carroll is working to make Chicago a better place for all!
Support a fellow Rambler!
Saturday, October 23rd
8pm to 11pm
Bernie's Tavern
3664 N Clark Street
"A step in the right direction"
An anonymous contributor sent this off to the Second City Cop Blog and I wanted to share it with you:
"Michael Carroll’s campaign is personal to me. I am married to a Police Officer who works in the inner-city. Can you imagine how it felt when I received a phone call from the emergency room that my husband had been attacked by 2 ferocious pit bulls? He recently came home from work with a bruise on his leg. It was the FULL imprint of a shoe. Can you imagine how hard he had to be kicked to have a full footprint bruise? He has been spit on, punched, slapped, kicked and shot at. The shortage of police officers compromises the safety of every cop on the beat. If THEIR safety is compromised, OUR safety, as citizens, is compromised exponentially. It’s time for a change in the political climate of our city. Having Michael Carroll as the 46th Ward Alderman is a major step in the right direction. Please encourage your families and friends in the 46th Ward to vote for him."
When I finished reading this post, everything made sense, yet again. I was running for the right reason. I was doing it for the people in my neighborhood, in my Ward, and throughout the City of Chicago. I want to serve my community, making the Ward a better place to work and live for all residents and taxpayers. The safety and security of the cops on our streets is something I take personally and will be one of my top priorities. When our police can do their difficult job protecting and serving the citizens of Chicago, every resident and taxpayer will be better off. As the writer noted, "if THEIR safety is compromised, OUR safety, as citizens, is compromised exponentially." Cops cannot serve and protect you if their well being is not a priority.
Seven police officers have been shot in the last year and three have been murdered on the very streets they are tasked to protect. Enough is enough. The City of Chicago needs to hire more Police Officers immediately. Our lives depend on it.
"Michael Carroll’s campaign is personal to me. I am married to a Police Officer who works in the inner-city. Can you imagine how it felt when I received a phone call from the emergency room that my husband had been attacked by 2 ferocious pit bulls? He recently came home from work with a bruise on his leg. It was the FULL imprint of a shoe. Can you imagine how hard he had to be kicked to have a full footprint bruise? He has been spit on, punched, slapped, kicked and shot at. The shortage of police officers compromises the safety of every cop on the beat. If THEIR safety is compromised, OUR safety, as citizens, is compromised exponentially. It’s time for a change in the political climate of our city. Having Michael Carroll as the 46th Ward Alderman is a major step in the right direction. Please encourage your families and friends in the 46th Ward to vote for him."
When I finished reading this post, everything made sense, yet again. I was running for the right reason. I was doing it for the people in my neighborhood, in my Ward, and throughout the City of Chicago. I want to serve my community, making the Ward a better place to work and live for all residents and taxpayers. The safety and security of the cops on our streets is something I take personally and will be one of my top priorities. When our police can do their difficult job protecting and serving the citizens of Chicago, every resident and taxpayer will be better off. As the writer noted, "if THEIR safety is compromised, OUR safety, as citizens, is compromised exponentially." Cops cannot serve and protect you if their well being is not a priority.
Seven police officers have been shot in the last year and three have been murdered on the very streets they are tasked to protect. Enough is enough. The City of Chicago needs to hire more Police Officers immediately. Our lives depend on it.
Violence and crime continue in Uptown - its time for change
Even with well intentioned protests, CAPS meetings, and positive loitering campaigns, crime in Uptown has not diminished and the drug dealers and gang bangers still walk the streets of our community with impunity. I commend local residents for getting more involved in the community and risking their own well being to send a message to these habitual criminals that continually undermine the safety and security of our neighborhood. However, I still believe the best solution to combat the gangs, guns, and drugs that breed violence in our community is with increased police patrols and targeted policing. It is through efforts such as these from law enforcement that our neighborhood will see a marked decrease in narcotics sales and violent crimes, both of which are all too common in Uptown.
Last week, members of an elite police unit, very similar to the unit where I work fighting crime, were assigned to Uptown to address crime. While these specialized units can be deployed anywhere in the city, it was the first time ever such a highly specialized unit was deployed to Uptown to fight crime. The first night of their deployment resulted in numerous arrests, including that of a gang banger with a loaded pistol, removed from our streets in the area of Wislon and Magnolia. It was working - the criminals were getting the message that if they chose to continue with business as usual, our uniformed police were going to take them off our streets and send them off to prison.
As is so common in Uptown, success was short-lived. That highly specialized unit was taken out of Uptown to work in other areas of the city. Our community only saw this targeted effort for two days, though its results were certain. Putting more uniformed police officers in a specific, high crime area will decrease crime and targeted anti-gang / anti-drug efforts by law enforcement will diminish criminal activity in our community. With the departure of this specialized unit, our regularly assigned district personal had to work even harder, hoping that they could make it through another hot weekend without violence breaking out on our streets.
The manpower shortage that the 23rd District has to continually deal with was exacerbated over the weekend when all of our area gang units were reassigned and sent to the far South and West Sides to address their continued problems with violence and crime, leaving our uniformed police even more shorthanded. When resources, that are assigned to our community, are taken out of our community, to fill glaring manpower shortages in other parts of the city, the criminals in our neighborhood reap the benefits and the citizens and taxpayers of the 46th Ward lose. We again and again hear politicians say that everyone needs to make a sacrifice while we suffer through this recession. Unfortunately, members of our community and members of the Chicago Police Department are paying for those shortages with their lives.
Enough is enough.
Its time to reinvest in our neighborhood. Its time to reinvest in the Chicago Police Department. Its time we as a community say that we have had enough of the violence in our streets and take back every street corner from the criminals in the only way they can understand - with action. If these individuals who espouse a life of violence do not want to walk away from their unlawful activities and become a part of our community, let's give our police the tools to put these activities in our community to an end, once and for all. The Chicago Police Department can do the job. They just need our publicly elected officials to address the growing manpower shortage in the department and hire more Police Officers.
Our community has been sacrificing for too long and it is time for a change.
Still Have Not Met Michael?
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When Michael is not on the street, working to make Chicago a safer place, he is out meeting members of our community.
In order to be your voice in City Hall, Michael needs to hear from you and see what issues are important to you.
In addition to knocking on doors, attending community meetings, and speaking to people on the street, Michael has set up times and locations where you can meet him at a local business in our community. Here is a list of places you can come out and meet Michael:
Monday, July 26:
Movie in the Park - Where the Wild Things Are 7:30pm to 10:30pm
Cricket Hill - Montrose and the Lake (movie begins at dusk)
Tuesday, July 27:
The Awake Cafe - 9am to 11:30am
736 W Irving Park Road Chicago, IL 60613
Thursday, July 29:
Uptown Farmers Market - 9am to 11am
4646 N Marine Drive Chicago, IL 60640
Weiss Memorial Hospital
Nick's on Wilson - 6pm to 9pm
1140 W Wilson Ave Chicago, IL 60640
Saturday, July 31:
Chava Cafe - 9am to noon
4656 N Clark Street Chicago, IL 60640
Sunday, August 1:
The Broadway Cafe - noon to 3pm
4716 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60640
Wednesday, August 4:
Winston's Internet Cafe - 10pm to midnight
5001 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60640
Sunday, August 8:
Michael's Pizza - 11am to 2pm
4091 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60613
Monday, August 9:
F. O'Mahony's - 6pm - 9pm
3701 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60613
Think you may be unable to attend any of the scheduled times and dates? Contact Michael directly (Michael@Carroll46.com) and ask him to come to you. He has been doing just that for the last six months and will continue until election day in February.
Once elected, Michael will have open office hours so that you will be able to visit the Ward office to discuss issues that are important to you. Office hours will be convenient for you, which means being open, both evenings and weekends so that your voice will be heard.
Everyone within the 46th Ward deserves a voice no matter who they are. That is what I promise to deliver when elected next February.
Movie in the Park - Where the Wild Things Are 7:30pm to 10:30pm
Cricket Hill - Montrose and the Lake (movie begins at dusk)
Tuesday, July 27:
The Awake Cafe - 9am to 11:30am
736 W Irving Park Road Chicago, IL 60613
Thursday, July 29:
Uptown Farmers Market - 9am to 11am
4646 N Marine Drive Chicago, IL 60640
Weiss Memorial Hospital
Nick's on Wilson - 6pm to 9pm
1140 W Wilson Ave Chicago, IL 60640
Saturday, July 31:
Chava Cafe - 9am to noon
4656 N Clark Street Chicago, IL 60640
Sunday, August 1:
The Broadway Cafe - noon to 3pm
4716 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60640
Wednesday, August 4:
Winston's Internet Cafe - 10pm to midnight
5001 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60640
Sunday, August 8:
Michael's Pizza - 11am to 2pm
4091 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60613
Monday, August 9:
F. O'Mahony's - 6pm - 9pm
3701 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60613
Think you may be unable to attend any of the scheduled times and dates? Contact Michael directly (Michael@Carroll46.com) and ask him to come to you. He has been doing just that for the last six months and will continue until election day in February.
Once elected, Michael will have open office hours so that you will be able to visit the Ward office to discuss issues that are important to you. Office hours will be convenient for you, which means being open, both evenings and weekends so that your voice will be heard.
Everyone within the 46th Ward deserves a voice no matter who they are. That is what I promise to deliver when elected next February.
The residents and taxpayers of the 46th Ward deserve better
Selling the City's assets is bad enough, but spending the entirety of the sale price to fill holes in the bloated City budget is quite another. Add TIFs to the equation and no wonder there is no money to hire police, fix our schools, and repair Chicago's crumbling infrastructure. Visit http://www.Carroll46.com/issues.htm and see how I plan to turn things around in the 46th Ward. The residents and taxpayers of the 46th Ward deserve better and that is what I promise to deliver.
FAIL, Part Two: One BILLION Dollars! New evidence suggests Chicago leased out its parking meters for a fraction of what they’re worth. By Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke
FAIL, Part Two: One BILLION Dollars! New evidence suggests Chicago leased out its parking meters for a fraction of what they’re worth. By Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke
When I heard about last night's shooting, I was angry
Last night, as I was finishing up an arrest of a notorious drug dealer in Englewood, I heard about the shooting at the 3900 block of North Broadway. I was angry. I spent my entire day fighting crime in Chicago's toughest neighborhoods, only to come home to the same type of violent crime in my own backyard. Our law enforcement assets are deployed to other parts of the City and the residents of our Ward suffer.
This type of crime is unfortunately nothing new for our neighbors further north on Broadway. Night after night, there are shots fired, resulting in wounded residents, hospitalization, and death. What makes last night's shooting something of note, aside from the fact that it happened outside of the “traditional” crime area, is that it now brings a larger number of 46th Ward residents into the fold. This type of crime has no place in our neighborhood, no matter what part of our Ward it may occur. Fortunately, the residents of the 46th Ward have an opportunity to put an end to these types of crime in our community once and for all.
I visited and spoke with business owners on Broadway and Irving Park this afternoon for over four hours. Sutcliffe Pharmacy, The Currency Exchange, the Afro Barber Shop, EZ Clean Coin Laundry, Dunkin' Donuts, the GameStop, Taco Del Mar, and Quizno's – every owner, manager, and hourly worker received my promise that I can and will stop this type of crime in our Ward, preserving their business and the well being of our community. I am the right person to be our Ward's voice in City Hall because I am the only candidate with the knowledge and experience to put and end to the gangs, guns, and drugs that plague our neighborhood.
What would Michael Carroll do to address crime in Uptown?
I was asked the following question by a representative of the Beacon Block Club via Twitter:
Q: What would you do about the shootings in Uptown (murder yesterday plus one shot today) if elected Alderman of the 46th Ward?
A: I would put an end to the violence that plagues Uptown by giving the Chicago Police Department the tools it needs to combat the criminals that call the 46th Ward home and who will continue until our publicly elected officials stand up and say, "enough is enough."
I have been a Chicago Police Officer for the last seven years, working primarily in our City's toughest neighborhoods. I have made over one thousand arrests in my career, broken up dozens of open air drug markets, and have removed countless guns off of our City streets. I know how to reduce crime and make our City streets safe because I have been doing just that for the last seven years. Moreover, I willingly serve our community, even when my own well being is at risk.
Just today, I watched as another one of my friends was wheeled away on a stretcher after he was murdered by a coward in broad day light. It was a long, terrible day and my eyes well up as I type this response to your question. But I do not shirk from my responsibilities. That risk I take when I go out and serve the residents of Chicago is one that I accept willingly and is a risk I would undertake any day of the week. I would undergo any hardship to ensure that the residents in our community live without fear of violence breaking out on the street, preventing the need to dodge bullets as they are fired between rival gangs. The people of the 46th Ward deserve better and it is something that I will deliver.
I will bring my unique background in public service to elected office, working to make our City and the 46th Ward a better place. No one in our Ward believes that shootings, gang violence, and narcotics sales are good for our community. Yet nothing is substantively done to put an end to those activities. Police resources are scarce because of budget cuts and misappropriated funding. Attrition within the Chicago Police Department greatly outweighs hiring and criminals have become accustom to lenient sentences to violent crimes. This is a travesty and is something that I will change to ensure that the safety and security of the residents and taxpayers of our community is paramount. The people of the 46th Ward deserve better and it is something I will deliver.
More bad news for residents of the 46th Ward
More bad news for residents of the 46th Ward.
"We’re probably going to have some hearings on it [police hiring]," Beale told [Mick Dumke] Tuesday. "But again, I’m the new chairman [because former chairman Ike Carothers is headed to the federal penitentiary for bribery and tax fraud], and as soon as I walked in I had this contract put on my lap. So I’ve got to figure out all the ordinances before the committee and then we’ll move forward from there. I’m still new, getting my feet wet" (The Chicago Reader, June 8, 2010).
Getting your feet wet is not an excuse when people in our community are continually dealing with crime in front of their homes and on their street corners. That police contract sat for three years and suddenly it was put on your lap? Please. There were only 47 cops hired in 2009 at the nation's second largest police department. Members of City Council must do better. Change is required.
Money must be reallocated and more police officers hired to keep out community safe and secure. When residents do not receive proper police service, we all lose.
Great arrest today. However, the glaring issues pertaining to manpower shortages at the Chicago Police Department cannot be ignored
We were contacted today by a detective from the sex crimes unit who asked us to see if we could pick up a guy wanted for criminal sexual assault of a child. We of course said yes and she gave us all the information. After going through all of the case reports and follow up interviews with the 12 year old victim, I asked why we were only now receiving the information, rather than back in March when the crime occurred. Her response: "manpower." She has so many other cases, some more heinous than the case we were working, that she was only able to get to this case today. She then said that it was only by chance that our paths crossed, allowing her to ask us to go out and see if we could track this dangerous offender down. Its sad when government waste and the misappropriation of City funds lead directly to an understaffed, overburdened police department.
We left the office at 1pm and am happy to say that by 1:45pm, this dangerous offender was in custody. All it took was a former address and a little bit of detective work of our own to track the offender down. Well, that and a little athletic skills to apprehend him when he leaped out of the home's rear window and fled on foot. Another dangerous offender is behind bars and our community is a safer place because of it.
But, we cannot forget why this dangerous offender was on our streets for almost three months before detectives were able to put some hours into this case - again, that reason was manpower. Alderman need to address this specific issue and treat public safety as the priority we know it to be because the safety and security of our community is paramount. The City of Chicago must hire more police to attack crime and work to reduce Chicago's high crime rate. I promise to do just that when I am elected Alderman and will work to make that a reality with property tax reform, reallocation of spending, and most importantly, TIF reform.
Our community is not immune to the threat of terrorism
Our community is not immune to the threat of terrorism. Synagogues, mosques, churches, a large immigrant population, our LGBT community, a large number of theater and concert venues, and of course Wrigley Field make our community a potential target for terrorism. There are people out there who would like to harm us and our neighbors. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of examples of extremists doing exactly that to specific groups because of their clouded ideologies. We need to ensure that our community is safe and secure and that starts with the police and our publicly elected officials.
With seven years fighting crime on the streets of Chicago, a masters degree from Northwestern University focusing on homeland security and defense, and countless hours of anti-terrorism training, I have a unique perspective that no other candidate has. I want to use my experience and training to ensure that the safety and security of our community is paramount and that Chicago does not suffer the same type of terrible attacks that New York saw in September of 2001.
With seven years fighting crime on the streets of Chicago, a masters degree from Northwestern University focusing on homeland security and defense, and countless hours of anti-terrorism training, I have a unique perspective that no other candidate has. I want to use my experience and training to ensure that the safety and security of our community is paramount and that Chicago does not suffer the same type of terrible attacks that New York saw in September of 2001.
Uptown's homeless need a hand, not a hand out
As I was driving home tonight, all I could think of was getting some much needed sleep. I was lucky enough to find a parking spot a few blocks from my place, grabbed my bag, and headed toward my building. However, instead of walking strait from my car, to my place, and right into my warm bed, I was stopped by a man named Robert. He at first startled me. He seemed to be waiting in the shadows for me as I turned the corner onto Bittersweet. Being approached by a complete stranger at 3:00 a.m. made me flip back into work mode, something that Robert sensed immediately. I told him that he walked up to the wrong person if he was looking for some quick cash.... "No!" he said. "I just wanted to ask you a question." I told him strait off that he cannot be walking up to people that late at night, even if he was "a nice guy" looking to simply ask a few questions. He just didn't seem to understand the urgency of my words, so I repeated myself a few times to make it clear.
I came to find out that Robert had been homeless for six months, mostly living in shelters and on park benches. It unfortunately isn't that uncommon of a story in our community. Robert and I talked for a while. We talked about everything from his elderly grandmother in Wisconsin, to his childhood at 59th and Justine, even getting to his strong faith in God. I asked Robert what he wanted from me, expecting him to simply ask for some spare change. Robert replied, "I just want my life to be a little easier. I know that most people see me as some homeless criminal, but all that I really want is to get back to work and back to being somebody." I told him that he was somebody, even if he sometimes didn't believe it. Robert went on to tell me that he doesn't need a hand out, just a hand getting back on track. I don't think that I could have said it better myself Robert. Our elected officials should be working to fix the perils of homelessness through education and job development, rather than misappropriated spending and a bunch of excuses. I gave Robert my word that I would do everything in my power to see that his request becomes a reality and that every person in our community gets a voice, no matter who they are. Robert then said goodnight and headed off into the night. These are the kind of experiences that tell me I know that I am doing the right thing seeking public office. I know that I will make a difference.
Thank you for your sacrifice
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with a World Ward II Veteran who served in the Air Force with the 458th Air Expeditionary Group out of Horsham St. Faith in 1944 and 1945. We sat for close to two hours as he told me about the incredible feats of bravery he conducted on a daily basis, yet he talked as if those feats were nothing at all, almost pedestrian in nature. "It was what I was supposed to do while I was serving out there," he told me. I look at men like this, who left their friends and families for battlefields a half a world away, and my thoughts turn to the brave men and women who are currently serving abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, who risk their lives everyday for America. Their sacrifice is truly heroic and they deserve the respect and honor of a grateful nation. Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day when we remember what these men and women did for our nation and what they still do for us day in, day out. My humble thanks is small, for a gift that is so large. Simply, thank you. I hope I have the ability to emulate their strength and use what they have given to me through their actions to make a difference in my own community.
46th Ward Issues
46th Ward Issues
The most pressing issues that our Ward faces are crime, failing infrastructure, education, job creation, and transparency.
Crime: Seen at a greater degree in Uptown, crime in the 46th Ward is a serious problem. The residents of our Ward deserve safe streets, free of violence and crime. Every resident of the Ward deserves safe streets, no matter whom he is or where she lives. As Alderman, I will guarantee that the residents and taxpayers in our Ward have a voice and that we will work together to improve each person's safety.
Once elected, I will have a unique perspective that no other sitting Alderman possesses. As a Chicago Police Officer for seven years, I have worked solely in high crime areas, focusing on the gangs, guns, and drugs that breed violence in our city. With more than one thousand arrests in my career and having personally removed countless guns from our Chicago streets, I have that knowledge as a decorated Chicago Police Officer to build a bridge between all the residents of the 46th Ward and the Chicago Police Department. Such a relationship will facilitate positive and constructive conversations about safety, and will allow all parties to work together, put a plan in place to lower crime, and end the violence on our streets. Together, we can make our streets safer.
Infrastructure: Potholes, crumbling curbs, street cave-ins, poor lighting, graffiti, and dilapidated Red Line stations like the Wilson El Stop are the day-to-day problems we face in the 46th Ward. These things affect everyone. Basic infrastructure must be improved because residents in this Ward deserve better.
As Alderman, I will listen to everyone's concerns and ensure that those concerns turn into an actionable plan to improve the conditions of our Ward's infrastructure. I will work with Streets and Sanitation and other city agencies to ensure these concerns are addressed in a timely fashion. I will sit down with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and make certain that there is a plan to improve the conditions of our public transportation system, something on which many residents in the 46th Ward depend. Each call I receive in my office will be answered with a follow-up call to check and see if the problem has been resolved. I will put words into action and make those improvements that residents are requesting and that the 46th Ward truly needs.
Education: The City of Chicago should be investing more of its funds into our public schools and its teachers to ensure that the young people in our Ward develop into successful adults, ready to make our community a better place. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are laying off teachers and considering shortening the number of hours spent in the classroom to meet the close to $1 billion budget shortfall, all while giving the executive staff large pay raises. This is a problem, and I will do my best to change these bad habits.
As Alderman, I will work to invest more money into our schools and in the youngsters that call our publicly funded schools home. By working with constituents, looking at alternative educational models like charter schools, we will find creative solutions to our problems, ensuring a quality education for all CPS students. Children should not be punished and teachers should not lose their hard-earned jobs because of misappropriation of funding. The correct answer always starts with adding and subtracting in the right places, and as Alderman, I will ensure this happens.
Job Creation: With an 11.6% unemployment rate in the City of Chicago, more must be done to ensure these jobless numbers are reversed and Chicagoans are put back to work. I will work with existing restaurants, retail establishments, and other businesses in our area to increase employment. I will work to encourage new businesses to move into the 46th Ward, letting them know that our Ward is the right place to invest.
The 46th Ward is home to a great number of residents ready to get to work, ready to make their own neighborhood a better place to shop and do business. The Wilson, Broadway, and Sheridan corridors, with their numerous empty and run-down buildings are the ideal places to develop new businesses. This will allow local people to walk to work and be a part of their own local community and economy. During difficult times, as the one we find ourselves, it is the duty of the government to do everything in its power to turn the neighborhood around and make a difference. I will work to make that a reality.
Transparency: Transparency is the overarching factor that deals specifically with every other issue in our Ward. It is imperative that we fund infrastructure repairs, hire more police officers, fund our public schools, and most importantly, make the Alderman's personal office budget and his menu money transparent. This also directly speaks to how Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds are procured and how they are spent. There should be nothing left to the imagination. Everything should be fully transparent to the taxpayers because in the end, it is the taxpayer's money.
As Alderman, I will make my budget readily available for anyone who would like to see it through my web site and I will mail out the previous year’s budget—to show how monies were spent—for all residents and taxpayers to view. All of this would be paid by me personally and not with our taxpayer dollars. Much like any good business or non-profit organization, I also will prepare an annual report each year for the constituents of the 46th Ward to see. I have nothing to hide from the residents of Chicago and the 46th Ward—neither should our Alderman.
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The most important issues in the 46th Ward are as diverse as the neighborhood itself. Though the preceding issues are the most pressing issues that face the residents and taxpayers within our Ward, those issues do not discount individual issues that are important to you and how our taxpayer money should be spent. This is our Ward. This is our home. Every person in our Ward deserves a voice, and that is what I promise to provide when I am elected Alderman.
So, here is your chance. Tell me what issues are important to you. This is our home. It is time for everyone in the 46th Ward to be heard.
Contact me anytime, and I promise your voice will be heard.
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