There is a municipal election in Chicago tomorrow, and I like to write down who I’m voting for, so here’s mine for this cycle. It might be helpful to also see my Statement of Personal Ethics, Potential Biases, and Possible Conflicts of Interest. It contains all sorts of light-shedding facts and grains of salt you can hold while reading this blog post.
For Mayor
I support Rahm Emanuel, the Mayor of the City of Chicago. I think he has done a very good job, he wants to continue, and he’s earned my vote. Some specifics:
- Economic development: I work in the technology industry and I believe in the power of technology to transform the lives of regular people. I have seen the Mayor support the tech industry in this city, for companies big and small, with a focus on everything from basic digital skills for entry-level workers to venture capital interest in fast-growing startups
- Immigration: Chicago has been a great leader in the fight for better immigration policies. Nobody has fought harder than Congressman Luis Gutierrez on this, and he supports the Mayor completely. I find this compelling
- Transit: tons of CTA infrastructure improvements, huge focus on cycling, and an overall sound approach to our future
- Endorsements: my mother always loved Rahm Emanuel, and she was pretty much the best judge of character I’ve ever seen. Also: my pastor, Rev. Michael Pfleger, sent me an email noting the endorsement of the Mayor by a gun violence prevention organization. Again; compelling
- Competence: the Mayor has a pretty good block-and-tackle game when it comes to running this town. We have many, many problems, but snow gets plowed, trains run on time (don’t start with me), and garbage gets picked up. He surrounds himself with good people who care about doing good work
Two discordant notes:
- The Mayor should post his schedule and list of the people with whom he has met in the administration of his duties. There’s no reason why he can’t do this. My guess is that he meets with lots of rich and powerful people, which is a great way to get big things done in a market economy. I believe that meeting with poor and disenfranchised people is worthwhile as well. You are what you measure
- There’s no reason for the Mayor to spend so much time and money on trying to remove and/or silence other elected officials who disagree with him on occasion. We’re a big city, with hundreds of thousands of adults living here. We can handle some differences in opinion/ approach
For City Clerk
- Susana A. Mendoza is running unopposed. She’s done a great job in modernizing the office.
For City Treasurer
- Kurt A. Summers is running unopposed. I’m perfectly happy to see what he’s up to.
For Alderman 32nd Ward
- Scott Waguespack, without a doubt. He works hard, has integrity, and does the work of an alderman.
Should the City of Chicago have an Elected School Board?
- Sure. Why not?
