These are questions that representatives from many of Chicago's grassroots organizations addressed to 6 mayoral candidates at the New Chicago 2011 Mayoral Forum at UIC last night.
How will you engage young people around violence and address the needs for jobs for youth?
What is your position on expanding public transportation, particularly on the far south side?
How will you address food deserts while creating living wage jobs?
What will you do to address the needs of immigrants and refugees in Chicago?
What will you do to improve job and transit access to people with disabilities?
What will you do to fight against foreclosures in Chicago?
What is your position on school closings, turnarounds, transformation and high stakes tests?
What is your position on big box stores such as wal mart and target offering their workers a living wage?
What are your views on unionizing charter schools and programs like grow your own?
The Sweet Home Chicago ordinance proposes that the city dedicate 20% of TIF funds to develop affordable housing. What are your views on the ordinance?
Last night, nearly 3000 people came to the UIC Forum to hold a forum with mayoral candidates. The front runners were invited. Those in attendance included Miguel Del Valle, Carol Mosely Braun, Danny Davis, Patricia Watkins, James Meeks, and Gery Chico.
A broad coalition of grassroots organizations, coming together as New Chicago 2011, organized the forum. Groups included Action Now, A Movement Re-imagining Change (ARC), Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Centers for New Horizons, Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, and European Immigrants of Illinois, Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI), Community Renewal Society, Enlace Chicago, Erie Neighborhood House, The Grassroots Collaborative, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Illinois Hunger Coalition, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO), Lakeview Action Coalition, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Organization of the Northeast (ONE), Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL), Southwest Organizing Project, and Southwest Youth Collaborative. Supporting Organizations included Albany Park Neighborhood Council, Access Living, Chicago AD, Developing Communities Project (DCP), MAGIC, and Metropolitan Tenants Association.
