>>> STILL TO COME ON "CHICAGO
TONIGHT" A THINK CHEF HELPS TWO
U.S. NAVY COOKS.
MAKE CAN NEW WORDS THE EDITOR OF
THE WORLD'S LARGEST ON-LINE
DICTIONARY.
AND SAVING RARE NATIVE PLANTS BY
PAINTING THEM.
AND WAS ASKING MAYORAL CANDIDATE
JESUS CHUY GARCIA ABOUT HIS
SON'S ARRESTS, FAIR GAME IN LAST
NIGHT'S FORUM.
>>> FIRST, CHICAGO'S 46th WARD
COVERS PARTS OF UPTOWN AND THE
WARD INCLUDES A DIVERSE MIX OF
ETHNIC GROUPS AND INCOMES AND
NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
IN THE FEBRUARY ELECTION,
FRESHMAN JAMES CAPPLEMAN FACED
TWO PONTDS AND CHALLENGER AMY
CRAWFORD GOT 38% OF THE VOTE.
THE INCUMBENT PREVIOUSLY WAS A
SOCIAL WORKER, A PUBLIC SCHOOL
TEACHER.
AND AMY CRAWFORD A PRACTICING
ATTORNEY WHO WORKED ON
BASEBALL'S 2008 RUN FOR OFFICE
AND HAS VOLUNTEERED FOR OTHER
CAMPAIGNS.
WELCOME YOU TO "CHICAGO
TONIGHT."
IT IS BUENA PARK?
>> YES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LET'S TALK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY,
AND IF I CAN BEGIN WITH THE
ALDERMAN, WHAT IS MOST PRESSING
ISSUE?
>> I WOULD SAY THE MOST PRESSING
ISSUE IS CRIME IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
DURING MY FOUR YEARS AS
ALDERMAN, CRIME HAS STEADILY
DECLINED.
AND A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN DUE
TO CREATING VERY TARGETING TASK
FORCES AND WORKING WITH THE
POLICE AND STATE'S ATTORNEY
OFFICE AND LOCAL BUSINESSES IN
THE COMMUNITY.
WE CREATED INTERVENTIONS AND
CRIME HAS GONE DONE AND I HAVE
THE ENDORSEMENT OF POLICE
SERGEANTS ASSOCIATION.
>> AMY CRAWFORD, WE HEARD THE
REPORT FROM PARIS SCHUTZ THAT
THERE IS AN UPTICK IN HOMICIDES.
IS CRIME GOING DOWN IN THE 46th?
>> NO, IT'S NOT, PHIL.
AND VIOLENT CRIME IS WHAT SCARES
BUSINESSES AWAY, THAN HAS
INCREASED.
SHOOTINGS ARE UP AND MURDERS ARE
UP, PARTICULARLY IN UPTOWN.
AND WE HAVE SEEN THREE MURDERS
IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, A RATE
THAT HAS NOT BEEN SEEN IN OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE.
>> HOW ABOUT THAT, ALDERMAN, ARE
YOU DOING ENOUGH TO STOP
VIOLENCE IN UPTOWN, INCLUDING
GANG VIOLENCE?
>> YES.
>> DO YOU NOT AGREE WITH HER
CHARACTERIZATION THAT CRIME IS
UP?
>> AND THE POLICE DO AS WELL.
THE POLICE SAY THERE IS AN
UPTICK IN CRIME AND WE CLOSED
DOWN A CRACK HOUSE AND I WORKED
WITH POLICE TO DID THAT.
17 DRUG ABUSE ARRESTS, THAT
CREATED A VACUUM BUT SENT A
CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE DRUG
DEALERS THAT THEIR DAYS IN THE
46th WARD ARE CLEARLY NUMBERED.
>> AMY, THE WIDELY DIFFERING
PERSPECTIVES ON THIS TRAJECTORY
OF CRIME IN YOUR WARD?
I'M A PARENT AND I HAVE A YOUNG
SON AND I TALK TO FAMILIES ALL
OVER THE WARD.
THEY UNDERSTAND AND NOT
SERIOUSNESS OF SHOOTINGS AND
MURDERS HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE DAY.
THE ALDERMAN WILL SAY WHAT HE
WANTS TO TO GET REELECTED.
THERE IS A RENT THAT MORE THAN
50% OF THE VOTERS SOUGHT A
CHANGE AND I THINK YOU WILL SEE
THAT TUESDAY AS WELL.
I'M THE CANDIDATE THAT GOTTEN
DORSED BY THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF
POLICE.
>> HEATHER TALK ABOUT HOUSING IN
YOUR WARD.
UPTOWN IS A MIXED INCOME
NEIGHBORHOOD.
IS THERE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE
HOUSING IN THE WARD?
>> THERE ARE 4,470 UNITES OF
GOVERNMENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING,
COMMON ANY OTHER WARD IN THE
CITY OF CHICAGO.
AND WE HAVE LAST NONE UNDER ANY
LEADERSHIP.
THERE WERE THREE LARGE BUILDINGS
THAT HAD HUNDREDS OF CODE
VIOLATIONS AND HAD RESIDENTS
COMING TO ME COVERED IN SCABS
DUE TO BED BUG INFESTATION AND
ASKING FOR BLANKETS BECAUSE OF
NO HEAT.
THEY WERE IN SUCH AWFUL
CONDITION...
>> ARE THEY GONE, DO YOU NEED
MORE?
>> THE WHOLE ENTIRE CITY NEEDS
MORE.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE WORKING HARD.
>> AMY CRAWFORD DO YOU NEED MORE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING?
>> WE DO NEED MORE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING BUT I THINK WE HAVE THE
RIGHT BALANCE IN THE WARD.
I'M OPEN TO KRE AUTOMATICKING
MORE, MIXED INCOME CONTEXT FOR
WORKING FAMILIES AND SENIORS,
BUT PEOPLE IN THE WARD WHO LIVE
IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNDERSTAND
THE ALDERMAN HAS BEEN AN ENEMY
TO THEM.
HE HAS SOUGHT TO GET RID OFS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE.MY POSITION IS
WE NEED TO PROTECT IT, WHERE
NEEDED.
WORKING TO IMPROVE THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE WARD.
>> THAT IS NOT TRUE AT ALL.
THE CHATAEU PEOPLE STAYED
RUN-FREE AND GOT ASSISTANCE TO
FIND NEW HOUSING.
ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED AND A
MOVE-IN FEE AND THEIR FIRST
MONTH'S RENT.
THAT IS UNPRECEDENTED IN OTHER
PARTS OF THE CITY.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
REVITALIZATION.
HOW WILL THAT IMPROVE THE AREA?
>> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT
HAPPENS AROUND THE STOP.
WE ARE GETTING A NEW STATION,
THAT IS GREAT BUT I HAVE
BUSINESS PEOPLE COMING TO ME AND
SAYING THEY HAVE BEEN PLEADING
WITH THE ALDERMAN TO DRIVE THE
DEVELOPMENT FORWARD TO CREATE
DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE STOP.
A GREAT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
AROUND THE STOP.
BUT THERE IS A LACK OF
LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.
>> HOW ABOUT THAT ALDERMAN, IS
THERE A LACK OF LEADERSHIP IN
TERMS OF WHAT WILL GO AROUND
THAT?
>> THERE ARE SEVERAL MEETINGS
INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY AND
BUSINESSES, DEATH OF PLANNING
AND THE LOCAL-- DEPARTMENT OF
PLANNING AND LOCAL CHAMBER OF
KMERPS PERFORM AMY DIDN'T ATTEND
THOSE MEETINGS?
>> I TAENDSED THEM AND MEETINGS
WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THIS
ISSUE, THAT THE ALDERMAN HASN'T
ATTENDED.
>> SHE HAS NOT BEEN PRESENTS AND
YOU CAN GET A LIST OF WHO HAS
BEEN PRESENT.
>> THE OTHER THING IS IT IS IN
THE ABOUT THE NUMBER OF
MEETINGS, IT IS ABOUT THE
LEADERSHIP YOU, EARTH.
A LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND THAT IS
WHY WE HAVE SEEN LACKLUSTER
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ONGOING
VIOLENT CRIME.
THERE IS A REASON THE TRIBUNE
SAYS ALDERMAN JAMES CAPPLEMAN
HAS BEEN OVERWHELMED ON CRIME
AND HOUSING ISSUES.
VOTERS AND THE NEWSPAPERS AGREE
WE NEED A CHANGE IN THE WARD.
>> WE HAVE AN UNPRECEDENTED
AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AVERAGE ONE NEW BUSINESS A
MONTH.
THAT HASN'T HAPPENED BEFORE.
>> HE IS IN THE COUNTING
BUSINESSES THAT ARE CLOSING AS
SOME ARE OPENING.
>> ANOTHER ITEM OF IMPORTANCE,
THE MAYOR'S IDEA FOR AN UPTOWN
MUSIC DISTRICT ON BROADWAY.
AMY CRAWFORD?
>> THUMBS UP, AND SO MUCH
POTENTIAL THERE FOR A GREAT
ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND THE MAYOR HAS BEEN A REAL
PROPONENT AND CHAMPION BUT WE
DON'T HAVE THE LEADERSHIP IN THE
ALDERMAN'S OFFICE.
>> HOW ABOUT IT, ALDERMAN, DID
YOU BACK THAT PROPASAL?
>> ABSOLUTELY SINCE I HAVE BEEN
IN OFFICE WE HAVE HAD 42 GRANTS
COME IN AND FOOD AND WINE NAMED
THE CHEF ONE OF THE TOP TEN IN
THE NATION.
UPTOWN UNDERGROUND HAS COME IN,
ARCADE PARK IS COMING IN AND
DELEGATE A $6 MILLION
STREETSCAPING, PUTTING AN
OUTDOOR PLAZA IN FRONT, SETTING
THEM TO HAVE THAT UPTOWN THEATER
GOING.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ALDERMAN
IS RATTLING OFF A THINGS, A LIST
OF THINGS THAT HE IS DOING.
>> I'M NOT SURE THAT HE IS
EXERTING ANY LEADERSHIP.
THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IS
NOT BECAUSE OF HIM, IN SPITE OF
HIM IN SOME PART.
BUSINESSES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO
MY CAMPAIGN BECAUSE THEY SEE I
WILL BE A STRONGER LEADTORY
DRIVE THIS DEVELOPMENT FURTHER
AND WE ARE MARKETSING UPTOWN AS
A GREAT ENTERTAINMENT AND
CULTURAL DISTRICT.
70% OF MY CAMPAIGN LOCATIONS
HAVE COME FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS
AND BUSINESSES IN THE WARD AND
90% OF AMY'S FUNDS CAME FROM ONE
LAW FIRM.
>> THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
MANY DEVELOPERS CORRECTED TO THE
CAMPAIGN, PEOPLE I KNOW THAT
HAVE KNOWN ME SUPPORT MY
CAMPAIGN.
>> NUMBER ONE CONTRIBUTOR GAVE
HER $5,000 AFTER I REFUSED HIM.
>> I WILL GIVE YOU 1 SIF SECONDS
EACH.
AMY, WHY SHOULD THE WARD ELECT
YOU?
>> THIS IS ABOUT LEADERSHIP, QUH
VOTERS ARE HAPPY WITH THE
ONGOING MURDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE DAYTIME AND LACK OF
DEVELOPMENT.
>> ALDERMAN, WHY SHOULD YOU BE
RETAINED?
>> I HAVE HAD A CLEAR PLAN ON
CREATING MORE CHECK DEVELOPMENT
AND ADDRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY.
MY PLAN HAS WORKED AND THERE IS
NOR TO DO.