ELECTED ALDERMEN WE WILL MEET
TONIGHT.
>> LAST NIGHT PATRICK O'CONNOR
ONE OF THE MOST SENIOR MEMBERS
OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR
RAHM EMANUEL'S FLOOR LEADER AND
THE INTERIM FINANCE COMMITTEE
CHAIR FAILED IN HIS BID TO BE
REELECTED ALDERMAN OF THE
40rd WARD FOR A 10TH TERM.
THE MAN WHO BEAT HIM IS MORE
SURPRISING, THE CITY COUNCIL
VETERAN WAS TAKEN DOWN BY A
FORMER BATTLE RAPPER AND
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST ENDORSED BY
VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS.
JOINING US TO DISCUSS HIS
VICTORY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR
THE 40TH WARD IS ALDERMAN-ELECT
ANDRE VASQUEZ AND
CONGRATULATIONS.
FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE
VOTERS OF THE 40TH WARD WHAT
ISSUE TURNED THIS ELECTION IN
YOUR FAVOR AND AWAY FROM
ALDERMAN O'CONNOR?
>> I THINK CITYWIDE CORRUPTION.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, HAVING MORE TRANSPARENT
GOVERNMENT, THE INFLUENCE OF BIG
MONEY IN THE CORRUPTION THAT
PEOPLE WANTED TO TURN A PAGE
AWAY FROM.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
CORRUPTION, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
IT REFERENCE TO ALDERMAN
O'CONNOR WHAT WAS THAT
CORRUPTION IN YOUR VIEW?
>> THE INFLUENCE OF BIG MONEY IN
GENERAL IN OUR GOVERNMENT.
IN THE 40TH WARD WHAT WE SAW WAS
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PUT IN.
WE RAISED $200,000 BUT UP
AGAINST A MILLION-AND-A-HALF AND
A QUARTER MILLION BROUGHT BY THE
CHARTERS AND LARGE DEVELOPERS
AND RAHM EMANUEL.
PEOPLE SAW THE INFLUENCE OF THAT
MONEY BEING A PROBLEM.
AND WHAT WE SAW ACROSS THE CITY.
>> AND THAT IS WHAT YOU DEFINE
IS CORRUPTION?
NOT ILLEGALITY BUT THE INFLUENCE
OF BIG MONEY?
>> WE WANT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT
WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE AND NOT THE
LARGE DONORS AND CORPORATIONS
WHO HAVE THEIR AGENDA.
THE SELLING OF THE PARKING
METERS OR THE LINCOLN YARDS
PROJECT COMING UP, THE NEIGHBORS
OF THE CITY DO NOT WANT TO SEE
THAT THEY WOULD RATHER SEE MONEY
INVESTED IN THE COMMUNITIES AND
NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT IS IN
EVERY WARD AND WE SAW THAT LAST
NIGHT.
>> WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF THE 40TH
WARD THEY THINK OF A MIDDLE
CLASS WARD WHERE CITY SERVICES
ARE NOT THE SORT OF ISSUE THEY
MIGHT BE ON THE SOUTH OR WEST
SIDE.
WAS THERE A PROBLEM IN THE
DELIVERY OF CITY SERVICES?
>> DEPENDING WHERE YOU WERE IN
THE WARD.
THE WE HAVE A TALE OF TWO WARDS
WHERE RESPONSES WERE DIFFERENT
AND IT ALSO IS BECOMING LESS AND
LESS AFFORDABLE.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK THAT
CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE THERE
PEOPLE BEING PRICED OUT.
ALL THOSE THINGS ARE ON THE
MINDS OF NEIGHBORS.
>> LORI LIGHTFOOT WON A STUNNING
VICTORY, WON EVERY WARD.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO HER TODAY?
>> WE REACHED OUT BUT I'M SURE
SHE HAS A LOT OF CALLS FROM
EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> WHAT DO YOU SEE IS YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH LORI
LIGHTFOOT?
>> WHEN YOU START FROM A
BASELINE OF EVERYONE WANTING TO
SEE THE CITY BE BETTER IT IS
ABOUT HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS
THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE IN THAT
MANNER.
MAYOR ELECT LIGHTFOOT CLEARLY
HISTORIC WIN AND WHAT IT SAYS
ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE
IS EXCITING.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH OUR FUTURE MAYOR TO GET
THINGS DONE FOR THE NEIGHBORS OF
THE CITY.
>> ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH HER
PICKING THE CHAIRMAN?
>> I PREFER DEMOCRACY.
WHEN IT COMES TO CHAIRS I WOULD
PREFER THAT AND I THINK WE WILL
SEE A LOT OF HEALTHY DEBATE IN
THE COUNCIL AS FAR AS THE
DIRECTION WE SHOULD GO IN.
>> THAT MEANS YOU DO NOT WANT
HER 0 TO PICK, YOU WANT THE
COUNCIL TO PICK THE CHAIRS?
>> I THINK I WOULD PREFER
EVERYONE HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS.
WHAT TO DO ON DAY ONE BEFORE WE
START MANDATING THINGS.
>> WHAT ABOUT ALDERMANIC
PREROGATIVE?
>> IT NEEDS TO BE REINED IN.
WE NEED TO HAVE A CITYWIDE
VISION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TIF
DOLLARS I PREFER FOR A LARGER
DEVELOPMENT THAT THE WHOLE
COUNCIL WEIGH-IN.
>> OPPOSED TO THE ALDERMAN
MAKING THAT CHOICE?
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
>> AFTER YOUR VICTORY YOU TOOK
ON THE CORRUPT POLITICAL MACHINE
BUT YOU ARE A NEWBIE, A NEW GUY
ON THE SCENE.
DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU KNOW ENOUGH
ABOUT THE WHEELS OF GOVERNMENT
TO BE ABLE TO TURN THEM?
>> I THINK I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT
WHAT THE CITY'S THE CORRUPTION
AND HOW IT'S IMPACTED PEOPLE.
SOMEONE GENTRIFIED OUT OF FIVE
NEIGHBORHOODS AND GREW UP POOR I
HAVE A PERSPECTIVE THAT MANY
SOME MEMBERS DON'T HAVE.
BUT TO BE FAIR FIRST WE WANT TO
GO IN AND UNDERSTAND THE
DYNAMICS OF THE COUNCIL.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF POTENTIAL
TO BUILD COALITION WITH THE
PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS, AND LATINO
CAUCUS.
THERE IS A LOT OF POTENTIAL OF
COMING TOGETHER AND BUILDING THE
COALITION THAT MAYOR HAROLD
WASHINGTON BEGAN.
>> WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN
JOINING THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND THE LATINO CAUCUS?
>> YES.
>> AND YOU WANT THEM TO JOIN THE
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CAUCUS?
>> I THINK WHEN WE HAVE THE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT OUR
VALUES ARE AND WHAT SOLUTIONS
ARE, THERE IS A LOT OF OVERLAP.
SO I IMAGINE A DIAGRAM.
>> PHIL WAS ASKING WHAT IS A
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST?
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF THAT?
>> IT'S DEMOCRACY.
HAVE A COUNTERBALANCE TO THE
INFLUENCE OF LARGE MONEY THAT
BUSINESSES EXIST TO RAISE
REVENUE.
AND THAT CAN BE SEEN AS GOOD BAD
OR ANYTHING ELSE BUT GOVERNMENT
IS THERE TO PROVIDE FOR THE
SOCIAL GOOD AND SHOULD BE USED
AS A COUNTERBALANCE THAT REINS
IN THE EFFECTS OF THAT LARGE
MONEY.
PUBLICLY FINANCED ELECTIONS AND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS
MANDATED AND NOT ALLOWING
DEVELOPERS TO PAY LOOPHOLES TO
GET OUT AND PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST
AND NOT PROFIT.
>> I RAN INTO SOMEBODY ON THE
STREET TODAY SAYING WHAT IS A
DEMOCRATIC SOCIAL LIST?
HE SAID TO ME THAT SOUNDS LIKE
LET'S RAISE TAXES.
IS THERE THAT ALSO THAT YOU WANT
MORE MONEY PUT INTO GOVERNMENT
AND THAT IS GOING TO REQUIRE
MORE TAXES?
>> I DON'T THINK THE ISSUE IS
MORE TAXES MORE THAN A RETURN ON
INVESTMENT.
IN THE PAST 36 YEARS WHAT THE
COUPLE HAS DONE TAXES CONTINUED
TO BE RAISED.
IT'S WHERE THE MONEY GOES WHEN
IT'S GOING TO DEVELOPERS AND
CORPORATIONS AND NOT INVESTED
BACK INTO THE CITIZENS OF THE
CITY OR THE NEIGHBORS THAT IS
THE PROBLEM IT IS NOT ABOUT
RAISING OUR TAXES FURTHER.
THAT IS JUST A FALSE NARRATIVE
THAT KEEPS GETTING PUSHED DOWN
WHILE PEOPLE ARE STILL RAISING
TAXES IT'S ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY
GOES AND IT SHOULD BE PUT
TOWARDS MARGINALIZED
NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> CHICAGO HAS A TON OF RED INK
IN TERMS OF THE PENSION FUNDS
AND THE BILL IT IS HAS TO PAY.
SO WHERE WILL THE CITI GET THE
REVENUE, NEW REVENUE THAT IT
CURRENTLY DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY
THOSE THINGS?
>> WE HAVE TO LOOK AT FIRST
STOPPING THE BLEEDING AND THAT
INVOLVES TIF REFORM AS OPPOSED
TO GIVING MONEY AWAY.
AND CLEARLY IT IS A CRISIS THAT
WE ALL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT AND
ADVOCATING FOR MORE REVENUE AT
THE STATE LEVEL WHEN CANNABIS IS
LEGALIZED.
AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A
LASALLE STREET TAX.
AND THAT IS WHERE A LOT OF
LARGER REVENUE IS GOING TO COME
BUT WE NEED TO TELL DEVELOPERS
WE HAVE A CITY OF 2.7 MILLION
PEOPLE AND WE GENERATE MORE
REVENUE THAN SOME COUNTRIES IF
YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE
CITY INVESTING IN.
>> ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC THERE'S
GOING TO BE PASSAGE OF A LASALLE
STREET TAX?
>> YES.
I THINK IT IS A LARGER STATEMENT