>> AMANDA, THANK YOU.
AND NOW WE GO BACK TO NICK
BLUMBERG WHO IS IN EVANSTON AS
PART OF OUR "CHICAGO TONIGHT"
"IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES"
AND HE IS JOINED WITH THE
INCOMING MAYOR.
>> NICK?
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
I'M HERE WITH MAYOR ELECT DANIEL
BISS YOU ARE SET TO BE SWORN IN
ON MONDAY.
COVID-19 AS I DON'T SEE HOW IT
COULD BE ANY OTHER WAY WAS A
HUGE PART OF YOUR CAMPAIGN
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RECOVERY.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT COVID
RECOVERY IS EQUITABLE?
>> IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE
WE GET SHOTS IN ARMS WHICH WE
ARE DOING A GOOD JOB HERE IN
EVANSTON.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO FILL ALL OF
THESE STOREFRONTS AND OFFICES
THAT WE SEE NEAR US HERE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE COME
BACK WITH AN EXE THAT IS MORE
EQUITABLE THAN THE ONE WE HAD
BEFORE THAT MEANS PUTTING
RESOURCES IN THE HANDS OF
ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR.
AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND
COLLABORATION WITH THE HIGH
SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
AND EMPLOYERS TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOUTH HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT
AND IF WE SEIZE IT WE CAN BUILD
A MORE JUST ECONOMY BUT WE HAVE
TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
>> YOU'VE SAID THAT EXAMINING
THE EVANSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND BUDGET IS A DAY ONE PRIORITY
FOR YOU.
A LOT OF FOLKS RETHINKING
POLICING THEY MIGHT HEAR
ACTIVISTS USE PHRASES LIKE
DEFUND THE POLICE THAT CAN BE A
NO GO FOR THEM.
HOW DO YOU HELP CREATE SPACE FOR
THE CONVERSATIONS?
>> I DON'T TRY TO GET MIXED UP
IN THE QUESTION OF WHAT LANGUAGE
OTHER PEOPLE USE.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS WORK ON
FACTS AND DATA AND THE BASIC
VALUES THAT WE HAVE AS A
COMMUNITY.
AND THOSE VALUES DICTATE A MORE
HUMAN THIS PARTICULAR APPROACH
TO PROVIDING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
WHERE THE DEPLOYMENT OF FORCE
AND VIOLENCE ARE A LAST RESORT
NOT A FIRST STEP AND THAT MEANS
BUILDING UP OUR CAPACITY WITH
MENTAL HEALTH CARE, SUBSTANCE
ABUSE TREATMENT AND FORMS OF
VICTIMS SERVICES DIFFERENT WAYS
OF DOING TRAFFIC STOPS AND MORE.
IF WE DO THAT PROPERLY NOT ONLY
ARE WE PROVIDING A BETTER
QUALITY OF SHARED PUBLIC SAFETY
FOR ALL, WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR
POLICE OFFICERS RATHER THAN
ALLOWING A MISSION THAT HAS THEM
DOING THINGS THEY WERE NOT
TRAINED FOR OR SIGN UP TO DO.
>> WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT IN THE
PACKAGE ABOUT EVANSTON'S
REPARATIONS PROGRAM.
THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO BE INVOLVED
IN THAT PROGRAM?
HOPES OF EXPANDING IT?
>> YES.
WE ARE I THINK RIGHTLY PROUD
HERE IN EVANSTON TO BE LEADING
THE COUNTRY IN ESTABLISHING A
MUNICIPAL REPARATIONS PROGRAM
AND I'M EXCITED BUT IT'S
IMPORTANT TO SAY WE HAVE JUST
BEGUN.
RECENTLY THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED
THE FIRST 4% OF THE REPARATIONS
DOLLARS THAT WILL BE GOING OUT
THE DOOR SHORTLY THAT LEAVES 96%
OF THE MONEY THAT WE STILL HAVE
TO DETERMINE HOW IT WILL BE
ALLOCATED AND WHAT PROGRAM
DECISIONS WILL BE MADE AND GROW
THAT POT BECAUSE BY THE WAY, THE
MONEY COMING IN SO FAR DOESN'T
ADDRESS ALL THE EQUITIES AND --
INEQUITIES AND IT'S NOT COMING
FROM THE DIFFERENT SOURCE THAT
DID THE HARM WE'RE TRYING TO
REPAIR.
WE ARE NOT FAR FROM NORTHWESTERN
UNIVERSITY IF YOU LOOK AT
HISTORIC PRACTICES WITH RACIAL
SEGREGATION THEY CONTRIBUTED TO
THE HARM.
LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS THAT PARTICIPATED
IN REDLINING AND RESIDENTIAL
SEGREGATION THEY PARTICIPATED IN
THAT HARM AND NOW THEY NEED TO
STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND REPAIR
IT.
THERE IS A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO
DO.
>> A BIG QUESTION FOR 30 SECONDS
LEFT OR SO, CLIMATE CHANGE A BIG
ISSUE FOR YOU AS WELL.
HOW CAN A CITY PLAY A ROLE IN
ANSWERING A GLOBAL QUESTION?
>> THE THING ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE IS NO ONE INSTITUTION
WHETHER YOU PERSONALLY OR THE
UNITED NATIONS CAN DO IT ALONE.
WE ALL HAVE TO STEP UP.
AND EVANSTON HAS A STRONG PLAN
THAT MEANS WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK
TO DO WHEN IT COMES TO
TRANSPORTATION AND BUILDING
CODES AND WASTE DISPOSAL AND
MORE TO LIVE UP TO THE
COMMITMENT WE HAVE MADE AND I'M
DEDICATED TO MAKE SURE WE DO
THAT.
>> MAYOR ELECT DANIEL BISS THANK
YOU FOR SPENDING PART OF YOUR
EVENING WITH US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.