>>> TEN CANDIDATES THAT RAN TO
FILL THE OPAL DER MANIC SEAT ON
THE CITY'S WEST SIDE, AFTER
ALDERMAN MICHAEL CHANDLER
DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR A FIFTH
TERM.
EP WITHDREW HIS NAME TWO WEEKS
AFTER FILING HIS NOMINATING
PETITION, AND "CHICAGO TONIGHT"
DISCOVERED HE WAS MISSING 94% OF
THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, NOT A
GOOD RECORD.
THE TOP TWO VOTE GETTERS ARE IN
A RUNOFF, MICHAEL SCOTT JUNIOR
WHO WON 31% AND VETRESS BOYCE
WHO GOT 616% OF THE VOTE.
NOW JOINING US IN THE ORDER THEY
APPEAR ON THE BALLOT ARE VETRESS
BOYCE, WHO WORKED HER WAY UP
FROM VICE PRESIDENT TO PRESIDENT
OF A TOOL DISTRIBUTOR AND NOW
CEO OF HER OWN COMPANY AND
MICHAEL SCOTT JUNIOR, A NATIVE
OF THE NORTH LAWNDALE
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT OVERSEES 35
PARK FACILITIES, FOR THE CHICAGO
PARK DISTRICT.
HIS NAME MAY SOUND FAMILIAR S
FATHER IS THE LATE MICHAEL SCOTT
SENIOR, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE
CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I WILL START WITH YOU, MISS
BOYCE.
WHY DO YOU WANT THAT JOB?
>> I'M RUNNING BECAUSE I FEEL
LIKE I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO
HELP THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HURT BY
THE CURRENT WAVE OF POVERTY.
IN NORTH LAWNDALE THERE IS SO
MUCH ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND
LACK OF BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS
THAT ARE CLOSED.
CHILDREN ON THE CONNERS, LIVES
LOST, POLICE BRUTALITY, YOU NAME
IT AND IT IS HAPPENING IN NORTH
LAWNDALE.
AND WITH MY LOVE FOR THE
COMMUNITY AND MY COMMITMENT AND
BEING PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY
AND RAISING MAY FAMILY THERE,
AND MY YOUNGEST BEING 20 AND MY
OLDEST 32 IT IS TIME TO HELP US
BRING AN ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE
TO THE WARD.
>> MR. SCOTT, WHY DO YOU THINK
YOU ARE THE BEST PERSON TO
TACKLE THE PROBLEMS?
>> EVERYONE WANTS TO LIVE AND
WORK AND PLAY AND RAISE THEIR
FAMILY IN A SAFE COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE WE NEED TO CLEAN UP
THE 24th WARD AND WE NEED TO
HAVE IT BETTER, A WE ARE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND THOSE ARE ALL
THINGS THAT I DO IN THE CHICAGO
PRESSURING DISTRICT AND I WILL
BRING THE TOOLS TO THE WARD.
>> YOU MENTION THE PROBLEMS WITH
POVERTY IN THE WARD.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BOLSTER
ECONOMIC PROSPECTS?
>> ONE THING THAT HASN'T BEEN
DONE, IS THE MARKETING.
THE RESOURCES, AS WELL AS
CONCENTRATING ON THE WORTH OF
THE COMMUNITY.
I FOUND THIS INFORMATION ON A
CITY OF CHICAGO WEBSITE, A
COMMUNITY SPENDING CLOSE TO 400
MILLION, USING IT TO MARKET
BUSINESSES THAT COULD EMPLOY
PEOPLE IN LARGE NUMBERS,
SOMETHING THAT I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TO DOING.
WITH MANY OF THE VACANT LOTS
THAT WE HAVE IN THE WARD WE
COULD BRING VIABLE BUSINESSES.
THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR
GROCERY STORES AND BIG BOXES.
A GREAT NEED IN THE WARD AND I'M
HERE TO BRING THE CHANGE.
>> MR. SCOTT, A FOOD DESERT, IF
THE FOOD OPTIONS OR RESTAURANT
OPTIONS, HOW DO YOU BRING THEM
TO THE 24th WARD?
>> THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO
IT CLEAN UP OUR WARD.
I HAVE BEEN TO NEIGHBORHOOD TO
NEIGHBORHOOD AND BEFORE WE CAN
BRING RESIDENTS BACK AND
BUSINESSES IN, WE HAVE TO CLEAN
UP OUR WARD.
AGAIN, INDIVIDUALS ARE CRAVING
FOR A BETTER PUBLIC SAFETY MOTTO
BEFORE WE CAN BRING BUSINESSES
IN AND RESIDENTS IN, WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS
LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY CLEAN
UP THE 24th WARD.
>> HAS IT BEEN IGNORED?
>> WE CAN CLEAN IT UP EVERY DAY.
I CLEAN UP OUTSIDE MY HOUSE
EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE HAD COMPANIES COME AND
CLEAN THE VACANT LOTS.
IT HAS BEEN NEGLIGENTED IN A
GREAT WAY.
YOU CAN CLEAN IT UP ON MONDAY
AND IT IS BACK DIRTY ON TUESDAY.
SO YOU HAVE TO DO MORE
AGGRESSIVE THINGS.
CLEANING IT IS ONE THUNK BUT
HAVE YOU TO HAVE AN ECONOMIC
INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE
COMMUNITY.
THIS COMMUNITY IS READY FOR AN
ENHANCEMENT OR JOB
OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY ARE READY TO FILL THE
VACANT LOTS WITH HOMES.
>> I HAVE TALKED TO MANY
BUSINESS OWNERS AND THEY CRAVE,
I TALK TO RESIDENTS, THEY CRAVE
FOR THEIR COMMUNITY TO BE CLEAN.
I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T NEED AN
ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT
THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE TO GO
FIRST AND THE PRIORITY IN OUR
COMMUNITY, I TALK TO RESIDENTS
DAY IN AND DAY OUT, IS CLEANING
THE COMMUNITY.
>> LOOK AT OUR PARK DISTRICT,
YOU HAVE BEEN MANAGING THAT.
>> FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
AND AN IMPECCABLE RATE.
>> IT IS AWFUL.
>> THAT IS NOT TRUE.
>> THAT IS FRAIN SES PARK.
>> I MANAGE EVERY PARK IN NORTH
LAWNDALE, OF COURSE NOW IF GU
OUTSIDE, AFTER THE SNOW HAS JUST
MELTED YOU WILL SEE DEBRIS, BUT
EVERY DAY WE ARE OUT THERE
CLEANING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE
GET THE THINGS TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THE PARK DISTRICT IS ONE OF
THE AGENCIES THAT ARE MODELED,
THE CITY MOTTO OF A GREAT
PROGRAM, CLEAN AND SAFE PARKS.
WE HAVE CLEAN AND SAFE PARKS.
AND THAT IS NOT THE ONLY
THING...
>> I HAVE TO MOVE ON TO CRIME.
YOU MENTIONED CRIME.
WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIFIC PROPOSALS
TO REDUCE CRIME?
>> THE ONLY WAY TO REDUCE CRIME,
WE TALK ABOUT THE CHILDREN
PUTTING THE GUNS DOWN.
IF THEY PUT THE GUNS DOWN, WHAT
DO THEY REPLACE THEM WITH?
JOBS, I WILL GO BACK TO THE PARK
DISTRICT, THE CHILDREN CAN EVEN
PLAY IN THE PARKS.
I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET AND IT
IS ALWAYS IN DEDAYING POSITION.
WE HAVE TO CALL TO HAVE THE
GRASS CUT.
KIDS DIDN'T FEEL SAFE IN THE
PARK.
EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND THERE
ARE FIGHTINGS AND GUN BATTLES AT
THE PARK.
OUR PARKS ARE IN THE WORST SHAPE
EVER.
>> THERE IS AN ISSUE OF
CLEANLINESS AND ALL OTHER ISSUES
STEM FROM THAT.
MR. SCOTT, MORE POLICE OFFICERS
IN YOUR WARD?
>> WE NEED MORE POLICE, BUT A
BETTER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND OUR
COMMUNITIES.
A MUTUAL RESPECT IF YOU WILL.
AGAIN, I WORK AT THE CHICAGO
PARK DISTRICT AND I TALKED TO
OFFICERS AND THEY TELL ME IT IS
QUALITY OF LAKEFRONT ISSUE IN
THE 2 FOURth WARD AND MY
RESPONSE IS OUR QUALITY OF LIFE
SHOULD BE THE SAME AS IT IS IN
LINCOLN PARK AND CHATHAM AND ANY
OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND AS AN ALDERMAN I WILL BE
VIRGINIA ADVOCATE.
>> THE HOMAN SQUARE FACILITY,
THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER CALLED IT
A BLACK SITE WHERE PEOPLE ARE
INTERROGATED THERE, OFF THE
BOOKS.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?
>> WAS AT THE ONE OF THE
RALLIES, THEY INVITED ME TO IT
AND THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS OUT
THERE BUT ALSO CALLING FOR AN
INVESTIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT
WHAT THEY ARE BEING ACCUSED OF
IS FACTUAL.
ATTENDED A SECOND RALLY THERE
AND THEY ARE PUSHING TO GET AN
EVENT, WHAT THE COMPLAINTS ARE,
MRS. MR. SCOTT HAS DONE IT, I
HARDLY EVER SEE HIM IN THE
COMMUNITY AS IT RELATES TO ANY
ISSUE.
SCHOOLS ARE CLOSING, I HAVEN'T
SEEN HIM THERE.
I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM IN THE
COMMUNITY AND HE STEPS UP...
>> I HAVE BEEN BY HOMAN SQUARE
AND I THINK YOU DO HAVE TO, YOU
DO DUE DILIGENCE AND MAKE SURE
THE ALLEGATIONS ARE CORRECT.
I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO WHAT
SHE IS SAYING.
I LIVED, WORKED AND PLAY IN THE
WARD, I HAVE BEEN ON ALBANY FOR
30 YEARS OF MY LIFE.
I MANAGE EVERY PARK IN NORTH
LAWNDALE.
>> THE WORST PARKS EVER.
>> THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS THAT
YOUR CAMPAIGN WAS BUYING VOTES
FOR $10, THAT IS A FELONY.
WAS YOUR CAMPAIGN BUYING VOTES?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
AND IT IS WHAT IT IS.
AN ALLEGATION.
>> AN INVESTIGATION INTERVIEWED
PEOPLE THAT SAID THEY WERE
APPROACHED, BEING OFFERED TEN
DOLLARS TO VOTE FOR YOU.
>> THEY ARE NOT CONNECTED TO ME
AT ALL.
THE YOUNG MAN THAT WAS
QUESTIONING SAID A MAN OFFERED
HIM TEN DOLLARS AND SAID I'M A
SUPPORTER OF VETRESS ANYWAY.
WOULD WOULD I SOLICIT HIM AND
PAY HIM TEN DOLLARS IF I ALREADY
HAVE HIS VOTE.
I STAND FIRM THAT IS NOT HOW WE
CONDUCT BUSINESS AT ALL.
>> WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE IT
THERE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.