To inform voters and to help the baiduhai Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for alderman. See their answers below. See how other candidates answered here.
Name: Julia Ramirez
Ward: 12th
Current job: Re-engagement Specialist at Chicago Public Schools
Previous political experience: N/A
Education: Bachelors in Social Work Northeastern Illinois University, 2017; Masters in Social Work, Northeastern Illinois University, 2022
Spouse’s occupation: N/A
Sources of outside income: N/A — currently on leave from CPS job
The rise in violent crime remains a top priority for City Hall. Homicides, shootings and carjackings are all unacceptably high. Tell us how city government can be innovative in combating crime, and explain what measures you would propose if elected.
In 2014, I lost my brother to senseless gun violence. My family and I have been greatly affected by his loss. Since his death, I have committed my life’s work to prevent senseless deaths among our youth and communities by combating the root causes of violence. Our city has a responsibility to reduce crime and be proactive in addressing the root causes of violence. There are things we can do short term and long term that allow us to make sure every Chicagoan across the city feels safe and protected no matter who and where they are. In my experience, building safe communities requires a comprehensive plan that includes community-based youth programs and employment, mental health services, investment in domestic violence prevention, stricter gun laws, and significant reinvesting in communities that have been historically under-resourced.
As alderwoman, I would invest in civilian first-responder programs for people experiencing behavioral health crises and redesign 911 systems so that nonviolent, behavioral health calls receive a public health response such as Treatment Not Trauma. I would advocate for more funding for anti-violence initiatives and non-violence intervention workers and support evidence-based approaches to public safety. I would also support larger investments in restorative justice practices and social services. I would propose we expand the One Summer Chicago program to a year-around jobs program for youth throughout the city prioritizing high risk neighborhoods. Lastly, I would coordinate with local and statewide elected officials to provide more resources for young people, like community programs, after-school activities, job training in good-paying unions, and mental health services. And would support any efforts the city can propose to push the state legislature in passing stricter gun laws, such as the recent legislation banning assault weapons in our state.
The CTA, one of the nation’s largest transit systems, remains a troubled agency grappling with issues ranging from violent crime and ghost buses and trains, to flagging ridership. Give us your thoughts on what specific measures CTA should take to make train and bus service safer, more reliable and more equitable for Chicagoans.
It is no secret that our public transit system has lacked the necessary funding needed to offer equitable and reliable transportation to Chicagoans everywhere. The reality is that communities in the far south, southwest side and west side of the city have long been disinvested when it comes to the CTA. With the passage of the Infrastructure Law in 2021, we have the opportunity to leverage thousands of federal dollars to invest in our rail system and expand public transit options across the city, increasing service and reliability.
In years past, CTA and the Department of Transportation planned extensively to convert swaths of Western and Ashland Ave into bus rapid transit lanes. We should revisit those plans and also include strategically other major streets on the West side of the city that can connect residents on the far North, West and South sides of the city where public transit is scarce. To promote ridership and equity we should look to emulate other cities who have moved to eliminate fares in targeted bus routes or implement a reduced fare system for people under the federal poverty threshold.
To make CTA safe, I would make sure that we invest in making sure all camera and surveillance equipment on CTA buses and trains is updated and connected to a rapid response taskforce that can answer when problems and emergencies arise in a timely fashion. Our rail and bus drivers deserve to work in safe working conditions and that is something that benefits all who use public transit. Access to safe and reliable public transit is the basis of so many opportunities for our residents and we should strive to make sure that everyone has access equitably.
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Ten years ago, enrollment at Chicago Public Schools was 403,000 students. In September, enrollment stood at 322,000 students. Enrollment at CPS has dropped for 11 consecutive years. What specific measures should CPS undertake to reverse the trend of ever-dwindling enrollment?
The proliferation of Charter Schools and student-based budgeting for Chicago Public Schools has destabilized and ravaged our neighborhood public schools. This compounded with the lack of affordable housing has forced families, many of them Black, to leave the city. Thus, it is no surprise that enrollment at CPS has taken a sharp decline over the years. If elected, I plan to make sure we are fully funding our public schools, making sure schools are well resourced regardless of enrollment and that they are funded appropriately to the needs of the student population. We also need to make sure that our admissions processes for schools are simpler and easier to navigate by parents. And that when it comes to early childhood and pre-k programs we must do our best to keep families together in the same school to make it easier on working families.
Disinvestment on the South and West sides is a decades-long problem with myriad causes. Give us at least one innovative idea that you believe could play a role in reversing South and West side disinvestment, and explain why the idea is realistic and feasible.
Having been born and raised in Brighton Park, I have experienced firsthand how decades-long disinvestment has caused our communities to suffer. One of the first steps to reversing the disinvestment in the south and west sides is electing progressive and unapologetic leadership that will advocate relentlessly for our communities.
Another major step towards investment in our communities is making sure we are providing employment opportunities for residents, particularly those who have been disinvested. One of the first things I want to do when I become Alderwoman is to expand the One Summer Chicago program into a year-round employment program for young people. We can expand this program and focus primarily on providing jobs to youth who live in communities most at risk of violence.
In addition, I would advocate to use some of the federal covid relief dollars to create sub grants to organizations and individuals who are self organizing around food insecurity and mutual aid. We should support folks in the South and West side who want to establish community gardens and create sustainable access to fresh produce in food-desert areas around the city.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
I support giving Chicagoans a property tax relief. One way that we can achieve this is by passing legislation such as Alderman Rodriguez’s proposal to use Federal COVID-relief dollars to provide loans for residents whose property taxes increased in the recent tax assessment. The proposal earmarks 10 million dollars in the Chicago Recovery Fund for these loans which will benefit families who earned no more than 300% above the federal poverty line.
Give us your take on the city’s use of tax increment financing districts. Do you feel they have been useful, or do you feel that the problems associated with them outweigh their usefulness? What if any reforms would you want to apply to the city’s usage of TIFs?
Unfortunately, I don’t believe TIF districts have been as effective as their intended use because of the lack of transparency and accountability with how those funds are being dispersed and to whom. Although the city has a website that lists projects, the reality is that the process for how TIFs are awarded is obscured and not easily accessible to community residents. At times TIFs are awarded to corporations without community benefits agreements or entities with no accountability to the community in which they are establishing themselves. A perfect example of how TIFs are not as effective as their intended purpose is Bishop Plaza in the neighboring 15th ward. That project was awarded over 2 million dollars for redevelopment and it has struggled to retain a grocery store, which was its initial purpose, and for years has now remained empty. We cannot continue to support projects without accountability to make sure that money is invested in the most purposeful way for the community. I would want to institute reforms for TIFs so that 1) we make sure there is transparency and accountability for the management of TIF funds 2) that we reassess where TIFs are instituted and the kinds of development projects that can be funded 3) ensuring community voice in the disbursement of funds 4) that unused TIF funds after a set time are reverted back to our schools, parks, and libraries.
Lead in drinking water is a major health concern for the city. It is estimated that in Chicago there are roughly 400,000 homes and small apartment buildings with lead service lines. So far, the city has replaced less than 300 lead service lines. Do you feel the pace of lead service line replacement should be expedited, and if yes, what is the best, most feasible way to accomplish that?
The lead in our water must be treated as a public health emergency. It is unacceptable that so many of our families and neighbors do not have safe drinking water. As alderwoman, I would advocate for a citywide jobs program to remove and replace all lead water service lines at a steady pace. We also need to reduce the price of how much it currently costs, $30,000, to $5,000 per household and make sure that we can use the trenchless technique necessary for us to expedite the replacement process.
If you are an incumbent, please explain what is it about your service on the City Council that makes you most qualified for the job. If you have never served on the council, please explain what is it about your background that makes you most qualified.
I am well qualified to be alderwoman of the 12th ward because I bring 14 years of experience as an organizer, social worker and advocate in this community. That combined with my lived experience growing up in Brighton Park has prepared me to represent this ward, knowing intimately the issues most relevant to our community.
My experience leading anti-violence initiatives and as a social worker, make me uniquely qualified to serve our community and find holistic solutions to ensure everyone feels safe in our neighborhoods. I’ve done the hands-on work for years and am ready to bring solutions to City Council. My work at Latinos Progresando and Instituto del Progreso Latino gave me insight and experience working directly with immigrant families and youth to understand the needs our community has around education, after-school resources, and jobs. I have direct experience from my time at BUILD Chicago in gang-intervention initiatives that are proven to reduce crime and support youth. My work as a re-engagement specialist provided me the skills needed to work with working class families and communities in a way that is accessible and transparent.
I know that the systematic barriers that hinder our community from thriving will not be addressed so long as we have politicians committed to the status quo, who are afraid to stand up for what is needed. I am a candidate committed to fighting for our communities, not for what is most politically expedient, and I bring the experience necessary for this fight.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Like many other wards, one of the most pressing issues facing the residents of the 12th ward is Public Safety. I intend to address the lack of Public Safety in our communities by establishing short and long term goals that assist us in reducing violence. I will advocate to provide resources, as a prevention measure, to those struggling so that their needs are met and they are not forced to wander in the streets and in dangerous situations. I have a holistic approach to public safety which requires me to think about the best ways in which we address the needs of individuals as a whole so that they are not in harm’s way or committing harm. This means we must commit to making major investments in social services and mental health resources. And that we are providing people with the education and employment opportunities that allow them to be economically stable. When people have a stable job and have housing and food insecurity – they are on a path to prosperity. We should yearn to have as many of our residents in that path as possible. I will also advocate for greater investment in violence prevention and intervention programs, jobs training and safe public transit.
Other issues I hear at the doors are the issue of government transparency and the lack of protection of our environment. We must also establish community driven zoning processes to discuss the kinds of industry that are coming to the ward. We cannot allow another MAT Asphalt plan incident to occur. And we must establish a Department of Environment that is fully funded and has the proper personnel to hold manufacturing companies accountable to the EPA standards.
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Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
I will be an alderwoman accountable to the people of the 12th ward, not political insiders and special interests. Our communities have had enough of the status quo politics that divests from our communities, trading health and well being for big contracts and political donations. I will be a leader accountable to the people of the 12th ward who will fight for equitable investment in our communities, fully funded schools, mental health resources, affordable housing, and resources to revitalize our commercial areas. I have the vision, experience and drive to build a thriving 12th ward where our neighbors can feel supported, well resourced and proud of their community. I am the kind of new leadership this community needs and my approach to government will consist of reliability and transparency.