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: Wendi Taylor Nations
Ward: 43rd
Current job: Partner, Hawthorne Strategy Group
Previous political experience: None
Education: Bachelor or Arts, DePaul University; MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Spouse’s occupation: Financial engineer, author, CNBC contributor
Sources of outside income: None
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.
While the efficacy of community policing has been challenged, with proper training of police, community perceptions over lack of care and concern, and lack of transparency can begin to be addressed by confronting the Us vs. Them belief many Chicago residents feel towards the police.
Fund programs that address mental health impacts of systemic racism and disinvestment for Chicago youth. Studies show significantly lower rates of violence among youth who receive the mental and behavior health support they need.
Continue work with the University of Chicago Crime Lab to use data analytics to tailor crime prevention strategies to fit specific community needs.
Reduce excessive use of force and over-policing of communities by inviting the community to be co-partners. For example, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) offers three-day transparency workshops that provide community members with an inside understanding of the department’s processes, services and operation. The topics selected for the workshops are the ones that drive the most questions during community meetings, rallies and other conversations with citizens.
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.
While the efficacy of community policing has been challenged, with proper training of police, community perceptions over lack of care and concern, and lack of transparency can begin to be addressed by confronting the Us vs. Them belief many Chicago residents feel towards the police.
Fund programs that address mental health impacts of systemic racism and disinvestment for Chicago youth. Studies show significantly lower rates of violence among youth who receive the mental and behavior health support they need.
Continue work with the University of Chicago Crime Lab to use data analytics to tailor crime prevention strategies to fit specific community needs.
Reduce excessive use of force and over-policing of communities by inviting the community to be co-partners. For example, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) offers three-day transparency workshops that provide community members with an inside understanding of the department’s processes, services and operation. The topics selected for the workshops are the ones that drive the most questions during community meetings, rallies and other conversations with citizens.
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 2008 recession caused birth rates to drop significantly. In addition there has been a steady decrease in immigration – demographics not on side of large classes and all levels of education are suffering. While smaller classes are not inherently bad (better learning environment) the population loss has led to decreased funding for schools in these neighborhoods under CPS’s Student-Based Budgeting (SBB) model introduced under Emanuel. SBB means funding is allocated to schools based on the number of enrolled students.
CPS schools in low income, Black and Brown neighborhoods can’t offer as many options as schools on the North side or Charter schools. While fundraising is allowed, it is the North side schools that bring in the most funds for supplemental programs. Elementary schools serving predominantly Black students in West Side communities and schools serving predominantly Latino students on the Southwest Side have seen their enrollments drop the most, a Sun-Times/WBEZ analysis shows.
The solution is not to close more schools and there is a moratorium on school closings until January 2025. An organization cannot cost cut its way to prosperity. It is no coincidence that the areas experiencing diminished enrollments are in areas that have high crime rates, low investment in affordable housing, and lack of access to public transportation. The Red Line extension is a good start to creating transit equity and will allow low and middle income residents a better opportunity to remain and educate their children in Chicago.
Most importantly, disinvestment is the major driving force behind ever-dwindling enrollment which I discuss at length below and cannot be de-linked from solving the Chicago Public Schools issues.
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.
As the question states, disinvestment on the South and West sides is a decades old problem with numerous causes. Thus, it stands to reason that any solution to the issue will need to be multifaceted and long-term in its application. There is likely not one single innovative approach that would be truly effective. Rather it takes a comprehensive approach that simultaneously focuses on:
Enhanced education and training to create a qualified workforce. Existing workforce training programs are decent but too often underfunded. They need to be developed in concert with the demands of businesses and input from existing industries. Successful examples exist at City colleges and other areas. Need to expand upon these.
Improved security and diminished crime are critical to future investment on the South and West sides of Chicago. Regrettably, many of the City’s South and West side neighborhoods experience the highest violent crime rates in the nation. Unless substantial improvements are made, new investment on the part of businesses and residents in these troubled neighborhoods will be hard to attract.
The South and West sides of Chicago do enjoy many advantages in terms of transportation networks and other infrastructure. However, more needs to be done. Continuation of efforts to provide all residents affordable and reliable access to the internet needs to be expanded. Upgrades and expansion of CTA and other public transportation are needed to ensure efficient access to jobs and education for South and West side residents. Upgrades to water and wastewater systems are also required to ensure clean drinking water and reductions in flooding.
Manufacturing and distribution operations continue to seek investment opportunities in all areas of Chicago. The lack of large and clean land parcels for development is a major impediment to such land use on the South and West sides. Processes that expedite the assembly and conveyance of tax delinquent properties for business redevelopment need to be increased. The city and county have made significant progress in this area (i.e. land banking). But more needs to be done.
Access to investment capital is critical to the redevelopment of the South and West sides. Participation loans and other types of public backed business financing need to be increased in terms of participating banks and loan amounts. First time and small business owners lack the collateral and experience required to access most conventional financing alone. This problem is exacerbated during times of rising interest rates. Participation Loan Programs, Industrial Revenue Bonds and other types of financing assistance can be effective. But they need to be revised to encourage more bank involvement and loan amounts required by today’s businesses.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
Yes, I support giving Chicagoans property tax relief. The current system of linking property tax increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), even with a limit, does nothing to encourage cost efficiencies in the City of Chicago budget. The expectation of an annual increase with no performance review of the Mayor or City Council beyond a vote every four years does not provide incentive to manage costs. If I were currently in City Council, I would have voted “yes” to de-link the tax increase on December 12.
The better action would be to identify other sources of revenue or consolidation of services to decrease what needs to be paid out of property tax. City Council needs to take a look at all the City of Chicago taxing districts for opportunities to consolidate and reduce administrative costs to reduce the overall tax levy.
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?
For the most part, TIF districts have been a very useful tool in the redevelopment of Chicago. They have enabled the city to provide hundreds of millions of dollars for much needed infrastructure that would not have been otherwise been feasible through traditional public finance. TIF district funds have been used to remediate contaminated lands, replace deteriorated roads, establish water and sewer lines, construct new schools and more all to the net benefit of Chicago citizens and businesses. TIF districts have been instrumental in efforts to reinvigorate the Near North side, including the area around Cabrini Green, the North Loop, and Goose Island, as well as the Stockyards, Calumet and other Chicago industrial corridors, and as part of the CBD and surrounding neighborhoods.
TIF districts were first used to provide “but for” financing assistance to redevelopment projects that were in promising markets or locations but not financially feasible due to extreme expenses such as building demolition, land remediation. Obsolete infrastructure replacement and other costs that render older established urban environments too difficult for upgrade or reuse. Moreover, TIFs were originally designed to leverage available private capital and other public funds and not supplant them. Unfortunately, the success of many TIF districts made them seem as a cure-all for all economic development challenges and over time they were used in instances where the market or project characteristics were less than ideal. Thus, the city needs to revisit the original intent and guidelines of TIF districts and establish new rules and review procedures that recognize the limitations of TIF districts and apply them in situations that are not just politically convenient, but also economically viable and financially necessary.
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?
It is estimated to cost between $8B-$10B to remove all lead service pipes in Chicago. Through the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill approved in November 2021 $15B was earmarked to fund lead service line replacement efforts, with $3 billion set to flow to states and cities in 2022. The issue isn’t funding but rather a lack of a workable plan from the Chicago Department of Water. Lead service pipe replacement should be a top priority for the City of Chicago to protect the health of our most vulnerable children.
The two current City of Chicago programs require residents to submit applications for either full payment of the replacement or waiver of permit fees if not income eligible. The process is cumbersome and relies on residents taking the initiative. The Water Department needs to own responsibility for removal of lead service lines. As alderman, I would propose in Council that the Water Department develop and present a block by block replacement plan for residents in environmental justice communities due to the Council within 60 days.
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’m running because these are challenging times in Chicago and we need experienced leadership. In my 30 year career, I have excelled at solving and communicating complex, bureaucratic problems like the ones that face Chicago and the 43rd Ward every day. For example, I lead the marketing team that rolled out Get Covered Illinois to communities that often did not have a history of healthcare insurance or access to care and exceeded the federal enrollee objective by 52%. In March of 2020, my firm was hired by a leading ventilator manufacturer to communicate to physicians across the globe the constantly changing guidelines to use ventilators to save lives of patients stricken with Covid-19. While chief marketing officer of World Business Chicago, my team was responsible for marketing communications that reached, and helped convince, major companies to relocate and expand in Chicago. I have lived in the Ward for almost 30 years, and I know the people, the issues, the business community, and the schools. In short, the Ward is my longtime home and I have the experience to serve and give back to my community at the Alderman.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Crime. Every campaign conversation I have focuses almost exclusively on crime first. According to a November 2022 Gallup poll, “The 56% of U.S. adults who report an increase in crime where they live marks a five-percentage-point uptick since last year and is the highest by two points in Gallup’s trend dating back to 1972.” Closer to home, in a poll of 700 Chicago likely voters conducted in mid-November, more than 70% of voters named crime and public safety “as their #1 or #2 most important issue, with no other issue coming close.”
In addition to the actions I outlined above, and the already executed menu money spent on more license plate readers and police cameras in the Ward, there are further steps the City can take and I would support as alderman:
Re-enroll CPS students: Chicago Public Schools “lost” as many as 15,000 students during the pandemic. Last year, City Council approved the Chicago Recovery Plan to focus $1.227 billion on mental health, violence reduction, and youth jobs, among other pressing Covid-19 recovery issues. To date, just over $130 million has been spent. Use a portion of the Chicago Recovery Plan funding to identify and re-enroll CPS students to get them off the streets and away from the adult criminals arming them and using them to commit crimes.
Strongly support and partner with District Councils: The new District Councils give our Ward residents a voice on policing, a chance to be part of improving Chicago policing, and regular data reporting on crime in our Ward, data that is important to taking timely actions in response to criminal activity.
Support the assault weapons ban: While the Protect Illinois Communities Act is gun control reform at the State level, it is vital that Chicago City Council provide vocal support for the statewide ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.
Communications: A complaint I hear time and again is that the Alderman doesn’t make immediate communications about crime a priority. I will establish a vibrant email and social media “immediate response” to communicate public safety issues to our Ward residents in as close to real-time as possible.
Increase police staffing through innovative hiring: Getting more police on the streets should be a priority. Recruit police throughout the Chicagoland area. Give police officers two years to become Chicago residents once they have been hired. Because CPD training is expensive to taxpayers, require recruits to sign a contract for an extended period to prevent other police agencies from poaching officers and taking advantage of CPD training. Finally, support and continue the “test” of recruiting active military that are close to fulfilling their commitment and offer them incentives to enter the Chicago Police Academy.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
My political allegiance is to the residents of the 43rd Ward, not to any political boss including Mayor Lori Lightfoot or President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle. As a strong believer in representative democracy, I will listen to residents and lead with their concerns and issues as my top priority.
The City of Chicago needs to do more to streamline the process for businesses wanting to locate or expand in the City and do more to support existing businesses. As Alderman, my policy would be to use my office as a resource for businesses, not a mechanism for punishing businesses or hindering growth. My office will make it easy for entrepreneurs by treating them like welcome investors.
My approach would be to act as a partner in progress, not a roadblock. I would have regular meetings with area businesses to hear their concerns and with the neighbors to hear about what they want from businesses in the 43rd Ward. Additionally, I will work to recruit and support businesses that neighborhood residents want to patronize.
I believe that the Alderman’s office needs to provide leadership and vision for growth. We need to create jobs and economic opportunities in the 43rd Ward not simply to enhance the local economy but also to create more revenue to support Chicago schools and create job opportunities for young people. I will work on deterring crime by creating opportunity.
In order to have a constant communications and feedback loop with the 43rd Ward, I will establish an Aldermanic Advisory Council composed of community leaders with subject matter expertise (schools, safety, economic development, LGBTQ+, etc.) to advise me in developing actionable solutions to the issues we face in the Ward and in the City of Chicago.