1. TRANSGENDER HEALTH CARE
In December, the CTA updated its insurance policy to cover transition related surgeries for transgender employees, as required by law.
Would you ensure that every City agency and private city-contractor has a policy that covers transition related healthcare and prohibits discrimination against employees who are transgender? If yes, please explain how you would implement this legal requirement in your first year in office.
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I disagree with the first part of the question, but support the second portion (prohibits discrimination against employees who are transgender). No one should be discriminated against. |
2. LGBTQ & POLICE
Members of the LGBTQ community, especially individuals who are transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming, and who come from communities of color, report experiencing high incidents of violence and harassment from law enforcement, which erodes trust, and leads to a fear of law enforcement.
Will you pledge to work with the LGBTQ community to update CPD policies that would reduce violence and harassment, and increase trust between the transgender, intersex and gender-nonconforming community and the CPD? If yes, please describe the elements of an updated policy that would reduce the violence and harassment faced by the LGBTQ community.
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I will implement more training with our police department, so that they know the specific needs our the LGBTQ community. The more training, the more we can reduce violence and harassment. |
3. RELIGIOUSLY AFFILIATED HEALTH CARE
Religiously-mandated restrictions – such as the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs) – tie the hands of health care providers at religiously-affiliated institutions by prohibiting a wide range of services, including contraception and other types of essential reproductive health care. Patients are harmed when religious restrictions require that their health care providers deny them basic health care services or withhold full information from them.
Will you oppose the extension of TIF and other taxpayer-funded resources to expand and advance health care institutions that deny comprehensive reproductive health care services and information on the bases of religiously-mandated restrictions?
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If a particular religion has its beliefs, I will not force an organization to go against said beliefs. |
4. BREASTFEEDING IN CHICAGO
A breastfeeding parent who is not able to regularly nurse or express breast milk through pumping is likely to experience pain, discomfort, and engorgement, and may be at risk for possible infection and/or a reduction in the amount of breast milk produced.
Will your administration insure that every municipal building and office is accessible for breastfeeding parents, including a private, non-restroom space for parents who need to pump breast milk and provide staff training on the rights of breast-feeding parents?
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5. POLICE REFORM
In September, the City committed to reform the CPD by signing an agreement with the State of Illinois.
Do you support the consent decree between the City and the Illinois Attorney General designed to reform the CPD? What three steps would you take immediately upon taking office to ensure that the decree is effectively implemented?
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I do not fully support the consent decree, but do support some parts of it. I support the fact that officers should go through more trainings, to ensure they are well equipped for the job at hand, and its development. I will work closely with community members, policing professional, and the police department to make sure we have the proper trainings, technology, and foresight in place for policing in Chicago, so that we can be the best department in the United States. |
6. CHANGES TO CPD
Are there any elements of the consent decree that you would want to change? If so, what changes would you make?
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60/40 Plan - There is a major tension between our communities and our police department. This tension only benefits criminals. To build the trust between our communities and police, this policy will be enacted: In order to police in a given district, 60% of the police have to live in the District. By living in the district, police will be seen not as outsiders, but instead as community members who know the residents, who will be raising a family within the district (thereby wanting their neighborhood to be a safe environment for all), and who will be investing in the district. No other candidate has this idea. |
7. POLICE CONTRACTS
If new contracts have not been negotiated by the time you enter office, what changes would you demand in a new FOP contract in order to advance the police reform process? Do you support the 14 recommendations promoted by the Coalition for Police Contracts Accountability?
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I do not support all 14 recommendations, but do feel a conversation should be had between the CPD and CPCA to ensure a relationship that is strong. We can come to a comprehensive contract to address communities and CPD concerns. Again, we have to work together and have open communication and reasoning, from all sides. |
8. LICENSE SUSPENSION
Suspension of a person’s drivers license for unpaid tickets is currently being used as a debt collection tool. Tickets often go unpaid simply because people lack the financial resources to pay tickets on time. For these individuals, license suspensions only make matters worse. Many Chicagoans need to drive for their jobs, and even many non-driving jobs still require employees to have a valid driver’s license.
Will you support ending the use of driver’s license suspension as a penalty for non-moving violations, including unpaid parking and compliance tickets? What concrete policy changes will you initiate or support?
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We need to hold those who break the law accountable. I would be more than happy to find a way to make sure unpaid parking and compliance tickets are paid, even if it giving the those more time to pay the ticket, or pay a reduced fee. |
9. PARKING TICKET DEBT
Implementing “ability to pay” hearings and affordable payment plan terms would benefit low-income Chicago residents by allowing them to keep driving legally and avoid having their cars towed or booted.
Will you support creating a citywide process to determine a person’s ability to pay fines and fees, and adopting standards to ensure that payment plans for people who owe ticket debt must be affordable and accessible?
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I support this ordinance change, as indicated in question #8. |
10. WELCOMING IMMIGRANTS
Chicago prides itself on being a welcoming city for immigrants, newcomers and asylum-seekers. The current policy that the City is defending against a challenge by the Trump Administration is considered inadequate by many, since the policy allows someone to be reported to ICE if they have a prior felony conviction, a criminal warrant, a pending felony prosecution, or they are on the City’s gang database – a database that is notoriously inaccurate.
Will your administration support closing the loopholes listed above, in the Chicago Welcoming City Ordinance?
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I do not support having criminals in our city, as I want to protect good families in our city from any violent offenders/criminals. |
11. TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT
Open, transparent government is a critical value in our system of government. Over the past several years, the City has refused to release material about important public policy matters, even when requested through the Freedom of Information Act process. Such denials have led to litigation and delays in releasing information to the public.
Will your administration commit to ensuring that city, and all of its agencies, promptly and completely respond to FOIA requests? How will you act to implement your commitment?
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I will enact a comprehensive policy so that all FOIA requests are followed through and fulfilled. This is a simply procedure change, where we will require all FOIA requests to be processed efficiently. |
12. SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
As one of the most surveilled cities in the world, Chicago collects vast amounts of sensitive information about its residents every day. The city employs an extensive, unchecked, surveillance camera system that is utilized by an unknown number of agencies, including CPD.
What specific steps would your administration take to limit and regulate the use, and how will you ensure that the public knows how these systems work, and what technology is being utilized?
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If the technology is being used to protect our city and our community members, I will support the measures so as long as the policies are transparent to all. We all have to work together to ensure that people’s privacies are being respected, and to make sure we have an equitable balance with public safety. In order to utilize our systems, one must have the proper authority, which we will set up through the Mayor’s office, Chicago Police Department, and legal department of the City of Chicago. |
13. FACIAL RECOGNITION
The use of facial recognition technologies by law enforcement has been criticized because those systems have been shown to be susceptible to discrimination and bias.
What steps would your administration take to limit and regulate the use of facial recognition technologies by law enforcement and private businesses? How would your administration generally support or oppose the use of facial recognition technology in Chicago?
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As long as there is not an unethical invasion of one’s privacy and dignity, we must use the most technological advancements to keep our city and communities safe. These technologies must not discriminate, and we will have systems in place to make sure all readings are accurate. |
14. SURVEILLANCE DATABASES
Do you believe in using civilian oversight to ensure transparency and accountability for police practices, including the use of automated and surveillance technologies for law enforcement decision-making? How would you incorporate civilian oversight and ensure transparency in CPD’s use of automated and surveillance technology?
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For a civilian to have oversight, they must go through extensive training, similar to that of police professionals. I agree that both the community and police have to work together, to reduce the tension we have in our streets. I also feel that police should be allowed to do their job, and hold bad officers accountable when necessary. |
