ALDERMAN RODERICK T. SAWYER CALLS FOR PLAN TO INVEST IN
CHICAGO
Today, Alderman
Roderick T. Sawyer of the Sixth (6th) Ward calls for broader
investment in the city of Chicago. After today’s special meeting of the City
Council, Alderman Sawyer said that he is looking forward to seeing the details
of the Mayor’s budget and that he is optimistic about the stated investments
that attempt to address the major issues of violence, infrastructure and pension
obligations. However he believes that long term solutions will require the city
to look at new revenue.
“I know it’s
unpopular to speak about new revenue but at some point this discussion needs to
be had,” Alderman Sawyer said, “We cannot afford to believe that we will have
addressed all the foreseeable future challenges in Chicago simply by balancing
this budget. Fundamentally, we are facing a question about how we want this
city to be. Are we a city that chooses between public safety and public health,
between honoring contractual obligations and educating our children, or are we
going to think about some ways to adopt a “both and” strategy? I am fully in
support of job growth but if the majority of the high paid jobs we are creating
are held by people who take advantage of all that Chicago has to offer without
sharing its financial obligations we are not creating a sustainable system.“
Alderman Sawyer is
not currently in favor of a commuter tax, income tax for non residents or
returning the head tax as the solution to the budget shortfalls. “My belief is
that this is why we must invest in our city neighborhoods; when we build better
neighborhood schools, fix our crumbling streets, hire more police officers,
replace our aging lighting and modernize the transportation plans and services
for our neighborhoods, we create neighborhoods that are attractive to the middle
class and upper middle class families that are necessary to keep this city
strong. The more families we have living, working and shopping in the city of
Chicago means the stronger financial footing the city government is on. That
begins with an investment in modernizing our communities beyond the $1.3 million
of the menu program.”
Alderman Sawyer
notes that the $1.2 Billion that the Mayor commented could pave 32,000 streets
in Chicago makes up the full Capital Improvement Program or “menu” budget of the
city council for nearly 20 years. Meanwhile Alderman Sawyer also is a strong
proponent of TIF reform that would allow new TIFs with larger potential projects
to get a boost in order to maximize their use as a tool for economic
development. The Alderman has held public meetings on transit oriented
development projects and urban business planning as a way to heighten the
attractiveness of many areas to potential homeowners.
“I don’t claim to
have all the answers,” Sawyer concluded “but I know we will never find them if
we don’t seriously discuss the size and scope of the issue.”
Brian E. Sleet
Chief of Staff
Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer 6th Ward Chicago
4631/2 East 83rd Street
Chicago Illinois 60619
773-891-5679 (fax)
No comments:
Post a Comment