Alderman, 20th Ward: Che "Rhymefest" Smith
Jan 11, 2011
Updated: January 20, 2011 4:28PM
Birth date: 06-07-1977
Political affiliation: Democratic
Neighborhood: Washington Park
Occupation/Firm name: Hip Hop artist and Raptivist
Marital status: Married
Campaign HQ address: In the process of leasing space.
Campaign website: www.friendsofrhymefest.com
What is your campaign budget?
$150,000
What are your top priorities for the City of Chicago?
I believe we need to first comprehensively address the city's budget issues and then work to better prioritize public safety, education and public transportation. I would like to work to reform the existing TIF program. I am also eager to work to encourage job creation in emerging industries.
What are your top priorities for your ward?
I want to re-invigorate the 20th Ward by rebuilding the local economy, by helping to encourage existing small businesses and by bringing new investment to the Ward. I am committed to working to bring new green jobs and sustainable industry to the Ward.
My other main priority is to work with the community and residents to make the ward a safer community for parents to raise their children and for businesses to thrive. As the fifth most dangerous ward in the city, crime and safety are a paramount priority. I believe we must work to address a community distrust of law enforcement, through increased CAPS participation and other community involvement initiatives, while ensuring that local Police have the resources and support they need to be effective.
The city is in serious financial trouble and can't afford the level of service it currently provides. For 2011, Mayor Daley, with City Council backing, balanced the budget without raising taxes or fees, relying instead on some cost-saving measures and one-time fixes, including using proceeds from leasing the city's parking meters. Do you support this approach? What should be done differently going forward?
Please be specific about your plans to reshape government: what services and departments would you scale back or cut? Can you identify new revenue sources? How can the City reduce personnel costs? What kind of concessions should the City seek from the unions?
I do not support balancing the budget by cutting services and relying on brief influxes of revenue. It is not a sustainable practice and, moving forward, we must pass fiscally responsible budgets that account not only for the present, but for the future.
Over the years of the last Mayoral administration, layers of bureaucracy have been allowed to build up without a thorough examination of their effectiveness or efficiency. I believe that each Department needs to be evaluated and examined to find out what positions are really needed and where there are redundancies. I believe we can do more to ensure that our city departments and agencies are more responsive, accountable and cost effective.
I accept that we need new sources of revenue and that we can't rely on budget cuts alone to fix the city budget. However, I know the people of the 20th Ward. They are barely getting by, they are experiencing extraordinarily high rates of unemployment and home foreclosure, and are on the bottom of the economic scale. I cannot in good conscious advocate for any increased taxes or fees that would come from them. If we can increase taxes or fees without further burdening our most vulnerable residents, then I would consider such proposals.
I believe there are several creative measures that can be implemented to increase revenue without burdening residents like those in my ward. I would like to examine increasing vacant lot registration fees, for example. I also believe we need to critically examine the TIF program and halt any unnecessary diversion of tax dollars.
I do not believe that seeking "concessions" from the hardworking men and women of our city is an appropriate way to confront our budget crisis and would not support any such effort.
The city's four employee pension funds have been called a "ticking time bomb," with Mayor Daley's pension commission predicting that the four funds will run out of money in 20 years. "There is no low- or no-cost solution to this problem," the commission wrote in a report earlier this year. "Deferring action is not a viable option." What is your plan for bringing the pension funds to solvency?
I believe that the city has an obligation to do all it can to fulfill the promises made to current employees of the city. Unfortunately, I believe that we cannot extend the same benefits to future hires without some concessions. I am open to considering upping the retirement age for future employees. Moreover, I think the city should put in place rules that limit opportunity to adjust end-of-year salaries in order to artificially increase the base from which retirement payments are calculated and should eliminate any other fraud or abuse in the system. Going forward, we have to take more care to fully fund the retirement system so that we don't find ourselves in these challenging situations again.
Does Chicago need 50 aldermen? If not, what's a better number? What City Council committees could be combined? What other ways can the City Council save money?
Unless there is a drastic change in the way city services are performed and delivered to constituents, I believe that 50 alderman is an appropriate number. I believe that the political situation that the new City Council will be facing in May gives us opportunity to look at wholesale change in the Committee structure. With a new Mayor and many new Council members, I think that there should be an evaluation done of the work of each committee and crossover with other committees. A new committee structure needs to be developed looking at what committees are necessary, not who the Chairman is at any given moment. For example, do we really need a Committee on Buildings, Committee on Housing and Real Estate and a Committee on Zoning? Alternatively, perhaps there is overlap in the work and jurisdiction of Committee on Transportation and Public Way, Committee on Traffic Control and Safety that needs to be examined.
Chicago was designed as a weak mayor, strong council form of government yet Mayor Daley wields considerable power over the City Council. What measures would you recommend to strengthen the council? On which issues should the mayor lead? On which should the council lead?
First, there should be special elections to replace vacancies on the City Council rather than Mayoral appointments. Second, members of the Council need to step up and take responsibility. There is not a structural deficit in the current form of government, there is a leadership deficit in the current City Council. Council members need to take a more active, independent role in vetting the Mayor's appointments and proposals.
The city's tax-increment financing program has been criticized on several fronts, including the proliferation of districts, how money is diverted from schools and other basic city services, how TIF funding decisions are made and for an overall lack of transparency. How would you improve the TIF program? Does the TIF law need to be changed in any way?
The 20th Ward is a community for which TIF programs were designed -- a community where but for the incentives provided by TIFs, development would not occur. As an advocate for my community, therefore, I am in theory in favor of TIFs. However, I have great concerns about the way Chicago has determined where to place TIF districts, about the use of TIF funds and about the general lack of transparency. I applaud recent efforts to make TIF data available online but think we must go further in both sharing information and requiring resident input before decisions are made. The TIF Program must be comprehensively reformed to 1) improve its funding structure 2) determine whether a reduction of TIF districts is necessary and 3) ensure that residents are involved in the planning, approval, and oversight of TIF districts.
Mayor Daley has focused on privatizing city assets. Are there any other assets the City Council should consider privatizing? If so, would you make any changes to the way privatization deals are negotiated and passed through the City Council?
We have an obligation to ensure that any privatization agreements entered into by the city are for the long term benefit of taxpayers and the city at large. The sale of Chicago's parking meters is a perfect example of bad policy and hasty decision making that produced a brief influx of revenue.
I think the instances when it is beneficial to sell city assets and privatize city services are few and far between and don't think that that are currently any assets that Council should consider privatizing.
The Chicago Police Department is understaffed, with no lasting budget solution in sight. Given the current staffing levels, what changes would you recommend to use resources more efficiently? Do you support realigning beats in a way that moves police from lower crime areas to higher crime neighborhoods? What should happen to the diminished CAPS program?
Obviously, violent crime and public safety is a major concern in my ward. Not only is police presence critical in the Woodlawn, Back of the Yards, Englewood and Washington Park neighborhoods that make up the 20th Ward, but programs like CAPS in particular are essential if we are to bridge the divide between the police department and an often untrusting population. In addition to ensuring that there are the funds to fully support an effective police force, I think there should be greater encouragement for youth participation in the CAPS program and similar community initiatives. We should teach our youth to take ownership of their communities and should work to reinvigorate the CAPS program.
I believe we need adequately staffed police and fire departments with trained officers who are familiar with their communities. I believe reallocation of personnel is problematic both for the officers and the communities they serve and would not support realigning beats.
The next mayor will choose a new CEO for the Chicago Public Schools. Do you think the CEO needs to have education experience? Should the new mayor continue the Renaissance 2010 program of shutting down failing schools and creating new ones? Should the new mayor continue Ron Huberman's "culture of calm" effort, which aims to improve the culture of the toughest schools and provides mentors and extra support for kids at greatest risk of being shot? What should CPS do to improve neighborhood schools that are struggling to educate the large numbers of students left behind, the students that don't make it into test-based, charters or other specialized schools?
In some ways, I think that the Mayor's efforts to improve CPS have stagnated. I think that this stagnation could be the result of too much control centralized into the hands of one person. I believe that the return CPS to the control of an elected school board should be an ultimate goal, but am not yet sure what would be the most effective way to achieve this transition. I think that the CEO of the schools should be someone with classroom experience and with a demonstrated committed to providing the best environment for students, teachers and parents.
While Renaissance 2010 is an ambitious program with admirable goals, I don't believe its implementation adequately addressed the systemic reasons that public schools "fail" in the first place. Further, closing or reconstituting neighborhood schools has only created negative social consequences for the community as a whole in addition to the disruption of students' educational progress.
I believe that we can improve the quality of our schools by changing the governing structure of the CPS School Board. I believe we must have an elected School Board that is directly accountable to parents, teachers and stakeholders in the community. I believe that CPS has, in recent years, created a very turbulent environment for teachers. The connection between teacher retention and academic progress has been well documented. In effort to improve our schools, therefore, we need to improve the way we treat our teachers. To this end, we will have to critically address how our neighborhood schools are funded.
Do you support one or more casinos for Chicago? If so, where would you like to see casinos located?
While I acknowledge that the allowance of casinos would create much needed jobs and other economic incentives for the city, I am hesitant to concede that gaming expansion will only have positive economic outcomes, especially for communities like the 20th Ward. I think that residents of poor communities like those in my ward tend to burn a disproportionate amount of money gambling but receive less than their fair share of the benefits generated from gaming programs. I would support a Chicago casino only after reviewing specific development plans and proposals and would advocate that they not be placed near economically depressed wards.
Aldermen have considerable influence over TIF, zoning and other decisions, both large and small, related to development and services in their ward. Do aldermen have too much influence?
No, but it is up to each Alderman to seek input from the affected communities and to ensure transparency in their decision making.
If elected alderman, do you plan to maintain an outside job? Would you pledge not to hold any job that represents a conflict of interest, including those that involve spending public dollars?
If elected, I still plan to work as artist. I have always strived to use my music as a platform to encourage positive social change and civic engagement and believe that becoming a public servant is a natural progression in my quest as a community activist. I hope to lead by example and inspire youth to become engaged in their communities, the political process and their futures.
I would not hold any job that would represent a conflict of interest, especially those that involve public dollars.
Would you accept campaign contributions or gifts from your employees? Would you pledge not to hire relatives on your staff?
No, I would not accept campaign contributions or gifts from employees nor would I hire relatives to work on my staff.
Does the City need to change the way it hands out contracts? Should aldermen reclaim oversight of City contracts? If so, contracts above what dollar amount?
Yes, the City Council should reclaim oversight of any City contract over $50,000.
Do you support an inspector general just for the City Council? Would you support giving the city's existing inspector general power to investigate aldermen and their staffs, including subpoena power?
I believe that the notion of a City Council IG as voted on in May was not as strong as it should have been. I also had concerns about a future Mayor using an IG to politically discipline Council Members. I think there needs to be an Inspector General with real investigative and punitive power that can hold all City workers, including the Mayor and City Council members, more accountable.
Should there be new limits on who can lobby City Hall officials, including aldermen? Should former City Hall employees be prohibited from doing business with the city after their departure? If so, for how long?
Yes, I believe that there should be limits about who can lobby City Hall and that there is much work needed to be done to improve ethical standards in local government. I would be in favor of a prohibition period for former public officials and employees and think that a period of two years is standard and reasonable.
What's the best book ever written about Chicago? Why?
Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinksy. I believe that everyone should be a community activist. Alinsky's textbook for activism speaks to me especially because so much of it involves the Back of the Yards neighborhood, which is in my Ward and in desperate need of representation today. I want to continue the work where he left off.
Please list your educational background
I attended Columbia College and Purdue University where I studied Radio, Communications and Education.
Please list civic, professional, fraternal or other organizations to which you belong
am currently a member of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government?
No, I have never held an elected or appointed political office.
Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government
N/A
Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed
Larry Griffin - $1,100
Fred Bates - $500
Cathy Cohen - $50.
Brian Tucker - $500
James Nurs - $250
Please paste a brief biography here
I grew up in a working class, single-parent household, and have carved out a life in art, music and social activism. I have used my music career as a platform from which to stimulate social change. For nearly a decade, I have been professionally writing and producing music and expanding not only my craft, but my sense of responsibility for the community I call home and for impoverished, underrepresented communities throughout the nation.
In 2005, I won a Grammy Award for the song "Jesus Walks", which I co-wrote with friend Kanye West. I used that notoriety to draw attention to critical issues that confront the community, lending my services to The Happiness Club, helping to develop the musical talents of at-risk youth in Chicago's inner-city. I have supported The Woodlawn Organization, Cabrini Connections and other neighborhood organizations throughout Chicago. I have worked with residents to clean up vacant lots throughout the city helping to improve neighborhoods block-by-block.
I attended Columbia College and Purdue University studying radio, communications and education. I served as a substitute teacher and youth counselor and as a community corrections supervisor working with convicted felons on completing their community service requirements. As a professional musician, I have not only focused on my art, but on negotiating contracts, marketing albums and handling other business aspects of my career. In addition to my music career, I worked with Comedy Central on a pilot I co-created.
As a vocal advocate for the rights of people in the entertainment industry, I testified before Congress and worked with Congressman John Conyers, Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, Congressman Hank Johnson, along with leaders in the music industry.
I have never held or sought elected office before, but firmly believe that the 20th Ward is ready for the next generation of leadership and deserves an alderman that is an accessible, active and visible member of the community. The people of the Woodlawn, Park Manor, Washington Park, Englewood, New City, and Back of the Yards neighborhoods deserve true representation that not only helps local government work for its residents, but that actively educates residents on all services available to them. I will dedicate myself everyday to building a safer, more prosperous community. Because of my entry into this race, NBC Chicago has labeled the incumbent alderman one of the top five most vulnerable incumbents in the city.
