To inform voters and to help the Chicago Tribune 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: Christian Blume
Ward: 40th
Current job: Lawyer (Self-Employed), Adjunct Professor (City Colleges of Chicago)
Previous political experience: None, other than Law Review.
Education: Northside College Prep H.S., United States Air Force Academy (B.S. Economics); Northeaster Illinois University (M.S.); The John Marshall Law School, currently UIC Law, (J.D.)
Spouse’s occupation: Teacher – Total Wellness
Sources of outside income: Lawyer, Professor, Other
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.
Re-think how public safety resources are allocated to better address the needs of the City. We don’t need fewer police officers, we need more support to curb crime and violence in the form of additional social workers and mental health professionals. We need to build a system where police are held accountable for their actions (both positive and negative) that also allows them to do their job. We need to boost moral in the police department to retain more officers and attract additional officers to fill voids.
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.
We need to implement a better real-time bus and train tracking system. The lack of reliable information, makes it difficult for Chicagoans to use public transit to get to places on time. We must invest in better processes to restore safety and cleanliness to our trains, buses, train stations and bus stops, the current decrepit state of our buses, trains and stations is unacceptable and needs to be improved. I support assigning additional Police Officers to problematic stations and routes.
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?
Reliability. Income based after school care. Better pay to keep and attract better teachers. Possibly remove the residency requirement for teachers to attract more talent.
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.
Not answered.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
Increase to the homeowner’s exemption is a start.
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?
I would like to see them be used for projects that benefit the community directly, and less to developers of residential buildings.
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?
Yes, it should be expedited, we cannot let this process be dragged out indefinitely.
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.
Not the incumbent.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Not answered.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
Voters should vote for me because I can improve our Ward and the lives of the residents in the Ward.
