The Second Ward: The first year under new leadership

Last year the big deal about the new leadership in the 2nd ward was that it went from a black alderman to a white one. It also helps that this ward is very close to downtown with the alderman having his office on Congress and Dearborn. That's almost the loop.

In any event the Chicago Defender has the story:

The first four hours of his day--from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.--and the last three hours of his day--from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.--are spent cruising the ward and assessing its needs. The time in between is spent at various City Council committee meetings and talking with his constituents. On the weekends, the cycle repeats, but he tries to head home sooner than the wee hours of the morning.

In order to get his diverse ward back on track, Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) said there is no way he could be a part-time alderman. The Second Ward, once under the 14-year helm of former Ald. Madeline Haithcock, includes portions of the South Loop, Bronzeville and East Garfield Park. The ward borders the 3rd, 25th and 27th wards.

Fioretti ousted Haithcock with 66 percent of the vote in the April 2007 aldermanic run-off election. Residents had long complained of Haithcock ignoring their basic city service requests and her limited availability.

Now, residents of the ward are all smiles. The Defender went on a ride-along throughout the ward with Fioretti and heard from residents who lauded the attorney, now alderman, for a job well done. Joe Davis, a 25-year resident of the west portion of his ward, said Fioretti has been to his home plenty of times and is always welcome because each time he needs something, the alderman wastes no time tending to Davis’, or other residents, needs.

“When I called the old alderman to get a basic permit for our block club party, I had to wait weeks, and I had to keep calling her. Eventually it happened. But when I called Ald. Fioretti’s office, I had the permit within two weeks,” said Davis, of the 2800 block of West Polk Street.

A West Side pastor and his congregation praised the alderman at the end of his Sunday service. “He’s been out here asking what we need. He’s been helping us get job training for people, helping us get the area cleaned up. He’s been doing a good job,” said Rev. John Jackson of Revival Fellowship Church of God in Christ on the West Side.

Fioretti and his staff are working with the city’s troubled buildings department to get 20 identified drug havens shut down. Identifying the drug houses could not have come without help from churches and the residents, he said. During the tour, Fioretti pointed to the hundreds of light poles in his ward that have been repainted black instead of the original green.

Each pole costs $300 to paint. “Most had not been touched up since they were erected about 40 years ago. It was long overdue,” Fioretti said. He used portions of money left over from the annual $1.2 million aldermanic menu funds aldermen receive to make improvements in their respective ward.

Read the whole thing!