Runoff endorsement #6WardChicago

For some reason it surprises me that Richard Wooten who was thrice a candidate for Ward 6 Alderman endorses incumbent Ald. Roderick Sawyer as he goes into a runoff against Deborah Foster-Bonner.
Then again often in election season we see candidates endorse their former rivals often. And I do believe that in Ald. Sawyer's runoff in 2011 against then Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, Wooten also endorsed Sawyer. And of course in 2011 Sawyer would win that runoff and take his father's old seat as 6th Ward Alderman.

The election is next Tuesday.

Chicago Citizen endorses Rahm Emanuel

At this time, my household can't afford a subscription, though we often pick up a copy at the Post Office.

But today, we had a special delivery of the Chicago Citizen newspaper.

On the front page was an endorsement of Emanuel. However, most of it was Rahm talking points, and quotes form the treasurer & city clerk. There seemed to be only a small paragraph of original material, stating how they didn't think Garcia's idea of having a commission review the city's finances and then come back in a reasonable amount of time with specific suggestions was a good idea.



It also interesting to note that  "Chicago for Rahm" also took out a full page ad in the middle of the newspaper.

The newspaper also endorsed 7 aldermanic candidates -- ALL incumbents.

The link for that endorsement does not seem to be working at this time.

CapitolFax: Black activist pastor endorses Oberweis

Jim Oberweis left & Rev. Corey Brooks right via Chicago Tribune

We've kept an eye on Rev. Corey Brooks who for 90 days in 2012 lived on a rooftoop of a former hotel in a bid to successfully purchase the property has announced his support for GOP US Senate candidate Jim Oberweis who current serves in the Illinois state Senate. Oberweis faces Democratic US Sen. Dick Durbin. I will give Oberweis credit for coming to the community this past weekend volunteering for Rev. Brooks' anti-crime program #BrothersOnTheBlock.

Would this make a difference in who you'd vote for in November for US Senate?

IVI-IPO makes endorsements in local races

UPDATE 9:06 PM IVI-IPO has a questionnaire Richard Wooten in the race for Democratic Committeeman. Sorry I jumped the gun on an endorsement, but it was important to see Wooten's responses!

IVO-IPO has endorsed Elgie Sims for 34th District State representative, but have chosen NOT to make an endorsement for 6th ward Democratic committeeman. Kari Steele was also one of 3 endorsed for Water Reclamation District. The link for their endorsements is here.

Here is a link to all responses that they received., so you can see what our local candidates said (IF they responded)

IVI-IPO Candidate Questionnare & Sun-Times endorsement

Concerned Citizens of Chatham: IVI-IPO Candidate Questionnare

Worlee posts the responses to IVI-IPO questionnaires from both Ald. Lyle and her challenger Roderick Sawyer. He gives a hat-tip to Uptown Update.

Also the Sun-Times will stick with their endorsement of Ald. Lyle in the April 5th runoff election. Here is their original endorsement in time for the February 22, 2011 municipal election

Ald. Freddrenna M. Lyle is in a tough fight to hold onto her seat against five opponents, including Roderick T. Sawyer, former Mayor Eugene Sawyer’s son. The ward, which includes east Englewood, Chatham and Park Manor, is struggling after a recent spike in crime. We’re backing Lyle. She’s smart, devoted to her ward and a newly constituted City Council needs her fire — though we urge her to use it more sparingly. It’s good to see several quality candidates running, locals who care about stabilizing their ward. In particular, we were impressed by Cassandra Goodrum-Burton, a lawyer who has a strong grasp of city issues.

BTW, early voting for the 6th Ward run-off continues through March 31st. Go no further than our Whitney Young Branch at 79th & King Drive.

Tribune endorsement in the 6th Ward run off...

Of course there are endorsements in other races other than our own:

6th Ward: A community with so many assets should be thriving, but this South Side ward has not under the direction of Ald. Freddrenna Lyle. Voters complain that she is not responsive enough to constituents, which may explain why she was forced into a runoff. Our choice is Roderick Sawyer, a lawyer and the son of the late Mayor Eugene Sawyer. Rod Sawyer would put a major emphasis on public safety. He understands the best antidote to crime is a good job. He would help put Chicago back in sound financial shape. Sawyer is endorsed.

Chicago Defender endorses Ald. Lyle

Amongst other candidates from around the city:

In the 6th Ward, incumbent Freddrenna Lyle deserves to be returned to council. Lyle has been committed to making her ward safer and giving her constituents access to jobs and economic development. She has strong ideas on how to deal with the city’s chronic and structural budget problems. She wants council more involved in how the school board is selected.

Do you agree or disagree?

For a Better Chicago robo-polling / LIVE poll

I just received (on Sunday night) a telephone robo-survey from For a Better Chicago (855-771-0040).

They just asked 2 questions:

1) Which 6th Ward aldermanic are you voting for (inluding an option 7 if you don't know/other)
2) What issue is important to you (my family interrupted me, so i can't give you all of the options)

At this time, For A Better Chicago did not have an endorsement so this poll might be helpful for them. The PAC did have a list of their endorsements as compared to other organizational endorsements.

Did anyone else receive this call?

 Is there any way to receive the results?

Also, on Tuesday i received a LIVE call from 1-200-200-0000.

This particular question asked who i would vote for in the 6th ward race. However, only 3 choices were give: Ald. Lyle, Rod Sawyer, and Brian Sleet.

Whoever authorized that poll evidently thinks that Richard Wooten, Sekum Walker, and Cassandra Goodrum-Walker are not contenders. The surveyors identified themselves by an abbreviation, but i forgot the letters. Anyone else get this poll?

Tribune endorses Cassandra Goodrum Burton...

Well this link provided endorsements for the first 10 wards of the city council:

6th Ward: All but two of the public schools in this ward are on probation. Foreclosure rates are high. U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush even threatened to move his congressional office elsewhere because of violent crime in the area. The ward needs a leader who is committed to reducing violence, pushing for education reform and bringing jobs and economic development. Ald. Freddrenna M. Lyle hasn't provided that strong leadership. Business groups say she at least listens to them on some issues now, but this ward could do better. This may be a race between Lyle and Roderick Sawyer, son of the late mayor Eugene Sawyer. But the strongest candidate is Cassandra Goodrum Burton, a former assistant state's attorney who specializes in family and juvenile justice issues in private practice. She was head of the local school council for McDade Classical School. She's firmly committed to development. "If you have people not working at all," she told us, "any job is better than none." She wants to work with Chicago State University to turn the college into the ward's economic engine, much like UIC has been for the Near West Side. Goodrum-Burton is endorsed. There are three other candidates.

Sun-Times 6th Ward questionnaires

 

Needless to say, the Sun-Times has already endorsed Alderman Lyle, but lauded one of her challengers Cassandra Goodrum Burton. In any case perhaps you might be interested in the other candidates' questionnaires in this race for Alderman of the 6th

• Roderick Sawyer - This was a bare questionnaire unfortunately :(
• Ald. Fredrenna Lyle - Got the Sun-Times endorsement
• Brian Sleet - Haven't read this thoroughly, but Sleet has some good ideas
• Cassandra Goodrum Burton - Sun-Times liked her but not enough to endorse

Candidates Richard Wooten & Sekum Walker apparently didn't responded to the Sun-Times.

You can read other questionnaires for other municipal races here!

Kari Steele recommended by Sierra Club

We were recently sent this press release by local candidate for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), Kari Steele.

Note: her bio has added experience with the MWRD, as well as recent membership into the Sierra Club.

From: Jack Darin
To: Jack Darin
Sent: Thu, December 17, 2009 3:04:16 PM
Subject: Sierra Club Endorses Clean Water Champions For MWRD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Jack Darin (312) 251-1680x7

SIERRA CLUB ENDORSES “CLEAN WATER CHAMPIONS” FOR MWRD

Connor, Spyropoulos,and Steele Are The Best Picks To Protect Our Water For Dems

The Sierra Club today announced its endorsement of three candidates in the February 2nd Democratic Primary for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Sierra Club recommends Todd Connor, and Mariyana Spyropoulos, and Kari Steele to Democratic primary voters in Cook County. Sierra Club also has endorsed Nadine Bopp in the Green Party Primary.

“The safety and quality of our water supply will be on the ballot on February 2nd, and these are three candidates voters can trust to safeguard our Chicago River and Lake Michigan,” said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter. “Todd Connor, Mariyana Spyropoulos, and Kari Steele are each committed to clean water, and will be champions for the changes we need to make to protect public health and drinking water.”

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) provides wastewater treatment services for homes and businesses in the City of Chicago and Cook County. Historically, the MWRD has been a leader in pioneering clean water technologies that have been models for the world to follow. However, the MWRD has resisted calls to install “disinfection” equipment on its plants that discharge to the Chicago River system. Most wastewater plants in Illinois and America, including several operated in the northwest and southwest suburbs by the MWRD, disinfect their effluent before dumping it into rivers or streams. Disinfection kills potentially dangerous bacteria and pathogens present in sewage to protect people who may come into contact with the water while recreating.

“Todd Connor knows that MWRD can be doing more to protect the health of everyone using the Chicago River system, and he supports swift action to disinfect MWRD’s wastewater discharges into the waters people are using for many forms of recreation,” said Darin. "Todd has even launched a website advocating for this issue that can be found at www.cleanwaterchicago.org."

“As an MWRD Commissioner, Mariyana Spyropoulos puts the public’s interest in clean water first,” said Darin. “She is the only attorney on the board, and is fighting to protect homeowners from flooding through a new stormwater management ordinance. A new stormwater ordinance will not only help keep basements dry, but result in cleaner waterways. We need her continued leadership at MWRD to enact a strong stormwater ordinance.”

“Kari Steele is a chemist and committed environmentalist, and she would bring needed scientific expertise to the MWRD Board of Commissioners,” said Darin. “We all win when decisions about our water supply are informed by sound science, and that’s exactly what Kari Steele would do on the MWRD Board.”

“For Green Party voters, we are proud to recommend Nadine Bopp as a longstanding environmentalist who has bright ideas for the future of the MWRD, and as someone who will always put our water first,” said Darin.

The endorsed candidates are strong in their support for clean water, and confident the Sierra Club endorsement will help them win. Sierra Club will be working to assist the campaigns, educate area voters about the candidates’ strong support for clean water, and engage 12,000 Sierra Club members in Cook County in their campaigns.