CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Every day, it seems, candidates in the crowded race for Chicago Mayor release their plans for solving some of the City's many problems.
WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore has a roundup.
Susana Mendoza is out with what she calls the SHE plan for Safety, Health and Empowerment for women. It addresses issues from sexual harassment and healthcare to violence against women.
“Women’s rights are human rights, and Chicago needs a mayor who recognizes that,” Susana Mendoza said in a statement. “I am so thrilled to release this comprehensive plan that will help tackle the structural economic and social challenges we face. By rooting out harassment, guaranteeing access to reproductive healthcare, and fighting for economic equity, I’m confident we can shape Chicago’s future together, for the next generation of women and girls.”
You can read the SHE Plan here.
Toni Preckwinkle wants to make a change in Mayor Emanuel's successful Neighborhood Opportunity Fund for small businesses, because right now the grants are made as rebates, with the contractors putting up the money first.
"If you are already cash-strapped...that's already a difficult place to be and you may not be able to take advantage of the grant at all because you can't front the money, so the idea is the pay the grants directly," she said.
She also wants to expand the program, which still has money to invest in struggling communities.
“A critical part of this plan depends on leveraging the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, which I helped create as County Board President, to maximize the impact of these resources,” added Preckwinkle. “To help businesses take advantage of these additional NOF hiring incentives, I’ll make sure the City is doing its part to prepare individuals for employment; especially the justice-involved and opportunity youth, through training, soft-skill development, and trauma-informed mental health services.”
To read more on Toni Preckwinkle's plan to overhaul NOF, visit her website.
Rival Gery Chico unveiled an economic plan that would fight food deserts by reducing CTA bus fares for trips to the nearest grocery store. He's also among those calling for a $15 minimum wage and expunging petty drug offenses and other non-violent convictions from people's records.
“Our downtown and airports are booming, but those economic gains aren’t being seen or felt by every Chicagoan in every neighborhood,” Chico said in a statement. “And without economic opportunity, people turn to crime or leave our city. It doesn’t have to be that way.
“The problem is not a lack of food, but a lack of access to fresh, healthy food and other necessities. Distance and transportation are preventing our residents from accessing what they need.”