Let's hear it for the political thing. City elections coming up: alderpeople (!), police overseers, MAYOR (!), oh yeah . . .
Some commentary, if you will, untoward some may say, to good effect others may not. Which is what makes horse races.
Like — beginning my first sentence as many younger folks do — let us consider the cast of office-seekers in the police oversight campaign. In my ward, the 40th, where it’s neighbor-to-neighbor, and we like it that way.
The options, beautifully delineated by Chicago Reader staff, are clear-cut on an important point, listing four defunders, three of them endorsed by the alderman, one not.
A fifth stands out, offering no support for defunding.
He is Patrick McNeil, introduced by The Reader here.
A retired foreign service officer who has worked at seven U.S. embassies and consulates and with the U.S. State Department, McNeil is a regular at 20th District CAPS [Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy] meetings. His platform includes promoting responsible policing, engaging the community, and advocating for maintaining CPD funding. Independent Voters of Illinois–Independent Precinct Organization has endorsed.
That last has been for decades a heavy hitter in dominant-liberal-Democratic Chicago but found McNeil its only choice for Police District Council, 20th District, where the others endorse reduction of police funding, two of them for abolishing the police.
Listen to what they say about it, answering these questions on this point put to each by Reader staff.
Should the city hire more police officers? No.
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police should be defunded or abolished.
Should the city hire more police officers? No.
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
These three make up a slate endorsed by ONE People’s Campaign — “Fighting for our people and the planet” — which has the endorsement of the 40th Ward alderman (“alderperson”), Andre Vasquez, who apparently is not shaken to his toes by the rise in crime citywide if not in his own (my) ward but as a Democratic Socialist is arguably not free or at least unwilling to disagree with the likes of ONE People’s Campaign.
The fifth candidate, Joshua D’Antonio, whom nobody endorsed, had this to say:
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police should be defunded or abolished.
If this be foolishness, make the most of it, dear reader . . .
More to come in and regarding this year’s MUNICIPAL ELECTION . . .