West Side Black Elected Officials Support Davis for U.S. Senate

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by Dwayne T. Ervin

While suburban Mayors andother elected officials wereendorsing Congressman Jesse L.Jackson Jr. (2nd District) in theSouth suburbs for U.S. Senate,West Side officials recently cametogether to show support forCongressman Danny K. Davis(D-7) as the best candidate to fillthe U.S. Senate seat left vacant byPresident-elect Barack Obama.

West Side Black ElectedOfficials (WBEO) met at the formerSears building and endorsedDavis, citing reasons why theyfeel he is the best candidate forthe position. During the event,Daviswork to pass legislation inDC for ex-offenders who havebeen given a second chance,including men who went to jailbecause they could not pay childsupport, was highlighted.Instead of taking the whole personspaycheck for back childsupport, they work out a paymentplan where the person getsto keep some of their money,Davis stated. They do not havemoney left on their paycheck,which makes them reluctant towork, he added.

This is a day for which I havebeen preparing all of my life,Davis said. I am pleased that somany of my fellow elected officials,clergy, staff, friends, communityleaders and neighborshave joined in to let GovernorBlagojevich and the citizens ofIllinois know that you would liketo have me represent you in theU.S. Senate. I am humbled byyour presence and appreciate itvery much, he said.

In Congress, I have been oneof its most effective members ingetting original bills passed. Ihave teamed up withRepublicans like J.C. Watts, JimTalent, Richard Burr, TomOsborne, Rob Portman, ChrisConner and John Shimbus, JerryWexler, Tim Johnson, and othersto draft, and successfully passlegislation, Davis said.

We know that health carereform will continue to be at theforefront as one of the singlemost important issues thatPresident-elect Barack Obamawill address during his presidency.Health care reform is the singlemost critical issue facing notonly African-Americans andother minorities but allAmericans today; second only tothe economy. With forty-five (45)million Americans uninsured;health care reform has neverbeen more needed in this countryas it is today, considering theeconomic crisis and fallout thatwe are all facing, commentedCook County CommissionerRobert Steele (2nd District) in arelease.

Alderman Emma Mitts,Chairman of the Chicago-basedWest Side Black Elected Officialssaid, he [Davis] is a seasonedlegislator who understands andembraces change, has a solidrecord of achievement and consistentlydisplays a unique abilityto advance policies critical tothe future growth of Illinois from the middle class and thedisadvantaged, to minority andimmigrant communities, labor,and the struggling corporatebusiness sector. In these times ofmassive economic uncertainty,the stakes have never been higher.The leadership we send to theUnited States Senate mustunderstand the will of the peopleand fight for the needs of thepeople, and CongressmanDanny K. Davis is the right personfor the job of U.S. Senator,she said.

WBEO is an association of local,Black elected officials in Illinoisand was founded in 2008 for thepurpose of promoting theadvancement and developmentof African-American legislatorsand elected officials. Their missionis to elevate the quality of, aswell as access to, a wide range ofissues including social, economicdevelopment, health care, publicsafety and other services renderedto urban and suburban,minority and middle-incomecommunities of working families.

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