Fifth Ward Aldermanic Candidates Forum

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, February 4, 2015

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L-R: 5th Ward Chicago aldermanic candidates, business owner, Robyn Boyd-Clark; Pastor, Jedidiah Brown and Chicago Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th Ward).

Five candidates challenging Chicago Ald. Leslie Hairston, 5th Ward, for her elected position turned out Saturday for an aldermanic candidate’s forum and made their case as to why they should replace her for the job.

Sponsored by the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference and co-sponsored by the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, the forum was held at Hyde Park Academy, 6220 S. Stony Island Ave.

Candidates at the event included Ald. Hairston; Robyn Boyd-Clark, founder & CEO of The Scentuary, Inc., 2154 E. 71st St., a healing space that utilizes aromatherapy; Pastor, Jedidiah Brown, National President and founder, Young Leaders Alliance; Attorney, Tiffany Brooks; Anne Marie Miles, community activist and Jocelyn Hare, urban policy maker.

The hopefuls answered panel questions which touched on subjects, such as, if elected, which of the progressive City Council caucuses they would align with, and their economic development ideas for the 5th Ward.

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L-R: 5th Ward Chicago aldermanic candidates, Atty., Tiffany Brooks; Community Activist, Anne Marie Miles and Jocelyn Hare.

Panelists included Pat Wilcoxen, Coalition for Equitable Community Development; LaKeisha Hamilton, Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Action Council; Susan Alitto, president, Hyde Park Village and Wallace E. Goode, Jr., executive director, Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.

“I’d like to see more equitable distribution of resources,” Boyd-Clark said on the question of economic development ideas. “Fifty-Third Street has come a long way but not 71st Street.”

As for which progressive caucus she’ll align herself in the City Council, Boyd-Clark said, “Just having the appearance of being against the mayor is not impactful. I don’t get in a box. I work with people as a collaborative visionary.”

Pastor Brown said he’s running so that no family have to leave the city for a better place to live and that local government is too complacent and corrupt and that he would work to build a bridge between the Progressive Reform Coalition and the Paul Douglas Alliance, the two City Council caucuses.

“I’m here to break the machine,” Brown said. “In terms of economic development, I would stop prioritizing Tax Increment Finance, (TIF) funds to big box businesses and encourage people to shop where they live.”

Ald. Hairston is running for re-election she said, because she has built a foundation in the ward and listed her accomplishments saying, “I opposed Red Light Cameras and I’m a member of the Progressive Caucus and have stood against the mayor. As for economic development ideas, I lobbied for the 71st Streetscape project which runs from Jeffrey Boulevard to South Shore Drive. I also worked with the Rebuild Foundation with (artist) Theaster Gates to renovate the former Chicago Housing Authority Dante Harper Townhomes into an $11 million community center and mixed income complex known as the Dorchester Arts + Housing Collaborative, (among other things).”

Allegations about Hairston’s alleged violation of Article 29-1 of the election code after postings on her Facebook page offered prizes to voters during the Nov. governor’s election, allegations the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office is currently investigating, was mentioned by some of the candidates during the forum.

Hairston released a statement saying, "My only intent was to encourage people to exercise their right to vote... There was no subterfuge involved at any time. It may not have been well thought out, but it was well intentioned."

Attorney Brooks, a Hyde Park Academy graduate said she’s running to become 5th Ward alderman because she wants to revitalize and reunify the ward and that she couldn’t say right now which caucus she’d align with until she could get more information about them.

As for economic development ideas, Brooks said, “I’ve been in talks with a group who wants to bring a Robotic manufacturing plant to the ward to provide youth and others an opportunity to be trained and skilled and provide jobs in the ward.”

All of the candidates are in support of an elected local school council, one of the ballot questions in the Feb. 24 Mayoral Election.

Community activist, Miles, said she’s running because the ward has lost its independence (from the City’s power structure) and because Stony Island should be thriving but that there are more abandoned buildings, vacant lots and crime in the streets.

“I have businesses lined up,” Miles said. “One thing I’m planning is to use shipping containers as pop-up businesses.”

Hare said she’s running to right the inequality in the wards.

“South of 60th Street looks more like Gary, Ind.,” Hare said, adding that she’d like to use Gary, Indiana’s model towards revitalization. “South Shore has the most negative change. The first thing I would do is create a Community Asset Map to see where the holes are. We should build alliances with other wards. We do not have strong (city) leaders who know policy and how to work with people.”

For more information about the candidates, please visit their web sites.

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