Of course!
Development doesn't have to stagnate. Thriving businesses
don't need to be closed and replaced with vacant lots. Potholes
can be paved faster, street lights replaced more quickly,
parks kept cleaner, and neighborhoods made safer.
The first requirement, though, is an alderman who is focussed
on the ward.
Citizens of the South Side should have a personal say in
choosing their next alderman. I think we need to address
the issues of concern to our community: responsible development,
not more vacant lots; affordable housing, not just high-priced
condos and rentals; rational school funding, not more cutbacks;
accessible health care, not a health desert; effective crime
prevention, not a deaf ear. And first and foremost is remembering
the key job of an alderman: paving potholes, fixing sidewalks,
replacing burnt-out streetlights, insuring timely garbage
pickup, and maintaining the services that keep our neighborhoods
livable.
More than anything, I hope to represent the entire 4th
Ward, not just my corner of it. From the shopping center
on 35th Street to the empty lots on Cottage Grove, from
the Michael Reese remnants along the Lakefront to the high
rises along King Drive, I want to talk with you and listen
to your concerns.
I sincerely appreciate the large roomful of folks who showed
up on July 19 at the Neighborhood Club for the kickoff town
hall meeting. We'll meet again soon, and see if we can't
expand these townhall meetings to the rest of the ward.
(Feel free to contact me via georgerumsey.com or at 773-955-4455.)
With hopes for a prosperous 4th Ward,
George Rumsey