The Chicago Board of Elections met earlier today to review recommendations from the hearing officers regarding petitions challenges. I am pleased to announce that they have reviewed the findings in my case, and have declared that I am ON the ballot.
I want to thank each of you for your ongoing support, encouragement and feedback. Your input has truly helped to shape my candidacy, platform and this election, whether or not you are aware. This is democracy at its best.
I thank those of you who tuned in to Emilie and Friends last Saturday (December 4), where we discussed the pros and cons of TIFs, their impact on schools, the City's budget, and whether or not funds are being fairly distributed throughout Chicago. I will let you know when I get a copy of the CD to upload the audio to my website. This should happen within the next 10 days or so.
I thank those of you who attended the first of my five town hall meetings on December 7. I shared an overview of the state of education in the 24th Ward, including our local school performance, major policies that are impacting the Schools and the finances for CPS and our local schools. We had guest experts who shared their insights on instances of juvenile arrests, balanced and restorative justice and the need to better coordinate public benefits and supportive services in the Schools. I also shared my education agenda. There was significant give and take, and we learned a lot from our audience members. I will share more detailed information once I type out my notes from the meeting.
The next town hall meeting will be Tuesday, December 28, 2010, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, at Carey Tercentenary AME Church, 1448 South Homan Avenue. We will discuss jobs, economic development and technology. I will share an overview of the state of affairs in the Ward and provide my platform for jobs, economic development and technology. We will hear from guest experts in the areas of workforce development policy, workforce development programming and implementation of community-based technology centers.
I am in the process of responding to a number of questionnaires and meeting requests from community based organizations, the media and political action committees. The hottest issues on their minds include TIFs, education, bringing jobs back to the City, the City's finances, the City's pension funds, and the privatization of City assets and services. Let me know if you are interested in having me visit you, your organization or small group of colleagues so that we can discuss the issues that are important to you. You can e-mail me at valeriefleonard@msn.com.
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