Candidate Full Name: William D. Burns
Office: 4th Ward Alderman
Web Site: http://www.friendsofwillburns.com/
Campaign Name: Friends of Will Burns
Campaign Office Mailing Address: P.O. Box 804413, Chicago, IL 60680
Phone: 773-916-6605
Survey Questions (Character limit of 2,000 per response)
1. What is the most important issue that you will address in your ward?
The main policy priorities of my office and campaign are listed below with some of the actions our office has taken to further them:
Economic development opportunities
Improve public schools
Protect affordable housing
2. What are your plans for helping fight crime in your ward?
I would support a ban on assault weapons, high capacity ammunition cartridges, gun registration, state licensure of gun dealers, and limiting gun purchases to one firearm per month. Most property crimes are committed by young people. Young people need supervised activities like mentoring, after school programs, and employment. The Crime Lab at the University of Chicago has shown, empirically, that these interventions have demonstrable impact on reducing criminality in young people.
Second, we need involved police officers that are willing to get out of their cars and interact with the public.
Third, we need everyday people to call 911. There are times when constituents complain about a drug house or other illicit activity, but the police have no calls for service. Calls for service highlight to police supervisors that there are problem areas for that require additional police resources.
Fourth, the community and alderman have to go after bad property owners and businesses in the ward. Working with a community development corporation and block clubs I was able to revoke the licenses of a liquor store that featured prostitution, drug dealing, and gun crimes. Apartment building owners and property management companies must be held accountable for the behavior of their tenants. Tenants who commit crimes have to be evicted by their landlords. I have met with apartment building owners in response to community concerns about tenants and security. On a monthly basis apartment building owners, CHA, and the Chicago Police Department meet with my office to share information on problem tenants and intelligence on gang activity.
3. What, if any, city assets would you consider privatizing to raise money?
I am a co-sponsor of the Privatization Transparency and Accountability Ordinance, which establishes a process to provide for public input and City Council review of any proposed City privatization plans.
4. Do you support or oppose the vote to increase the minimum wage in several steps to $13 an hour by 2019?
I co-chaired the working group to determine a higher minimum wage for all working Chicagoans. The working group recommended a 58 percent increase to the current Chicago minimum wage, raising it to $13/hr., with annual increases at the rate of inflation.
In my Ward, we included living wage and benefit provisions in the City of Chicago and Hyatt Place redevelopment agreement (RDA). The RDA guarantees that full time employees are paid $11.78 an hour; receive paid sick leave, and retirement benefits. Lastly, I championed paid sick leave by co-sponsoring an ordinance that requires most employers to provide paid sick leave for their employees.
5. Are you in favor of Chicago's Red Light Camera program?
I voted against the speed cameras ordinance and voted to amend the parking meter ordinance to allow for free Sunday parking and pay by phone parking.