Jose A Garcia, Candidate for 16th Ward Alderman

Jose Garcia

Candidate Full Name: Jose A Garcia

Office: 16th Ward Alderman

Email Address: garciajosealejandro2566@gmail.com

Campaign Name: Jose A Garcia for 16th Ward Alderman

Campaign Office Mailing Address: 2701 W 59th Street; Chicago, IL 60629

Phone: 312.961.0742

Survey Questions (Character limit of 2,000 per response)

1. What is the most important issue that you will address in your ward?

Start a Jobs program for all of my community. I would work with unions, large businesses and church leaders to support Labor's efforts to expand and create jobs re-training and education initiatives for young and displaced workers. My dream goal for the community is for everyone to be given another chance to be part of the workforce no matter what their skills and background are in order to fulfill the family's AMERICAN DREAM.

2. What are your plans for helping fight crime in your ward?

The 16th ward needs more police presence. It will help build more connections with the community and can also help educate our children about what actions are illegal. Today, younger children see older children shoplifting, selling drugs and committing other small crimes and do not understand what the consequences are. They "learn" on the streets that small crimes are fast, easy and safe ways to make money. Of course they are not.

Many children do not attend church and so will never be taught good family values and life lessons in church. Our schools already have enough to teach. Today, many children are raised by a single parent who works long hours and is not home to teach these family values and life lessons herself or himself. We need people from the community to step up and teach good family values and life lessons. Finally, I have met Sheriff Tom Dart and I would ask for his support also in order to prevent children from getting started with the legal system because of small crimes.

3. What, if any, city assets would you consider privatizing to raise money?

I am not in favor of privatizing any more city assets. As we have seen with privatizing the Chicago Skyway and the Chicago Parking Meter System, the city missed opportunities to increase its own income.

I also know of too many times when city property and facilities have been sol at a low price to private companies as if they were empty lots and then converted to valuable commercial property, condominiums or townhomes without lowering the taxes for surrounding businesses and residences.

4. Do you support or oppose the vote to increase the minimum wage in several steps to $13 an hour by 2019?

I need to do more research on this subject because I see it from two sides. Many jobs that pay minimum wage are held by people who never went to junior college or college. Chicago is an expensive place to live and I understand increasing the minimum wage because of the cost. And, I also know that if the minimum wage is increased, it will decrease the financial incentive for people to go on to junior college or college, limiting their chances to keep up with the ever increasing educational requirements of new jobs.

5. Are you in favor of Chicago's Red Light Camera program?

Chicago's Red Light Camera program needs to be changed. It also needs to be revised to ensure public safety and made transparent across all fifty (50) wards. If it cannot be revised to ensure public safety and made transparent across all fifty (50) wards, it should be eliminated.