Adam Corona, Candidate for 26th Ward Alderman

Candidate Full Name: Adam Corona

Office: 26th Ward Alderman

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

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

The most pressing issue in the 26th ward is economic development. Current unemployment rates within the ward are greater than 12 percent, with employment for workers under 24 being far more. When members of the community do not have sufficient access to employment opportunities it will directly reflect in higher crime rates, and will undermine efforts to increase revenue in the ward. My intent is to work with business owners to attract them into the community and to maintain fair hiring practices for residents. By helping residents maintain a decent wage and promoting local businesses, I want to bring the type of activity which takes place east of Western Avenue into the ward. This issue however does not exist in a vacuum. In order to promote the healthy and welcoming atmosphere required to bring business to the community, both constituent services and opportunities for quality education need to be provided. In its current state, the infrastructure of Humboldt Park has suffered serious decay. By fixing the infrastructure and beautifying the ward more businesses will see the community as a location in which opening is worthwhile, and hopefully providing residents a stronger sense of civic pride. If elected, I also intend to donate five percent of my aldermanic salary directly into schools within my ward to help cover costs for shortages in basic materials.

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

Crime is an issue that needs to be addressed on multiple fronts in order to achieve any real change. As stated above, the first major step in addressing crime is to remove the conditions which influence people to partake in it. For those, however, who have entrenched themselves in crime as a lifestyle, more drastic efforts need to be taken. With my experience as a beat facilitator for CAPS, my relations with law enforcement, and my personal experience in confronting criminal elements, I plan on working closely with commanders to point out areas of concern or gang activity. Public Safety is one of my most pressing concerns in this community and I look forward to being able to address it.

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

I am against the further privatization of city assets; many of the privatization efforts which have been enacted in the last several years have harmfully impacted both the city and its residents. I believe assets owned and managed by the city should not operate in a for-profit environment. These are typically services that should be provided as a form of safety net for the community off which to build rather than developers and management corporations to skim profits.

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

I am absolutely in support of increasing the minimum wage to $13. The residents of my ward who are largely working class are in positions to benefit from such a raise. Currently many families in the 26th ward community struggle to make ends meet and the current minimum wage cannot provide a single earner with a standard of living above the poverty line. The city must increase its spending for programs designed to relieve these problems. Although it is not a way to immediately expand city revenue, it is nonetheless beneficial to help families to become financially independent, restoring to them a sense of individual pride and relieving the demands for government aid.

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

Absolutely not, the red light camera system has been less than desirable and has encouraged bad behavior on behalf of the current city government. Since the uncovering of the cities alterations of traffic lights for the sake of increasing ticket revenue, there is now precedent to say these types of programs in the hands of a city council concerned about simply generating revenue can create nuisances for residents of the community. If elected I will work with other city officials to try to address the problems of the red light system. I signed and supported a pledge to remove the red light cameras, a pledge I intend to keep.