Stacey Pfingsten, Candidate for 2nd Ward Alderman

Candidate Full Name: Stacey Pfingsten

Office: 2nd 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?

I feel the most important issue facing the ward is development. We have a lot of prime real estate in many areas of the new 2nd ward: Streeterville, Gold Coast and Lincoln Park neighborhoods to name a few. We have several large scale residential hirise projects in the works and talk of more to come.

My approach is community-led development, every project will first be heavily vetted among my ward office, the residents and community groups. We need smart projects that fit within the framework and character of the neighborhoods in my ward. We have to have a plan for longterm growth and take into consideration traffic, density, infrastructure and transit issues with every project.

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

In the 2nd ward, we have seen a rise in petty crimes, and we need a strong police presence to deter that. I will strongly advocate for more police officers hired, we need the 1,000 we were promised, 500 would be a good start. We also need to use creative approaches to crime, with the help of the police to engage more community residents in the process, we need to be proactive than reactive.

In my experience as the liaison to the 18th, 14th and 12th police districts while at the 2nd Ward office, we partnered to strengthen the CAPS programs and increase neighborhood involvement with focus groups to target problem corners and areas in the ward. With more police on the street, and more community involvement, we will be able to keep crime down.

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

I do not support any additional privatization measures. Privatization is not a suitable long term solution to raise funds. As we have seen with the parking meter deal, privatization efforts rarely have the city's best interests in mind and tax payers end up paying more in the long run.

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

I am in support of a raise in the minimum wage, but by the time the $13 minimum wage is realized, it will already be outdated. I will continue to fight for a $15 an hour minimum wage. Our workers need a living wage to support their families.

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

I am not in favor of the city's red light camera program. We have too many cameras and they are not properly employed.

These traffic and red light cameras are a money making scheme rolled out in the guise of pedestrian safety. This latest instance, where 77,000 tickets were wrongly issued due to shortening the yellow lights, just reaffirms my position that these cameras are exploitative. The monies should have been returned in order to restore our residents' faith in this technology and our government.