Daniel Solis is one of several current alderman facing a runoff election—but he is not lacking in confidence. Solis, who has represented the very diverse 25th Ward since 1996, talked about the election, crime, same-sex marriage and the very controversial Fisk Coal Plant.
Windy City Times: Let's talk about the runoff itself. Are you fine being in one, or do you think it should be that whomever has the majority of votes is the winner?
Daniel Solis: I'm have mixed feelings about it, but I think I lean more towards the runoffs. It's a good idea to get at least 50 percent of your voters' support, as opposed to the winner getting 30 percent or 22 percent.
WCT: You've been alderman since 1996.
DS: Right. I was appointed in '96 because my predecessor resigned, and then I had a special election in '97. Then I went through the regular cycle of elections in '99, 2003, 2007 and, now, 2015 ... I mean, 2011.
WCT: Looking ahead already, are we?
DS: [Laughs] Yeah ... looking ahead.
WCT: OK. What are the biggest changes that you've seen in your ward since becoming alderman?
DS: I see my ward as a collection of great ethnic neighborhoods; it's a microcosm of Chicago. I have an Asian community; a Hispanic community; Eastern Europeans; ethnic groups especially in the southwest portion of my ward, especially in the Heart of Chicago area; Little Italy; African Americans; and young professionals. Also, there is a contingent of younger artists and hipster-type people in the east end of Pilsen.
So I've got everything—and each one of these neighborhoods has seen improvements in the key areas that are important to a city. Education has improved. Crime has declined 25 percent this past year. I've got about 10 more acres of green space in my ward. I've constructed new schools, added parks. I've got libraries. I've got a magnet school coming.
I've increased jobs: The Pilsen industrial quarter is where the great companies of the '60s and '70s were—General Electric and ComEd—but they left. When they left, they took jobs and tax revenue, and left contaminated land. That's when I introduced the TIF [tax-increment financing] in 2002, which allowed me to clean up the land, and improve and get more modern infrastructure. So that allowed me to attract new industries, and we were able to add 3,000 jobs and tax revenue. I can use revenue to help public institutions, like schools and parks.
Starting at the end of last year, they started construction of the first green street in Chicago, and that street will be intersecting my ward from east to west.
WCT: What exactly do you mean by a "green street?"
DS: What I mean is that the materials used to construct the street are made from recycled materials. The street and the sidewalks will be permeable—meaning the water will soak through, be collected and be reused. They are going to have kiosks across the new streets that will be powered by solar panels; these kiosks will give information in English and Spanish to individuals about the streets, and information about the neighborhoods.
Also, we'll have more green: For example, on one of the streets—on Cermak from Ashland to Halsted—the south side won't have sidewalks. It'll have green areas that are friendly to pedestrians and bicycle riders. It's expected to be completed by the summer or fall of this year.
WCT: There's a lot of controversy about the Fisk Generating System. According to an article at ChicagoNewsCoop.org, you switched positions about this coal plant—now supporting a clean-power measure—in order to get union support. Can you address this?
DS: I think that [the article] misrepresents me. Fisk is a coal-burning power plant in the southwest side of the city. The reason I say it's a misrepresentation is because years before this clean-power ordinance was introduced last year, I introduced a similar—and, in some aspects, stronger—ordinance in 2002. It was co-sponsored by Ald. Ed Burke.
When we introduced it, the same questions came up then that are [coming up] now, although I think we can get this one passed. The issue [involved] Chicago, or any municipality, being restricted regarding the regulation of power plants. The power plants are regulated by the EPA, the federal government, the state government [and] the attorney general. So because of that question, it languished in committee for four years, until 2006. But it drew attention to the EPA, so in 2006—four years after I introduced the measure—the state of Illinois, the EPA and Midwest Generation agreed to clean [Fisk and the other coal-burning plant in Chicago], with a time limit of 2015. If they weren't cleaned up in 2015, they would have to close.
The reason I think that information is important is that 10 months ago my colleague from the North Side, [49th Ward Ald.] Joe Moore, introduced his measure. I said, "We've already done this, and we have this agreement. I don't know how [this new ordinance] will be more successful."
It's not an easy explanation, and when my colleagues see this plant continuing to operate, they don't know how much cleaner that smoke is. I've talked with a number of voters, and some said, "I'll vote for you but I wish you would change your mind [about the plant]"—even after I explained it to them. And some voters who supported me in the past said, "Well, this is very important to me and because of this I don't think I'm going to support you."
So on election night, Andrew, I said, "Look, I think this is the issue that [prevented me] from getting my 50 percent plus one." My opponents did a fantastic job of attacking me on that issue; I think they had about nine mailers and robocalls. So I said, "I've heard my constituents. I'm going to sign on to this ordinance." That was election night, Feb. 22.
Less than a week later, I had a meeting with the head of the SEIU [Service Employees International Union], Tom Balanoff. He basically said, "I'm glad you're going to be on this. You're key and you have all this seniority and you have a lot of respect from your colleagues. We believe that, if you're on board, this has a better chance of passing." I said, "I am," and he made a commitment that the SEIU would support and endorse me. Now we're partners, and I think this is the partner we didn't have in 2002, when I first introduced the ordinance. I've talked with several people—including Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel—and I think we'll be able to pass it during the next administration.
I hope this long story gives you a broader picture than I just "flip-flopped." I like to think that I have been a strong environmental activist, and that I've made a difference in my ward.
WCT: You mentioned Rahm Emanuel. How smoothly do you think you'll able to work with him?
DS: Well, I know Rahm from a long time ago. I met him in the 1992 campaign for President Clinton, and I worked with him when I was developing the naturalization campaign that started in Chicago and went national under the Clinton administration. [Emanuel] asked me if I would endorse him, but I had made another commitment to [one of his opponents]. But I told him that if he got into a runoff and my candidate wasn't there, that I would endorse him. I think we'll be able to work well together.
WCT: Where do you stand regarding marriage equality?
DS: I support it. I have family members and I have friends who are gay. I spent time talking to them and listening to their frustrations that they don't have the same rights as heterosexuals—and I agree with them.
WCT: Knowing that you're a big advocate of education, I want to get your thoughts on a school that is only for LGBT students—or do you feel that there should be more LGBT-friendly programs, etc., in schools now?
DS: I can see both things happening but my happening. However, my preference would be—just like you have schools with representation from different genders, ethnicities, communities—to have gay students to be part of one big community. So if I had a child or a friend who asked for my counsel, I'd say, "He or she is just as good as everybody else. Put [that child] in with everybody else. He or she should be exposed to the differences in our community."
Now, I know that some people prefer for their children to go to, say, military school, Catholic school, an all-boys school or an all-girls school. I do respect that, I would prefer for gay children to attend school with everyone else and maybe have special programs [in that school].
WCT: What do you feel is the biggest problem facing the LGBT community?
DS: I think the biggest problem is that people see them as too different or outside the norm, and they don't realize that LGBT people [are like everyone else}—with the same concerns, same needs, same fears and same aspirations as anyone else.
See www.DanielSolis.org .
