BY MEGHAN STREIT
Ald. Vi Daley raised her daughters in Lincoln Park, and has been an active member of the community for 30 years—working with neighborhood, park and school groups. In 1999, Daley raised her commitment to public service by running for city council. She was re-elected in 2003 in an uncontested race, and says the Clark 'Streetscape' project is one of her proudest accomplishments. This year, Daley faces three challengers in one of the most competitive aldermanic battles in the city.
Windy City Times: Your ward has some of the better schools in the city, but what do you think we need to do to improve the graduation rate overall?
Vi Daley: I keep thinking that there's got to be a way to get the kid excited about to coming to school and that there have to be some programs there that make a kid want to learn. Maybe some of these schools need to have more art projects or something like that. I know some of these schools have things like that, but I'm not sure if all of them do. To keep a kid in school, there's got to be something, because not every kid likes going to school, and there's got to be something to keep them there. Some kids are very artistic, and if they knew they were going to look forward to that, maybe they'd want to go. There has to be something there that's going to draw the kid in every day, and that would be something. There's a fine line, but I know there's got to be something there to encourage them. Some parents choose to just keep their kids home for whatever reason, but kids want to go. And I think some of these after-school programs are really good, and I think the kids really love those. We need to make sure kids are in a good environment all day, have something to eat and have something to keep their minds on their futures.
WCT: Another important issue in your ward and city-wide is property taxes. What do you think the city needs to do to keep taxes manageable for property owners?
VD: Well, we have to keep on top of our state legislators because they're the ones who are going to make it work. I work all the time with John Cullerton, Sara Feigenholtz, and John Fritchey, and they know what they have to do downstate. We just have to keep on top of them, and also work very closely with Jim Houlihan. I've spoken to him several times. Hopefully, they'll be able to pass sometime in February the 7 percent [cap on property taxes] because we need that until they can come up with something else.
WCT: In your last election, you ran unopposed, but now you're in one of the more hotly contested races. What does that say to you? And what would you say to voters as they make this choice at the ballot box on election day?
VD: I think I am the best candidate. First of all, I have lived in the community for 40 years, and of those years, I've been active for 30 [of them]. Once my children started going to school, I became active in the neighborhood. I decided if I'm going to live here and make it my home forever, then I'd better do something about it.
I've always been involved, whether it was being involved with my girls' nursery school or the PTA. I was president of the Mid-North Neighborhood Association. I was also with the Lincoln Park Conservancy; I was a director there. I was very instrumental in redoing a park, the Cummings Playground. I worked on that for four years with a public private partnership. Also, I made sure that the Mid North Park was redone. I did all these things before I even became alderman, and I knew that when I became alderman I could make even more for a difference.
I've done a lot of things for our community, and I just feel like I'm the best qualified. I've really cared about it, and to hear my opponents out there; some of them have lived in the community for 20 years, and have never done anything for our neighborhood. From what I understand, one of them didn't even vote in the last elections, the city elections. So I don't quite understand where they're coming from, or why they're doing this. They've taken no interest in the community, and now all of a sudden they are.
WCT: While it is beyond the work of the city council, I think it's important for candidates to express their views on gay marriage because what Chicago lawmakers do sends a message to Springfield and to Washington. Can you talk about your views on gay marriage?
VD: I really am for equal-partnership benefits. And, obviously, if you're living together for a long time, we should recognize that. You should have all the rights and privileges that everyone else has. Now with marriage, I think that's still an issue out there. I firmly believe that everyone should have all the rights of everybody else, but marriage is still kind of an issue out there. It's kind of hard because of the churches and everything else.
WCT: Another issue is funding for HIV treatment and prevention, not only for the LGBT community, but also for the African-American and Latino communities.
VD: Oh, I don't have a problem with that. When Tom Tunney...I signed onto his ordinance, and we got, $500,000 or $1 million. I don't have a problem with that. I think we should help out in any way we can.
WCT: When you're on the outside, as a new candidate or as a voter, it's easy to criticize government. But when you're on the inside, as you have been, you have a different view. In your view, what changes would you like to see among your colleagues on the city council? What do you think needs to change at City Hall?
VD: Actually, sometimes I wish they would move along a little faster than they do. Thing take a long time in the city council. You work with a lot of different people on an issue that's going to affect people [across the city]. It's easy for me to want something for my neighborhood, but then it affects the whole city as well, so you have to listen to other people. I think just working together, and coming up with solutions that work for everyone.
WCT: Is there anything else you'd like to say to readers?
VD: I am so happy that Tom Tunney's on the city council because I think he's doing a great job. I think he's helped us understand some of the issues out there better than we did before. I kind of look to him for direction as well. I've participated in the gay parade for years, and it's always been a lot of fun, and I'm supportive of what you do.