Alma Anaya ( D ) is running in the primary against Angeles "Angie" Sandoval for the seat being vacated by Jesus "Chuy" Garcia ( who is running to replace the retiring Rep. Luis Gutiérrez in the 4th Congressional district ). There is no GOP candidate in this race. Anaya is currently Garcia's Director of Administration which includes constituent services and managing the district's budget.
Windy City Times: Why did you decide to run?
Alma Anaya: This quote by civil rights activist Dorothy Height summarizes why I am running, " We have to improve life, not just for those who have the most skills and those who know how to manipulate the system. But also for and with those who often have so much to give but never get the opportunity."
I want to be a voice for those communities that are often disempowered due to barriers that are out of their control; especially people of color, immigrants and the LGBTQ community. I am an immigrant and have been homeless in the past so I will bring a different perspective to the commission than many of the other candidates.
WCT: How would you approach the job differently than your boss has done in the past?
AA: I have worked alongside Chuy for the last six years and I would want to continue the good work he has done around bail reform and increasing the minimum wage among other issues.
I will advocate for Cook County government to be more accessible. This includes making every building ADA accessible and helping people with mental health issues because the commissioners have not addressed that enough in the past. I would also push for more gender and racial equity when it comes to enacted policy.
WCT: You are one of the younger candidates ( 28 years old ) running for office. How will that affect the way you do your job?
AA: Although I am young, I have worked at the county for six years and that has given me a window into how things are run. My ideas are new and refreshing and I am learning a lot as I finish my graduate degree in public administration. We need to look at the young people who have been elected before like Chuy and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa who are passionate about making positive changes that will affect many generations going forward. I am seeing more involvement from minorities and young people like myself who want to run and are running for office and that can only be a good thing.
WCT: What are the most important issues facing the county and how would you address them if elected?
AA: The budget issue but many people do not realize the importance of county government in their daily lives. We do need additional revenue sources otherwise service cuts will happen, especially for those who are the most vulnerable.
Procurement contracts need to be awarded to everyone equally so small businesses can get county contracts, especially those owned by women and minorities. We need to stop giving contracts to big businesses that operate outside of the county to the exclusion of other businesses within the county borders.
There needs to be more diversity when it comes to hiring for county jobs and that means more women, people of color and LGBTQ people in those positions.
WCT: What additional measures would you advocate for to provide more transparency in how the county government is run?
AA: There needs to be more accountability in how money is spent and this information should be online so everyone has access to it. Having town halls is also important and we have already done that with our State of the 7th meetings in the past I would continue that if elected. I will also have a more robust digital platform to get the word out.
WCT: What, if any, interactions have you had with the LGBTQ community?
AA: I have marched in one and attended a few Chicago Pride Parades and have also spoken out for LGBTQ equality as an ally many times.
WCT: What do you see are the most important issues or obstacles facing the LGBTQ community and how would you address them?
AA: Homelessness and suicide, especially among LGBTQ youth. There needs to be more safeguards and the county can provide that. Incorporating organizations that deal with these two issues will help reduce these numbers. There is still discrimination in housing and employment despite county and statewide laws that cover LGBTQ people and this needs to be investigated and stopped.
WCT: Are there any changes you would make in how the county jail and health and hospital systems are run? If so, what are they?
AA: Reducing the number of incarcerated people in the county jail who are awaiting trial or are nonviolent offenders will help with our current budget crisis, but programs to help inmates succeed upon release and reduce recidivism should not be cut.
Transgender people who are incarcerated also should be able to choose where they are housed in the county jail. This will reduce the harassment they face while they are in jail.
There is a referendum on March 20 to legalize marijuana and this will reduce the number of Black and Brown people who are incarcerated.
Ensuring that there are adequate services at the county hospitals to address people with mental health issues is vital.
It is important that people who interact with these entities are treated with dignity and respect and every policy should reflect that. This includes people with language barriers and minorities across the board. Where that is not the case, I will work to correct that.
WCT: Would you have voted to repeal the soda tax?
AA: I believe you have to listen to your constituents and we saw a lot of small business owners be negatively affected by it so repealing it was the correct decision.
WCT: What do you see are the best ways to raise revenue so the budget is balanced that do not involve regressive taxation on everyone in the county?
AA: Raising the gas tax since not everyone would be affected is an idea. We could also enact a minimal amusement tax like they do in Chicago.
The lack of fair and equitable property tax assessments has been brought to light and we need to fix that so the rich pay more. Lower and middle income people are paying somewhere between 40-50 percent more for their property than they should be and that is wrong.
For more information, visit almaforcookcounty.com/ .
