Yet another candidate for 6th Ward Alderman, part 2

Ronald Sistrunk has a website and a Twitter account that I have found via Early & Often. Also to be added to the 2011 page. What I found interesting at his website is his reasons for wanting to be Alderman:

I want to be the next Alderman for the following reasons:

• To get rid of those Over priced parking meters and the Denver boot in the 6th Ward
• 79th Street is Drug Heaven from State to Stony
• 79th Street is the Murder Capital of 6th Ward
• Seniors are afraid to leave their home
• Children can’t play in Cole Park because of Crime
• Average Citizens are afraid to allow their children outside to play for fear
• 6th Ward violence is out of control
• There is a lack of economics development, a lack of employment and a lack of a vision for the 6th Ward driving the crime
• There is a lack of fairness in the distribution of resources throughout the 6th ward
• Violence at Hirsh HS is out of control
• Crime prevails in the 6th Ward because the Current Alderman has turned a BLINDED eye to it (ex: open drug selling on 79th Cottage Gr. Sex for sale all up and down Cottage Gr,seems like a killing per day in the ward) 
• A Lack of LEADERSHIP!
• Leaks is the only one with an on going employment program in the Ward
• Ban the Red Light Cameras from of the 6th Ward
• Why don’t we have a Wal-Mart because there is no VISION!!

OK, where do I begin? This bullet point list of issues are to be verified. We need a vision for economic development in this ward. How do we want to see our commercial thoroughfares to look in this ward? I'm referring specifically to 75th, 79th, and Cottage Grove for example.

The issue of crime is certainly one we have covered during this past year. Especially with high profile shootings in our ward two of them involving police officers. Although 79th & Cottage Grove strikes me as a rough corner anyway, but can't verify what exactly goes on there.

Worlee has commented on the very unsafe streetscape, especially at night along 79th Street. He wants to see better lighting along that street. I would like to know more about why Sistrunk thinks 79th Street is the murder capital of this ward and that it's an open air drug market.

Also I believe Hirsch High School is outside of our ward. Not sure how much any Alderman who doesn't directly represent a school can affect that school. Even then that might require working with the neighboring Alderman.

Since education is an issue we do like to follow here at "The Sixth", he should focus his attention on the schools we do have in this ward. Whether or not they're problem schools as he may describe Hirsch. For example what would he do about Deneen Elementary which was the subject of a takeover this past winter? What would he do about a resurgent Harlan High School to make sure they continue to progress.

Some issues that might make him the darling of the Chicago media may well be the red light cameras and the parking meter issues. They have been the focus of our local media the last few years. And making sure the resources are distributed throughout the 6th is another important issue. Perhaps he can take on the issue of TIFs to ensure that.

Other than that, what do you think?