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Chicago Mayoral Candidates Back Business in Arab American Forum
William “Dock” Walls laid out their platforms Sunday morning before a gathering of the Arab American Democratic Club.
“We have the opportunity to move Chicago forward as a world-class city,” said the organization’s past president Samir Khalil in an opening statement. “We want our community to be wholly involved in the process.”
Saying city government is “due for an overhaul,” Chico told the audience he will make it easier for small business owners to get quicker results when it comes to building permits and other bureaucratic red tape.
“We need to fix the disconnect between city government and businesses,” Chico said. “These businesses need to be up and running.”
Del Valle said it was important for the city’s work force to “look like the population.”
“Chicago is a city of immigrants,” del Valle said. “Every group is equal partners in the process.”
Wall vowed to “take the bull by the horns and turn our economic problems around.”
Elsewhere Carol Moseley Braun joined in the Chinese New Year festivities during the annual Chinatown parade Sunday afternoon and later was scheduled to speak at New Covenant Church.
Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins spent Sunday morning visiting local churches — Apostolic Church of God and New Life Baptist Church.
Rahm Emanuel greeted parishioners on the South Side — at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church and the Faith Community of St. Sabina — and joined in the Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown this afternoon.
Later Sunday, Del Valle was to meet with members of the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus.
Mary Houlihan
Chicago Sun-Times