Chicago organizers initiated a community meeting to keep citizens informed. The final notice for the financial plan was set to expire in 2016, however, there was a 5-year extension plan included which gives the people the power to regenerate. The Nov. 29, 2021 meeting did not want the extension to expire and roll over without citizens being able to participate in major contracts and developments. Examples of these are the Lincoln project and all of the money that comes from pandemic funding.
Mark, one of the speakers at the event, stated “This is just the start of the fight. Because we got to take this all the way down to the state level.” Citizens need to work together to appropriate funding in the areas needed the most.
Keeping Chicagoans Informed
For instance, many citizens did not know is the state has over $60 billion for the state, counties, and local communities. That is a lot of money that could be extremely helpful, especially if it is allocated in the proper areas.
Mark stated that the Monday evening meeting was just the start of them bringing together as many companies and individuals as they can. He then asked the audience if they knew that there were over 200,000 tradesman positions that are open. Then he pointed out this number is “steadily climbing because the baby boom population is constantly retiring.”
Then he asked how many citizens in the audience knew about the tradesman spots by a show of hands. Very few hands were raised. To which Mark stated, “We have to start organizing about that as well. Not just companies but available tradesman positions.”
Not just the companies that do construction but the soft and hard contractors.
Mark then announced that Sean from beCo, board members from the Black Contractors United, and Eddie, the president of BCU, were in attendance.
The organizers want “everyone to understand that we are in a very desperate time right now.” He added, “Never have I ever seen the amount of monies that are coming down in budgets.”
We are talking $8 billion for the Chicago Public Schools budget. I have never seen an $8 billion budget for Chicago schools.
Citizens Have to Start Organizing
The state was awarded $17 billion through the infrastructure bill. “$17 billion of that trillion dollars is coming to Illinois. Nobody has reached out to the citizens but us,” he stated.
Nobody is going to organize us, but us. Nobody is going to make noise for us, but us.
The $17 billion is on top of the quietly passed $45 billion capital budget which was passed roughly a year ago.
Mark then asked Sean if they had any members that sat on the capital development board. To which, Sean replied “No.”
Sullenly, Mark stated, “That means we don’t have a voice to speak up for us. I mean that sit in these positions. But in terms of grounds; We gonna speak up.”
He stated that the citizens of Chicago need to “organize, organize, organize. Nobody can get elected in this city without Black folks. Nobody can get elected in a county-wide position without Black people.”
Out of the 102 counties in Illinois; the majority of the votes came from citizens out of three counties with Cook County being one of the major counties.
So they need us to win governor and these statewide seats. In exchange for us being this powerbase we need something in return. We voted long enough just because somebody died for the right to vote. We want in on these opportunities that are coming down.
Next on the discussion block was the comprehensive plan called the Office of New Americans which includes all immigrants and refugees citizens. “Whether you are from Africa, Asia, India, Poland, or Israel. All of the immigration groups have formed the Office of New Americans,” stated Mark.
Additional Information for Citizens
The Office of New Americans is comprised of 50 businesses, academic, civic, philanthropic, community, and immigrant activist leaders in Chicago. This comity has been tasked to develop strategies to ensure and support the creation and expansion of immigrant-owned businesses.
They also need to assist in attracting expertise from other countries to boaster Chicago as a vibrant and welcoming international city.
Mark, like others, believes that if they are going to have an Office of New Americans; they should have an Office of Descendants of Slavery. He added, “The only way they will have both is if the people make it happen.”
The infrastructure bill speaks of losing the immigration population.
Bernie Sanders asked for $150 billion to be added to the infrastructure bill for immigration reform on a federal level. People want to see if how immigration reform is going to include and help on a State level — like the city’s budget, CPS’s budget, Water Recommendation’s budget, and CHA’s budget.
Places like Minneapolis, Minnesota, and California have support for immigrant groups. Mike added, “They are housed, employed, and given access to contracts.”
More Facts to Chew On
In their 2011 letter, the Office of New Americans states they want to get rid of the red tape and barriers so immigrants can participate in their communities.
Now we’re not saying to get rid of them. Hey, more power to what you’re doing. But you’re going to include us! The only way to make them include us is that we have to organize ourselves.
Mark continued by saying that the citizens in attendance needed to bring 10 to 20 more people with them to the next meeting and then the next.
The conversation about the economy in this country cannot be spoken about without talking about the immigration policy. Immigration is directly tied into the fabric and money of this country.
For Congressman Davis to be a co-sponsor to HR-572; which is a call for a national Office of New Americans. The first one opened in 2011 in Illinois. Under President Barack Obama, 50 cities across the nation opened an Office of New Americans. Now there is a call for one on a national level.
Mark closed the meeting by saying, “This is no behind closed doors. This isn’t ‘Oh we gonna meet and not find out what’s going on.’ We want you to know what’s going on. But you got to participate. You need to know what’s going on and stay involved.”
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Los Angeles Times: Democrats to seek citizenship pathway for immigrants in infrastructure bill, Sanders says; by JENNIFER HABERKORN
GCIR: MINNEAPOLIS CREATES $5 MILLION COVID-19 RELIEF FUND AVAILABLE TO UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS
International Institute of Minnesota: Programs
California Immigrant Policy Center: Premier Immigrant Rights Organization
Organized Event: Recording by Chicago Leader Staff present at the Chicago Event for Citizens
Chicago: Office of New Americans
Inset Image Courtesy of Daniel X. O’Neil’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Second Inset Image Courtesy of risingthermals’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Top and Featured Courtesy of Charles Edward Miller’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
