回复 2楼黄药师的帖子马飞鹰（Cuahutemoc Morfin ）曾在2007年也参加过25区区长竞选，并差点把苏礼仕拉下马，这回他也赢得了45.9%的选票，在25区7000多的投票者中，他仅以 595 票， 8.2%的差距落败。对于苏礼仕而言，马飞鹰是一位意志坚强、令人敬畏的对手。
马飞鹰在今年的选举中挑战苏礼仕区长，其中最重要的竞选口号就是社区环保，离唐人街不远，位于Pilson 社区的火力发电厂 （Fisk coal fire plant），这个电厂靠燃煤发电，煤炭在燃烧时产生铅，并随着烟筒飘散，危害社区，对居民健康尤其儿童的智力发育与成长造成威胁。 Chicago Tribune 近期有一篇报道，指出在Fisk电厂附近的小学楼顶，测到铅含量超标问题。
Fisk 电厂按计划是在2018年关闭，但现在 Pilson 社区的居民，环保主义机构希望政府介入，提前关闭该火力发电厂。
同2007年一样，今年苏礼仕区长又只是以微弱的优势取得连任，相信苏礼仕在赢得连任后，会重视其竞选对手提出的环保话题，毕竟，马飞鹰代表了25区45.9%的民意。如下是马飞鹰在2011年4月4日接受Chicago Tribune采访的文章：
Morfin hopes to unseat Solis in 25th Ward
Chicago Tribune
http://www.redeyechicago.com/redeye-morfin-hopes-to-unseat-solis-in-25th-ward-20110404,0,6597189.story
5:25 p.m. CDT, April 4, 2011
redeye-morfin-hopes-to-unseat-solis-in-25th-ward-20110404
The battle between Ald. Danny Solis of the 25th Ward and community activist Cuahutemoc Morfin comes to a head Tuesday as ballots are cast in a runoff election for city council. RedEye spoke to both Solis and Morfin about their political priorities and their plans for the ward, which include the Chinatown, East Pilsen, Heart of Chicago, Pilsen, Little Italy, Tri-Taylor and University Village neighborhoods. Next up, a Q&A with Morfin. Here’s how he responded to our questions:
You almost pushed Solis into a runoff in 2007. What do you think will be the deciding factor to help you win in this runoff?You know, one of the top priorities here has been the Fisk coal fire plant. I’m sure you’ve heard that the alderman has recently signed onto the clean power ordinance but hasn’t been supporting this measure to hold the plant accountable, and that’s a top priority issue. We are talking about the health of families in this 25th Ward and in all of Chicago. People have realized that it’s very alarming statistics and have realized that the alderman hasn’t put our health first and has taken political contributions from the coal plants. This has been a deciding factor in the runoff and will be in the election as well.
It pollutes not only the 25th Ward but also the south and north depending on how the wind is blowing. Now he has finally decided to support the ordinance and quite frankly we know that is not a sincere change on his part, and we believe that he is just doing it because he is feeling the heat and his political career is in jeopardy. I have no doubt that he will take this support back from the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance. This is the reputation that he has created for himself as alderman for the last 15 years.
How will you reach out to the different neighborhoods and their ethnic communities if you become alderman?I’ve lived in the 25th Ward for just about 30 years now, and I actually grew up between Pilsen and Chinatown, and have been very active in the different communities. I know the 25th Ward very well, I know it’s a diverse ward, I even got to learn enough Chinese to get around and to have a short conversation with people over there in Chinatown, and it’s a community, My dad used to work in Chinatown as a dishwasher so folks know me over there. I grew up in Pilsen, I went to the schools here and I’ve been very active in many different efforts and issues in the community, and also University Village and University Commons. When the old markets were there, I know the area very well, and I used to work there as a little boy when I was in high school, and at the Tri-Taylor area I worked there as juvenile probation officer, in juvenile court, and I’m very familiar with that community and their issues on that side of the ward. I know the ward very well and I know the issues of the communities.
As the next alderman, would you change the way Tax Increment Financing is spent in Pilsen or the transparency around the process?Absolutely, that has been one of our utmost concerns here in the 25th Ward. I’ve been living here for 30 years, and ever since I’ve been involved in community issues, I as of yet don’t know how the alderman allocates or prioritizes TIF money that is to our disposal. One of the things that I would do immediately is to convene residents, business owners and not-for-profit committees to make sure that people have a say, that people know where TIF money should go and how it should be allocated, and also as I said to have constituents have an input to where TIF funds should go, and priorities. The top priority right now is to create jobs and make sure this money is also going to public education. I want to bring transparency and accountability, and I want people to know its TIF money that’s available to our ward and decide what is the top priority for the 25th Ward.
Pilsen has seen rapid gentrification. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? And how do you plan to deal with it?The way I see it, and I always tell people, “Look, change is bound to happen,” change happens not only in the 25th ward, if you want to call it gentrification, city-wide, nation-wide and world-wide. Pilsen back in the ‘20s and ‘30s used to be predominately Czechoslovakian, Polish, Lithuanian, and then throughout the years there was change and it is still at this time predominately Latino Mexican. It’s always been a port of entry, and I’m the kind of individual that’s very realistic, know that change is here, we have to take what is coming but we have to make sure we do it in a responsible way. If we’re going to allow change, then we have to make sure that developers are developing or constructing in a very responsible way as to not displace long-time residents. We need to make sure of two things: one, that property taxes are not extremely high, and two, make sure that we are not destroying the rich cultural and architectural sense of our communities in Chicago, making sure there is responsible development and affordable housing.
The issue of the unregulated Fisk coal plant in Pilsen has been a big one. What do you plan to do about it? Well the alderman who has put this forward, the champion, is Joe Moore of the 49th Ward alderman. The Chicago Clean Power Ordinance which will put pressure on bringing Fisk and other Midwest Generation plants, like Crawford, up to code. The emissions they release in the air, carbon dioxide and particular matter that is injuring the health of Chicago. So, basically, sign on immediately. I’ve always been a strong and energetic support of bringing them up to code. Once I’m elected, I’ll immediately sing this ordinance to bring them up to code and make sure they sign this ordinance in the city council. Yes, it’s job [losses] we are talking about, there are about 200 jobs in Fisk, but only about seven or eight people live in the area. Also the power that’s being generated is not generated for Chicago or the state of Illinois. We’re not getting the jobs or the power, but we’re getting a lot of illnesses.
You have been accused of having your business shut down for not paying taxes and being fined for dangerous conditions. What is your answer to the critics who say this?Yeah, it’s been outrageous. To me, it’s the typical dirty politics that the alderman … my answer to that is if he was a good elected official and had been doing his job, he wouldn’t have to make up lies that are untrue, statements about the business I had that was very successful and is still around. The first introduced [the] concept of working out and nutrition store in the Pilsen area. I sold it in 2005 because I decided to run and I didn’t want to juggle both things at the same time, because when I do something I like to dedicate myself to it full time. To start with, if I owed even a dollar to the City of Chicago or the state, I wouldn’t be allowed to run on the ballot. The other statement he is making is that I want to raise state income tax. That is totally ridiculous as it would be totally out of my jurisdiction as an alderman. My dad and I do own a building on Halsted where I did have my business before, and funnily enough in October, inspectors showed up in the building and wrote up all kinds of nonsense violations. It’s very obvious that because I’m running against him, that’s what it is, but it’s been taken care of. I do have a continuance, and I am going to fix whatever needs to be fixed, there’s no breaking the law there.
If you become alderman, your term will start under a new mayor. How will you work with him, but also challenge him on the tough issues? I consider myself a true independent, and I will be a true independent alderman elected by the people and for the people. That is my main goal as a candidate and also as an elected alderman of the 25th Ward. I don’t have a problem working with anybody, I’m very workable, very reasonable, but I’ll always put the interests of the 25th Ward first. We have a new mayor, and I hope that his ideas are to put the interests of the city first because that’s what I’m planning to do and what I’ll be implementing once I’m alderman.
What is your favorite thing about Pilsen? The diversity of the restaurants, the food and the people. The people are very friendly. There are a lot of people in the 25th Ward, I’ve come across a lot of people from being active in the community on the issues, cleaning the streets with young people, educating people about the need for recycling. Just the diversity, a lot of murals, a lot of art, a lot of artists with talent, it’s wonderful, it’s a great place to visit. The 25th Ward has great potential, and I have great ideas to help businesses keep their doors open and bring the city revenue. In Pilsen particularly, just the ambience as you walk or bike ride or take a drive through the different streets, the murals and the painting on the brick wall and the bridges, just the vibrancy of the community [is my favorite].
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