Daniel Solís, who was appointed by Mayor Daley, has been 25th Ward alderman since 1996 after the resignation of then alderman Ambrosio Medrano, who was later convicted of taking bribes. On Feb. 22, Solís runs for re-election against Medrano’s son, Ambrosio Jr., and Cuauhtémoc Morfin. In an interview with EXTRA, Solís answered questions about his Ward and record.
 
EXTRA: What are some of the issues affecting the 25th Ward and what have you done to address them?

Danny Solís: The top issues in the 25th Ward is: jobs, education and safety. Concerning jobs, I am consistently in negotiations to bring in companies that provide living wage jobs to residents. I have also held and continue to hold job fairs in the Ward, which have [been successful].

Regarding education, I have a proven track expansion and improvements in a number of schools in the 25th Ward.  I will continue to improve record of allocating funding to schools, including the Benito Juarez High School facilities and educational programming for children and adults by holding regular meetings with principals, supporting the local neighborhood organizations educational programs.

Safety is an ongoing issue in the city. I support using a variety of crime deterrents, including blue light cameras, CAPS meetings, community smoke-outs, community meetings with residents and police commanders, as well as after school programs like basketball leagues to create a multi-pronged attack on crime. The bottom line is we need involved families and opportunities for youth to set children on the right path and not into gangs.

Before you became a councilman, you had a resume filled with nonprofit work in the Latino community. What are some issues affecting the Latino community, in particular, at the moment and what are you doing to address them?

The Latino ...