Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

ELECTIONS 2019, MAYOR. Susana Mendoza on accusations, LGBT platform
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2019-02-13

This article shared 2877 times since Wed Feb 13, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Illinois state Comptroller Susana Mendoza is among the many individuals aiming to be Chicago's next mayor.

Her supporters say she brings many assets to the table, including a fighting spirit ( telling Windy City Times she was posting signs during the recent polar vortex ) and a glowing resume ( including being the first Hispanic independently elected to statewide office in Illinois ). Mendoza's detractors, however, cite her connections to Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and embattled Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, among others.

Mendoza gamely talked about those items and more with Windy City Times recently.

Windy City Times: What separates you from all the other candidates?

Susana Mendoza: In terms of my LGBTQ policy, I'm very proud to say that I've been at the forefront of some of the biggest fights the LGBTQ community has had to face.

When I was elected in 2000—representing one of the most conservative Catholic districts in Illinois—I showed that I was for equality regarding marriage ( or civil unions, back then ); everybody should be treated equally. I reached out to the Equality Illinois folk to see what I could do to help; back then, it seemed like such a long shot that we would even have civil rights. Of all the candidates running for mayor, I feel that I'm the only one who took the time to fight when it mattered the most.

WCT: Let me switch gears for a second. There was an article in the Patch that talked about your connections with [Chicago Ald.] Danny Solis and the Daley machine…

SM: Oh, is that the [piece] by Mark Konkol? That's utterly false; I wouldn't give any credence to that piece.

WCT: But he's not the only one that's talked about your connections with Madigan and Burke. What's your response to those people?

SM: Here's what I would say, because it's a fair question. Let me put things in perspective: I was elected as a state rep of the Southwest Side of Chicago; by design, I had to work with these people. And I had working relationships with my colleagues, both Democratic and Republican. Yes, some of those people have gotten into trouble in the past—but that's a question of their actions, not mine. It's not fair to paint me with the same brush.

Number two, I went on to become city clerk of Chicago, so I had to interface with all 50 aldermen. I had nothing to do with people's dirty actions; I carry myself with the highest form of integrity. Now, as state comptroller, I have to interface with all 118 state reps, 59 [state] senators, mayors and trustees; I know every elected official. It's not fair to impugn my integrity because of someone else's actions. I have nothing to do with what they do behind the scenes.

But as for that garbage article coming from [Konkol], who has never spoken to me once in his life and who does not know me—maybe I should consider it an honor badge coming from him.

WCT: You did mention 50 alderpersons earlier. Would you be in favor of reducing the size of the City Council?

SM: I think that's a debate we need to have. I think you have to get rid of aldermanic prerogative; otherwise, all you would do is give way more power to, say, 15 aldermen. We'd go from having a small fiefdom to having a huge chunk of the city. There is a movement to cut down the number of aldermen and, from a fiscal perspective, you could argue that it would work. But you have to look at aldermanic prerogative; you're actually consolidating power. New York [City] has fewer aldermen, but they don't have unchecked power like we do here, and that's a big concern. We can limit the number of aldermen, but we have to limit aldermanic prerogative as well.

WCT: Your LGBTQ platform [which is on your website] is pretty comprehensive. What do you think are the biggest problems the community faces?

SM: For the last 18 years of my life, I been involved in the fight for equality, and I don't believe that the fight for equality is over. Big issues include healthcare access, safety, economic equity and basic rights—they have an even bigger impact on the LGBTQ community, right? I plan for a future that supports members of the LGBTQ community, and that includes everyone.

WCT: I told a friend of mine I was going to interview you, and he said to ask you if you plan on raising property taxes.

SM: No! Tell him that's the last thing I plan to do. I hate property taxes and, unfortunately, we're victimized by a rigged and corrupt property-tax system that was championed by former assessor Joe Berrios. Toni Preckwinkle, who's running for mayor, had so many opportunities to smack that down.

WCT: What do you feel is your biggest strength and biggest weakness in this race?

SM: It's a tough question because I feel I have a lot of [strengths]. But what separates me from the rest of the candidates is that I just managed the state through the worst fiscal crisis in its history. Chicagoans need a fighter who's honest, but it's important to have someone who can navigate finances. The truth is that Chicago might be entering a recession in the next two or three years, and whoever is mayor is going to have to handle that.

WCT: And your biggest weakness?

SM: Hmmm. I like to think I'm pretty strong. I have cold-induced asthma, but I was out there putting up signs yesterday. I'd like to think I'm the strongest I've ever been.

I'm a human being, and I'm fallible. As for a weakness, I can only think of nacho cheese Doritos—and that I have a potty mouth, so I have to work on that.

See susanamendoza.com/ .


This article shared 2877 times since Wed Feb 13, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

NATIONAL Political candidates, flag controversy, HRC gala, New York Times, Disney 2024-03-29
- In California, of the historic 30 LGBTQ+ legislative candidates who ran in the March 5 primary, more than half are moving on to the fall ballot, The Bay Area Reporter noted. Based on the still unofficial ...


Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill 2024-03-27
- On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event 2024-03-25
- Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-24
- On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama 2024-03-22
- Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house 2024-03-22
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist 2024-03-21
- Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ candidates Marcelino Garcia, Precious Brady Davis win primary elections to keep MWRD seats 2024-03-21
- Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis, the two openly LGBTQ+ incumbents in the race to keep their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), won their primary elections and will move on to the general this ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19 2024-03-20
- Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down 2024-03-20
- In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course 2024-03-18
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools 2024-03-15
- In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood 2024-03-13
- LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.