Zerlina A. Smith-Members: 2022 Cook County board presidential candidate answers Tribune Editorial Board questionnaire
To inform voters and to help the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for the Cook County Board of Commissioners. See their answers below. See how other candidates answered here.
[Editorial: Tribune announces endorsement in Democratic primary for Cook County board president]
[What’s an endorsement, and why does the Tribune Editorial Board do them?]
Candidate name: Zerlina A. Smith-Members
Running for: Cook County Board President
Residence: Chicago
Current occupation: Former SEIU field organizer
Previous political experience (elective and appointed positions): The first Black woman to lead a statewide political party (Illinois Green Party.) Ran for alderman for the 29th ward in 2015 and 2019.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern in Political Science
Spouse’s occupation: Cook County Deputy Sheriff
Sources of outside income: None
Questions with candidate’s answers
According to Cook County’s latest budget, the pension fund is now 64% funded. That’s good, but there’s still much room for improvement, especially when compared to national averages. What is your plan for getting the county on track toward 100% funding? Please be as specific as possible.
In order to get the two pensions (General County Pension fund and Forest Reserve Pension) to work towards 100% funded, we must consider merging the two pensions together. By merging the two pensions together, it will save hundreds of millions dollars of management fees and brokerage fees over time. The merging of the funds will increase the buying of the fund in order to reduce the cost of securities per unit .
There’s growing support in many cities for taking a different approach toward law enforcement that entails spending more money on violence prevention efforts like street outreach, and on mental health services, as opposed to simply putting more cops on the streets. Cook County’s latest budget reflects this approach. Do you believe that’s the right approach? Please explain why or why not.
I am not against alternative means to combat concerning mental health services and violence prevention methods but we must hold accountable the providers of these services. We must establish goals for these providers such as: numbers of clients their need to service per quarter, the number of violent crimes in a target area per quarter and etc. The Cook County government must hold accountable the providers of violent prevention through goal setting. And if the providers can’t meet the agreed target/goal, they will be terminated as a contractor from Cook County government.
Give us your thoughts on the county’s $42 million guaranteed income pilot program for suburban county residents. Tell us whether you feel its scope is sufficient or whether it needs to be expanded, or whether you feel the money should be spent elsewhere.
I believe guaranteed income is a bad idea. Guaranteed income will not get the residents of Suburban County residents out of poverty. Guaranteed income is a band-aid solution to the structured problem of poverty. The Guaranteed income program is funded by the Federal program via COVID relief fund, which is temporarily. And therefore, will be short lived. Currently, Cook County’s transportation, education and economic infrastructure has keep certain groups in poverty. I am for all persons in Cook County not for the few. Guaranteed income is only for the few.
How should the guaranteed income pilot program be funded once coronavirus stimulus money runs out?
Guaranteed income pilot program should pass when the COVID stimulus money runs out.
In many of Cook County’s Southland communities, a moribund tax base and a dearth of jobs has contributed to a bleak economic outlook for those south suburbs. What should the county do to reverse the exodus of jobs, businesses and people from south suburban communities currently under severe economic strain?
The Cook County Government via state law should create a tax free economic zone for several years to attract investments. I am a supply side economics proponent. This type of policy will attract real estate developers, employers and an increase of residents.
In the Cook County ethics ordinance revamp passed late last year, the yearly amount that vendors and lobbyists can donate to Cook County elected officials and candidates in non-election years doubled from $750 to $1,500. Given that the goal was to strengthen the ethics ordinance, do you feel that doubling that donation amount was the right thing to do? Explain why or why not.
The doubling of donations from lobbyists undermines the efforts to prevent corruption and pay to play politics. The Cook County government should be for the people not for special interest.
If you support Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ bail reform efforts, please explain why you do—and if you don’t, please explain why you oppose them.
I oppose the bail reform because it won’t reduce the recidivism and crime rate of our county. The bail reform is designed to reduce the jail population not the crime rate. As Cook County Board President, one of duties is to provide safety for the residents of Cook County not reduce the jail population.
Give us the best example of when you displayed independence from your party or staked out an unpopular position.
As chairwoman of Saucedo Elementary LSC, I have took a unpopular stance on Rahm Emanuel and the CPS Board merger of Saucedo Elementary and John Spry Community High School. As a result, the community and the parents took a stance with me and we reversed their decision.
Sum up why you believe voters should nominate you and not your opponent(s).
The catalyst for my run for Cook County Board President was due to a 18 day strike from SEIU Local, my former employer. I was the field organizer. During that strike, I have witnessed the lack of compassion from the Cook County administration and the SEIU Local 73 leadership. As Cook County Board President, I will treat Cook County employees as equal partners in governing.Cook County government comprises majority of employees not elected officials. My main job as Cook County Board President is to take good care of my employees. I believe in take of my employees.
