1st Ward Report

Today, I introduced a Resolution strongly urging (because I couldn’t legally enforce) that all jobs created by a $20 million Federal Tiger Grant be used to create jobs for residents of our city.

The Ordinance and Press Release are below:

 RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Governor Pat Quinn announced that Chicago is receiving $20 million in Tiger Grant III on December 15, 2011; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), are sharing the $20 million grant, with the CTA receiving $16 million and CDOT $4 million; and

 

WHEREAS, The CTA will use this $16 million to eliminate the slow zone between the Logan Square L stop and the California L stop on the Blue Line to allow trains to move at 55 miles per hour instead of the current 25 miles per hour, as well as help reduce maintenance and operating costs; and

 

WHEREAS, This is part of the CTA’s broad effort to repair several miles of track to complete improvements along the Blue Line between Chicago’s Downtown Loop and O’Hare Airport; and

 

WHEREAS, CDOT will use this $4 million to expand the Chicago bike share program, which has a stated goal of offering 3,000 bikes at 300 bike stations by June 2012, and plans to expand the program to 4,000 bikes and 400 stations by 2013; and

 

WHEREAS, Both these important and welcome infrastructure improvement projects will necessitate the creation of many jobs, and take place entirely within the Chicago city limits; and

 

WHEREAS, The unemployment rate in Chicago languishes at 9.7%, and many appropriately-skilled and able Chicagoans could work on these specific projects; and

 

WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is unable to legally require that jobs created by this grant go exclusively to Chicagoans; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the City Council of the City of Chicago assembled here this 15th day of February, 2012 do hereby urge these funds be utilized by the CTA, CDOT and any other involved agency to hire qualified Chicago residents.

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Proco Joe Moreno                                                   

Alderman, 1^st Ward    

ALDERMAN MORENO INTRODUCES RESOLUTION CALLING FOR TIGER GRANT MONEY TO BE USED FOR CREATION OF CHICAGO JOBS

 

Chicago, IL – 1st Ward Alderman Proco Joe Moreno introduced a Resolution today, in an effort to compel those administering the recently announced $20 million in Federal Tiger Grant funds to exclusively hire qualified Chicago residents.

 

“Obviously, this $20 million is much needed and appreciated and I applaud Mayor Emanuel for attracting this funding.” Moreno said. “But, we need to make sure that the jobs created by this money go to residents of our city.”

 

Moreno initially wanted to legislate this as compulsory but discovered that legally he could not. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported last November that Chicago-area unemployment was 9.7%.

 

“People are still hurting. Every single Ward Night people come to me asking for jobs. And while they’re debating what to cut in Washington, I’m going to do whatever I can in Chicago to help our people,” Moreno said.

 

Last December, Mayor Emanuel, Governor Quinn and Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood announced that this $20 million would be split between the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT).

 

The CTA will use its allocated $16 million to eliminate the slow zone between the Logan Square and California L stop on the Blue Line, which will enable trains to move at 55 miles per hour ( instead of the current 25 miles per hour).  CDOT will use its $4 million to expand the Chicago bike share program.

 

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