A ten-point program designed with the community in mind.

1: Keep our Communities Safe;  End Police Terror

Ana believes that we all deserve to live in safe communities.  However, those who are supposed to protect us, the police, have shown time and time again that they do not keep us safe.  In fact, they themselves are frequently a source of danger for our residents.  Usually when one encounters the police it’s because they are being subject to racist harassment and profiling.

Ana knows this all too well. Since April 2021 she has worked with the family of Anthony Alvarez, a young man murdered by CPD officers working out of the 16th District Police Station.  She has been a leader in the movement to demand justice and accountability and is not afraid to stand up to powerful interests like the FOP. Real community safety means defunding the bloated CPD budget and using that money to invest in our communities and funding programs with proven track records like violence interruption.  Real community safety means getting justice for Anthony Alvarez and all the victims of the police in our ward and in this city.

Ana will be a real voice for change and progress on this critical issue.

2: Housing is a Human Right

There is a crisis of affordable housing in the city of Chicago as a whole, and on the northwest side in particular.  This crisis has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of any real assistance for those in need. When a new building of affordable housing went up at 5150 N. Northwest Highway, 700 people applied for the 75 units available.  This speaks to the need to vastly expand our stock of affordable housing in the ward.

Everyone has the right to a home, and the only barrier to making that a reality is the greed of developers and landlords.  Ana will prioritize housing that benefits the people and the community, not just the rich.  She’ll ensure that any new development has above the city’s requirement for affordable units, and will seek to convert existing units to those that are in the budget of working families.

We need to lift the state ban on rent control, and make sure that we’re building housing for all, not just the wealthy.

3: Abortion is Healthcare; Healthcare for All

Since the undemocratic overturn of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, the basic right to bodily autonomy was stripped away from tens of millions of people.  This must be understood as part of an ongoing assault on the rights of women and all those in need of abortions.

While abortion remains legal in Illinois, even those politicians who pay lip service to reproductive rights seem content to use the issue as nothing more than a bargaining chip to attempt to attack their political opponents.  It’s time that the city put its money where its mouth is when it comes to the right to abortion.  Chicago can and should be a true sanctuary for those seeking reproductive care throughout the Midwest.  The recent Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary City Ordinance is a good start, but more can and should be done, including increased funding for abortion providers and grants to those travelling to seek care from out of state. So-called “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” which prey on vulnerable women and feed them lies about abortion are also prevalent throughout our city.   Exposing these centers for what they are is also a key part of making reproductive health truly accessible for all.

Of course, abortion is only one part of a wider need for healthcare, which Ana understands as a human right.  We need to fund and re-open mental health clinics that were closed under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.  And we need to make sure that no one ever avoids seeking the medical care they need because of an inability to pay or to access that care.  

There is a trend of hospitals closing in this city and around the country after being purchased by large corporations who see patients only as dollars on a balance sheet. This can be stopped with a policy that recognizes healthcare as a human right. We need a community and neighborhood approach to healthcare that puts people over profits.  

4: Safety in Schools; Fund Public Education

For far too long the city of Chicago has taken an antagonistic approach towards our schools and teachers.  This doesn’t benefit students, parents, teachers or anyone except those interested in running CPS like a business instead of the public good that it is.  Ana understands that teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union need our full support and backing in order to nurture and educate our students.

Every child deserves a high quality education that allows them to flourish and reach their full potential.  But underfunded schools make this impossible.  As just one example of the funding crisis and lack of support for students, 82% of CPS schools do not have a full-time librarian!  This is unacceptable, children are our future, and by not not providing for them we are not only failing them, but all of society. The uneven and haphazard process of school reopenings has also put students, teachers and parents in danger.  CPS has acted unilaterally against the advice of medical professionals, teachers and parents.  We need to make sure that safety is our first concern for all involved.

Part and parcel of this means getting police out of our schools.  Rather than keeping students safe, “school resource officers” are more likely to terrorize students than to protect them.  Their presence in our schools also contributes to the criminalization of our youth, particularly the Black and Brown youth of Chicago.  We need real resources for our students like mental health services and counselors in our schools, not more cops.

5: Full Rights for All Immigrants

This city runs on the labor of immigrants.  Yet despite this essential work, they are frequently denied access to government services and paid substandard wages.  As the daughter of immigrants, Ana knows this reality all too well.

We need to fight to stop all raids and deportations, and seek out and punish employers who pay unfair wages to undocumented workers.   Immigrants, regardless of citizenship status, are part of the fabric of the 45th Ward and Chicago as a whole.  They should have the same full rights, including voting rights, as any other resident of the city.

We must also ensure that in schools, English Language Learners have full access to education in their native language.

6: Jobs for All; Support Unions

Ana believes that the government has both the responsibility and the ability to provide decent, well-paying jobs to all.  There is plenty of work to be done, and many residents looking for work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, large corporations profited while the working class saw their jobs dry up and their wages fail to keep up with inflation.  Many Chicagoans now do not have a living wage.  We need to increase the minimum wage to $20/hour and ensure that wages keep up with inflation.

We need to guarantee parental leave for all workers in Chicago.  No one should have to make the difficult choice between caring for their children and paying rent or putting food on the table.  

We also need to guarantee the right to a union and support and defend our unions.  Unions are some of the best protections workers have against unfair labor practices and wage theft.  The current wave of unionizations across the country has been inspiring to see, and as a member of City Council, Ana will make clear that Chicago is a union town!

7: Free and Accessible CTA

We must fully fund the CTA and make it free for all!  The CTA is a public good that is also a necessity for millions of Chicagoans, and it’s past time that we start treating it like one.  Businesses depend on their workers having access to public transportation in order to get to their job.  It only makes sense that those same businesses pay the costs of running and maintaining this public service.

Ana would support a tax on the richest corporations to fully fund and expand CTA service, making it free to use for all.  This also means ensuring better pay and working conditions for the essential CTA workers.  The best way to guarantee a safe, punctual and efficient CTA is to respect and value those who make it run.

We also need to expand CTA services to all parts of the city, including the long delayed expansion of the red line. We must make sure that all CTA stations are fully accessible for all Chicagoans.

8: Environmental Justice; Remove All Lead Pipes

Chicago has over 400,000 lead laterals, more than any other city in the US.  Up until 1986, the city actually mandated their use for new construction.  Yet today, the city places the responsibility for these toxic pipes onto individual homeowners.  Lead is a neurotoxin and the presence of these pipes is a public health crisis that we must confront decisively and head-on. Lead pipes are only one expression of the environmental racism that is rampant in the City of Chicago.  In building a more fair and equitable city, Ana believes in making sure that no neighborhoods are shouldering an unfair burden.

Combating climate change also needs to be a priority for Chicago by making sure that our infrastructure is well equipped to handle increased flooding, warmer temperatures and all the ravages that a warming world will bring to the ward.

9: Fight for LGBTQ Liberation

Despite Chicago’s self-image, we know that homophobia, transphobia and bigotry still exist in our city.  We must continue to fight for full equality and liberation. As a first step, Ana will ensure protection against violence and discrimination of the LGBTQ community and work to impose consequences against those who violate civil rights.

We also need to recognize how our schools are increasingly becoming battlegrounds for rightwing and bigoted groups who are looking to target LGBTQ children and anti-racist educators.  We must oppose attempts to censor books and attacks on schools and libraries by far right demagogues.  

We need to close the wage gap and create public education programs that combat bigotry and discrimination. This includes going after landlords and employers who attempt to pay anyone less than they’re due.

10: No Fascism in the 45th Ward!

In recent years, the Northwest side in particular has seen increased activity by far-right and fascist elements.  We’ve seen the like of the Proud Boys, QAnon, and so-called “Blue Lives Matter” groups organize and hold rallies in blatant attempts to intimidate the working class and non-white residents of the 45th ward.

These groups have received tacit and in some cases even explicit support both from the police and from our current Alderperson, who has also used misogynistic and harassing language against those he considers his political opponents.  We need to stand up to these groups and make it clear that the 45th Ward is not a safe space for fascism!