A Modest Proposal for Chicago's Progressive Caucus: Support CPAC

CPAC supporters? Go ahead - ask them!

I've said that a democratically-elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) needs to be part of any "new plan of Chicago."

And as the 2016 national election season heats up, police reform is going to be a front-burner issue for progressives everywhere -- day-in, day-out. (See "If elected . . . ." (The Election 2016 and #BlackLivesMatter Nexus) )

What does this mean for Chicago's Progressive Caucus? The caucus website declares:

The Progressive Reform Caucus of the Chicago City Council is dedicated to creating a more just and equal Chicago, combating all forms of discrimination, and advancing public policies that offer genuine opportunity to all Chicagoans, especially those who have been left out of our society’s prosperity.

It's time for the Progressive Caucus as a whole -- and all its members individually -- to come out strongly in favor of a democratically-elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) for Chicago.

Thousands are being mobilized to march August 29, 2015, to demonstrate for CPAC. Where will the Progressive Caucus members be standing then?

Maybe they need to hear from you.

Most of them are active talking to their constituents on Twitter. Get online and ask them a simple question:

"Do you support a democratically-elected civilian 

police accountability council (CPAC) for #Chicago?"

The Progressive Reform Caucus (@progressivechi) includes:

Ald. Leslie Hairston (5) - @5thwardchicago
Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6) - @RoderickTSawyer
Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) - @ssadlowskigarza
Ald. Toni Foukes (16) - @tonifoulkes
Ald. David Moore (17) -NOT ON TWITTER
Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22) - @AldermanMunoz22
Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29) - @Chris29thward
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) - @ward32chicago
Ald. Carlos Rosa (35) - @cdrosa
Ald. Nick Sposato (38) - @aldsposato
Ald. John Arena (45) - @johnarena445

Tell them you're looking forward to marching with them on August 29!


Related stories

"Activists seek civilian oversight to improve police accountability" by Curtis Black in The Chicago Reporter, August 13, 2015.


Related posts

A campaign exists to bring about a democratically-elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) in Chicago. The campaign would involve the people in electing the watchers of the police, and put the ultimate control of (and responsibility for) the police in the hands of the citizens of Chicago.

(See Does a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) need to be part of a "new plan of Chicago"? )


#BlackLivesMatter: When all is said and done, how many career politicians in Chicago will have crashed and burned along the way because they couldn't or wouldn't step up and lead on this issue?

(See #PeopleOverPolice: Is This What Democracy Looks Like? )

The State's Attorney for the Chicago area finally got around to bringing a charge against a police officer who shot and killed a citizen. Why, I wondered, didn't Anita Alvarez charge him with murder?

Then I remembered my Chicago vocabulary lesson.

(See Chicago Vocabulary Lesson: "Overcharging" and "Undercharging" )

All the cameras and microphones and reporters were out in force that day -- and their appearance suggested to me that it does make a difference to take a stand for justice. And maybe the fact that some of us thought this was important enough to come out, hold signs, chant, and march, helped back up that message.

(See Chicago Justice: Connecting the Dots )