Candidate Questionnaire: Rahm Emanuel, 50
Former White House Chief of Staff
Lives in Ravenswood Manor
1. How do you define the importance of arts and culture to the city of Chicago? And what do you see as the city’s role in funding the arts and fostering growth in the cultural economy?
I’ve seen the arts community help to attract a major corporation—Boeing—and its opera-loving CEO to Chicago. And I’ve seen a neighborhood transformed by the Old Town School of Folk Music on Lincoln Avenue. Chicago is a world-class city. A vibrant arts and culture scene defines a world-class city. The arts help to define who we are, and they make our city an exciting place to work and live while attracting business and tourism. I believe the city government can and must play a role that allows our arts and culture to flourish—even as I believe we must be honest about the challenges that will be presented by the budget deficit facing the city and the taxpayers.
2. Where do you stand on the proposed promoters’ ordinance, which aims to increase the regulatory and insurance requirements on local event promoters?
There is a balance to be struck—we should go after illegitimate underground promoters operating in Chicago, but we should not regulate to the point of choking off our vibrant small music venues.
3. Where do you stand on legalizing cook-on-site food trucks, as many other cities have done?
I do not believe cook-on-site food trucks should be illegal. The ordinance proposed by Aldermen Daley and Waguespack takes a good first step by allowing for preparation of fresh foods on mobile food facilities and commissaries throughout the city, while maintaining stringent health regulations and protecting local business owners. I believe we should be doing more to promote access to fresh foods throughout the city and encourage innovation in our food industry.
4. Where do you stand on the merging of the Department of Cultural Affairs with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events?
City departments should be merged if the resulting agency improves services and reduces costs by streamlining operations. This proposal deserves further study—if it meets both of these goals, I will support it.
