Issue Position: Urban Agenda

Issue Position

Urban Agenda

Our nation's cities and metropolitan areas are vital engines for economic growth, innovation, and opportunity. In order to maximize economic productivity in today's economy, Alexi believes that our federal policy must reflect the new metropolitan reality -- that strong cities are the building blocks of strong regions, which are essential for a strong America.

Although the economy has been showing several signs of improvement, the devastating effects of the financial crisis and recession are still being felt on Main Street. The impact of this crisis has been especially challenging for families in more low-income, urban communities. Unfortunately, these areas had already been struggling with underperforming schools, inadequate economic resources and a severe lack of employment opportunities.

Strengthen local economies and curb the tide of home foreclosures

Alexi supports the full funding of the Community Development Block Grant, an important program that will help strengthen cities and towns throughout the nation by providing housing and creating jobs for primarily low- to moderate-income people.

Alexi supports the change of the bankruptcy code that would empower judges to modify the terms of a mortgage on a primary residence to make payments more affordable. He will also get tough on lenders who have signed on to the Home Affordable Modification Program but who still are not pursuing loan modifications for distressed, responsible homeowners.

Bolster low-income working families

Alexi believes that goals of TANF reauthorization should include a renewed focus on the alleviation of poverty and preventing material hardship among children and families. Because most of this funding requires a 20% match from the state or some non-profit entity, it is difficult to access during this economic recession. In the case of Illinois, $150 million of TANF stimulus money cannot be accessed because there are no matching funds. Alexi would work to remove the match temporarily to provide needed assistance for families.

Alexi supports the complete overhaul the antiquated federal poverty measure to more accurately reflect today's economic realities and to truly capture the extent of poverty in the United States.

Alexi has been a vocal advocate for comprehensive Wall Street reform that creates a the Consumer Financial Protection Agency -- a strong, independent agency with authority to set consumer protection rules for all lenders. The Agency must have power to protect consumers from home loans, credit card fees, payday loans and other forms of consumer finance that hide costs and push more Americans into an unending cycle of debt.

Curb youth violence

Youth violence in Chicago and around the nation is a serious problem. Most violence happens right after school. Alexi is a strong supporter of after-school programs that give kids a safe and creative outlet. We must fully fund successful school programs, like Ceasefire, that help to keep kids out of trouble.

Alexi supports the Youth Promise Act which invests in proven juvenile delinquency intervention and prevention programs. The legislation focuses on collecting data on youth violence, evaluating programs for effectiveness, and scaling up programs that have shown dramatic reductions in violence. By investing in these proven programs we create safer communities, productive citizens and save money.

Expand early childhood programs

Funding has long been inadequate for early childhood programs like Head Start, which is crucial for the long-term academic success and reduction of juvenile delinquency of our urban youth. Studies show that we save up to $17 in the future for every dollar we invest in our children before the age of five, because they are likely to earn more and less likely to drop out of school, be incarcerated, or seek welfare.

Alexi supports increased funding for Head Start, Early Head Start, and other early childhood education programs. Alexi will work to create a guarantee for child care assistance for all working families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which will guarantee a stable funding stream for states and will eliminate long waiting lists in many states.

The level of child care funding was frozen by the Bush administration, effectively causing 300,000 children to lose child care assistance by 2010. To halt this trend, Alexi supports efforts to increase child care funding through the Child Care and Development Fund. The $2 billion in Recovery Act funds were a good start, but Alexi supports restoring full funding in the federal budget to inflation-adjusted levels. Under the Child Care Development Block Grant, only parents who place their children in child care are eligible to receive federal assistance. Alexi would like to see equal assistance paid to low-income parents who choose to stay home with their young children rather than place them in care.

Close the health disparity gap

A recent study shows the health disparity in Chicago costs 3,200 African Americans their lives every year. President Obama's health insurance reform legislation invests heavily in preventive care, which is the easiest and most cost-effective way to prevent heart disease and diabetes. The bill also prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against people because of pre-existing conditions, will drive down the costs of prescription drugs and give Americans the ability to compare plans so that they can choose the best, most affordable option for their family.

The new health care law also expands coverage to traditionally underserved communities by investing in community health centers. This effort will give 20 million new patients across the country access to high quality, primary care. The reform also invests in data collection and research about racial health disparity, strengthens cultural competency training among health care providers, and expands initiatives to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of health professionals.

Safer, healthier, more livable communities

Housing, transportation, energy use and the environment are all interconnected and affect people's everyday quality of life. Alexi strongly supports the Livable Communities Act, which encourages a coordination of affordable housing, transportation, energy and environmental policy and comprehensive regional planning to connect these issues through sustainable development. With integrated, long-term planning our communities will be able to cut traffic congestion, reduce pollution-causing carbon emissions, increase productivity, create jobs, and revitalize Main Streets and urban centers.

Increase access to transportation

Commuters endure growing traffic congestion that costs money, time and fuel. The rail networks around Chicago are tangled and inefficient, roads and bridges throughout the city are in desperate need of repair, and many transit options are underfunded and incomplete. Nearly half of American households do not have access to public transit. Alexi believes we must increase our investment in transit and infrastructure more generally to create the foundation for economic growth, reduced congestion and pollution, healthier lifestyles and more livable communities.

Alexi believes that we must reform the way that public transportation is funded. As Senator, he would be a vocal advocate for ensuring that every mode of transportation is being funded based on performance. Low-pollution modes -- like rail, transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure -- are significantly underfunded compared to automobile infrastructure. Alexi also supports the creation of a Unified Transportation Trust Fund, which would help achieve a balanced and targeted allocation of federal funds.

Bridge the digital divide

Too many residents of low-income urban neighborhoods have very limited access to digital and information technology. Such access is crucial to giving low-income people increased opportunities to start businesses, obtain access to finance, learn about government serves and engage actively in our communities.

Alexi will fight to increase funding for federal initiatives such as the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program, which provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas.

Alexi supports the proliferation of Community Technology Centers, which offer resources to help bridge the digital divide through public access to computers and the Internet.

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