Ald. Jason Ervin's 28th Ward, like many areas in the city, faces a number of issues including unemployment, housing and crime. During a recent visit to the White House, the West Side alderman was able to tell President Barack Obama about some of the ward's challenges.
Ervin was
“honored” to be among a delegation of young elected leaders to be given a
chance to meet with key Obama administration staff, and then with the president
himself, earlier this month.
The
alderman, state Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-5th Dist., and other elected officials from
around the country, were invited to the White House to talk with senior staff
about reducing crime, community development and economic recovery.
Ervin
told the Defender he was grateful for the opportunity to talk about housing
issues affecting his ward. The alderman said he came away with a confidence
that the president understood the issues.
“He said
he wanted to put the “U” and the “D” back in HUD (Department of Housing and
Urban Development),” Ervin said of his conversation with Obama. “In fact we
really need to refocus our energy back to urban community development.”
Dunkin
released a statement shortly after returning from his visit to Washington.
“I am
very honored to have been invited,” Dunkin said in the written statement.
“After the briefings with his staff, we were able to meet privately with
President Obama to discuss a wide variety of issues affecting the people I
represent. ... I used this meeting as an opportunity to gain important
information, to strengthen our state's special relationship with our president,
and to make sure important federal leaders fully understand unemployment and a
stagnant economy.”
Copyright
2011 Chicago Defender
