Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Town of Cicero Election, Town President Larry Dominick, Democratic Committeeman Charles Hernandez, Volunteers for Larry Dominick's Team, Little Village Principal Meeting, Jesse H. Ruiz

Larry Dominick

          MY OPINION: Prior to the Town of Cicero’s election Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, Town President Larry Dominick has been under attack for two years by the Chicago daily newspapers. Chicago reporters hammered Dominick fiercely. They were relentless in printing negative stories about Dominick, his administration, his family as well as the town’s corrupt political past. They painted Cicero as a gang infested town once controlled by the likes of Al Capone and Betty Loren Maltese, the former Town President who went to jail for corruption. 
          THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS how daily newspapers work sensationalizing stories in order to sell more newspapers. That negative news article effected the town’s economic growth and gives the wrong perception to outsiders. Fortunately, the press had zero impact on the election in Cicero. In reality, the Town of Cicero has been thriving under Dominick's leadership. 
Volunteers for Larry Dominick's Team [left to right] Connie
 Razo, Gabriel Ruiz, August Sallas, Mario Martinez,
Maria Razo passed out palm cards in front of McKinley
Elementary School, a polling place in the Town of Cicero.
The temperature was 30 degrees, freezing bitter cold,
and snowy on Election Day, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. 
          THE TOWN OF CICERO is populated by 86.6% Mexican- Americans, many of them once lived in the Little Village neighborhood, a predominantly Mexican neighborhood on the south west side of Chicago next to Cicero. These Mexican families moved to Cicero to raise their children in a safe environment, away from Latino gangs. Dominick’s dynamic leadership has made Cicero a better place to live and raise a family. “They [Mexicans] also wanted to get away from former Ald. Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia [22nd Ward] and the current Ald. Ricardo Munoz,” said Charlie Hernandez the Democratic Committeeman of the Town of Cicero.Charlie's  organization endorsed Larry Dominick for re-election.
          NOW COMES Juan Ochoa who saw a political opportunity. I believe he wanted to capitalize on the negative press Dominick was receiving and on the 86.6% predominately Mexican-American voters by challenging Town President Larry Dominick. Dominick is a 40-year resident of Cicero and two term president. Ochoa moved into the Town of Cicero less than one year ago. He rented an apartment and immediately declared himself a candidate. Originally, Ochoa moved his family to the Town of Berwyn out of Little Village. Ochoa had the support of Congressman Luis Gutierrez, 22nd Ward Alderman Ricardo Munoz, Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Water Reclamation Commissioner Frank Avila Sr. They thought this strategy would guarantee an Ochoa win.
           DESPITE the support of these four Latino elected officials, Ochoa was defeated overwhelmingly. President Larry Dominick won by a landslide with the help of the majority of Mexican voters of Cicero. The negative press did not influence the Mexican-American voters because Dominick is an exceptionally strong leader. Dominick has made a difference in the quality of life for the residents of the town of Cicero. “Ochoa, Gutierrez, Munoz, Garcia and Avila were rejected by the voters of Cicero," said State Sen. Martin Sandoval loudly at Dominick’s victory celebration.
Charles Hernandez
          DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEEMAN Charles Hernandez said, “These four Latino elected officials do not live in Cicero and should not have been working politically against the Cicero Democratic organization.”  Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz is the 22nd Ward Democratic Committeeman and sits on the Central Committee of the Cook County Democratic Party with Committeeman Hernandez. It is customary [out of political respect] for Democratic Committeemen not to get involved politically in another Committeeman’s district. Democratic Committeemen usually work together.  
          IN THE Nuevo Siglo, a Mexican newspaper, Ochoa said, “Esto no es el fin” [this is not the end]. Election results: Dominick 61%, Ochoa 30%, Joseph Pontarelli 9% of the vote. The election in the Town of Cicero is over.
          PRINCIPAL MEETING: The Chicago Board of Education Vice-President Jesse H. Ruiz will be visiting Little Village on Friday, March 15, 2013 from 9 a.m. to Noon. Ruiz will be meeting with the Little Village elementary and high school principals. The meeting will be at the Little Village Community Council, 3610 W. 26th St. 
Jesse H. Ruiz
          IN MAY 2011, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Jesse as the Vice President of the Chicago Board of Education. The Board oversees the operations of the Chicago Public Schools, the third largest school district in the nation, with over 400,000 students and a budget exceeding $5 billion.
          RUIZ IS an attorney and partner with the law firm of Drinker Biddle. In 2011, the Wal-Mart Legal Department awarded Jesse its inaugural Wal-Mart Legal Spark Award for “outstanding client and community service and dedication to diversity in the legal profession”.
          JESSE IS the legal counsel to the fourteen Illinois senators and representatives who formed the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus and the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation. In 2003, and again in 2009, Jesse received the Foundation’s Leadership Award for providing legal counsel to both the Foundation and the Caucus, and assisting in the formation of both organizations.

         FOR MORE information call 312/286-3405.

Sunday, March 10th, Daylight saving

time begins.