Page 34 - FOP Magazine March 2019

Mayoral candidate Willie Wilson (left) addresses Chicago Lodge 7 members and Chicago Firefighters Local 2 members alongside aldermen Nick Sposa- to (center) and Anthony Napolitano.
RALLY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33
So getting them together on this night required ripping off the Band-Aid. Sposato took the lead, advocating that instead of separate rallies on the north and south sides as initially pro- posed, hosting the event at the centrally located FOP Hall would attract a bigger crowd. Flyers were emailed out the Thursday before the event, and even a snowstorm on the day of the rally couldn’t keep people away.
“It was a hell of an event for a nine-day notice,” Sposato com- mented. “People got there early and stayed late.”
Although the objective was a political rally, politics didn’t in- filtrate the room for a couple of hours. It was coppers and fire- fighters hanging out, comparing notes on working conditions and taking selfies to share with those who were on their tours.
For much of the evening, it was time off from the persistent pall of being on video when responding. Napolitano called it a safe place. And Gardiner noted there was a reason that he was always smiling in the millions of bytes of photos taken.
“Anything that helps promote the work we do as first re- sponders,” he stated as his agenda at the rally. “And paying homage to the people who do so much for us.”
Lodge 7 President Kevin Graham took on emcee duties and called dignitaries such as Local 2 President Jim Tracy to the dais, along with the candidates. Conyears-Ervin began the parade to the podium, and after the headliners addressed the crowd, 30th Ward Alderman Ariel Reboyras stepped up to ask for support that will be needed for his runoff on April 2.
Overall, the remarks from the podium conveyed an import- ant message.
“Really, it was coming together to thank the first responders for having our backs, too, and that meant a whole lot to me,” as- serted Taliaferro, who retired from 025 in 2017. “It was good to get to know members without the necessity of talking politics. It was talking about experiences on the job, and that made the event incredible.”
When the mayoral candidates crashed the party, politics ac- companied them. But it wasn’t a buzzkill. In fact, Napolitano said, “When the mayoral candidates started showing up, it was absolutely awesome.”
As Bartlett confirmed, they weren’t there for the hell of it. But when William Daley, Willie Wilson, Jerry Joyce, Paul Vallas, Former Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Bob Fioretti were given a chance to speak to the crowd, their thoughts inspired members to rally around them afterward to shake hands. There was a sentiment bubbling up that made the event beyond worthwhile.
“They wanted our support,” Sposato declared. “They under- stood the value of it.”
The expertise we are bringing
So, let’s count the first responders, retired first responders and first-responder friendly members who are now part of the city council. In addition to Taliaferro, Napolitano, Sposato, Gar- diner and Reboyras – if he wins the 30th ward runoff – there is 14th Ward Alderman Ed Burke, who served for three years as a Chicago Police Officer. Willie Cochran, who represents the 20th ward, served CPD for 26 years, and 18th Ward Alderman Derrick Curtis was on the job with the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.
It adds up to a growing caucus that Gardiner charged “is go- ing to be proud to represent first responders and help mem- bers of the council better understand what first responders go through.” Perhaps the excitement in the FOP Hall on Feb. 20 resulted from the representation that Lodge 7 members can ex- pect when the council officially convenes in May.
Taliaferro likens the growing first responder presence in the council to what has transpired with the veterans’ caucus. He anticipates an opportunity to broach legislation promoting more access to mental healthcare and recognition for hard work and service, as the council has done for veterans.
“As opposed to making decisions without our input, the vot- ing caucus will take the advice and input of the FOP or Local 2 president,” Bartlett articulated. “They are going to want to know how it affects us.”
With Sposato in the 38th ward, Napolitano in the 41st and Gardiner in the 45th, first responders represent almost the en- tire northwest side of the city, where so many police officers and firefighters live. Napolitano said this aggregation can cre- ate a “mayor-making” influence in the council, considering the number of constituents involved and the volume of the voices the first-responder aldermen have been known to express.
Factor in the combined total membership of Lodge 7 and Lo- cal 2 of nearly 20,000 active members, a lot more retired mem- bers and friends and family, and the first responder number tops more than 50,000 voters. That presence multiplies when adding the numbers citizens who rally around first responders, often coming up to them on the street to ask who they are sup- porting.
Members who attended the rally worked the FOP Hall like a mixer, getting a chance to go one-on-one with the candidates. They seemed to walk away with a positive reinforcement.
“The feeling is that the first responder voice is growing,” Spo- sato shared. “Everybody in the council will know how we feel about things. That is the expertise we are bringing.”
Gardiner related that conversations he had with members at the rally discussed getting elected officials to validate how
34 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2019