posted by chicago pop
Dear Friends and Neighbors.
I am running for Democratic Committeeman for the 5th Ward. The job of Democratic Ward Committeeman, an unpaid position, includes appointing election judges, participating in candidate slating by the Democratic Party and picking replacements for elected officials who are unable to complete their terms. Currently, the position of Alderman and Democratic Ward Committeeman are held by the same person.
I believe that we need a change. We need a new voice. The 5th Ward was known as the independent voice of reason, but that voice has diminished in the last twelve years. Just voting no on legislation, without publically addressing the issue before the vote, is not true independence. We have the ability to regain our independent voice in this election by electing a new Democratic Committeeman. We need elected officials who will fight for our rights, not just grandstand.
I decided to run for Democratic Committeeman at the urging of many groups from all parts of the Ward. Representatives from community groups in South Shore, Jackson Park, Hyde Park, and Grand Crossing all called and asked me to run. My nominating petitions contained 1,998 signatures compared to Leslie Hairston’s 865 accepted signatures. The majority of my signatures were from voters in the South Shore, Jackson Park and Grand Crossing areas.
I am a wife, mother, friend, attorney, and community activist. In 2011 I ran for Alderman and received nearly a quarter of the vote. My husband, Emil Coccaro, a U of C Professor in the Medical School, and I live in Hyde Park with our three children - Piper, Michael, and Marrissa. Our children attended the Lab School, Ray School, and Mt. Carmel.
I have been involved with parent associations and local community groups focused on improving the lives of children and with citywide groups on methods of reducing violence against young people. I have been President of the U of C Comer Children’s Hospital Service Committee and I have worked for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services providing free legal services to lower income residents of the South Side. I am working on a joint project with Cabrini Green Legal Services and the Union League Club of Chicago providing informational materials to citizens charged with a crime so they will understand the consequences of accepting certain plea bargains. I volunteer for the State’s Appellate Defender to assist those who qualify for expungements and/or sealing of their criminal or arrest records.
I will work with the Alderman, and all our elected officials, to represent the Independent Voice of the Fifth Ward. For more information, please visit my website at annemariemiles.com, email me at MilesEsq@aol.com or call me on my cell phone at 773-726-4259.
Very truly yours,
Anne Marie Miles
