received the following Letter to the Editor from a community member who wished to share his perspective on local development and environmental issues. We're happy to share this with you here:
There is a silent majority of community members who have differing opinions than the ones that fill up the headlines of our media outlets on the issues of industry and development in our Latino communities. This is especially true on the Southwest Side of Chicago. The strength of our city has and will continue to be in our industries and development of our communities. These intersections between industry, urban development and the existing landscape is what makes Chicago so great, so unique. What is even more concerning is that the few but loudest sometimes who don’t live in the community continue to speak on behalf of our neighborhoods.
Many of us invite new development and investment coming into our neighborhoods, when done the right way. Economy and entrepreneurship has always been a priority in Latino communities, this is especially true on the Southwest Side of Chicago and while environmental activism has risen in response to our growing industry and development, it is not indicative of what the majority feels about these investments coming into our neighborhoods. As home or property owners and after years of high property taxes, we welcome development that further drives our property values up and is one way that shows how the return on our investment is increasing.
Residents of these Southwest Side neighborhoods like McKinley Park want to be part of the conversation of what the future of our communities look like, but how can we leverage companies to invest in our community when others take it upon themselves to negotiate for us? We do not want to continue to be a part of the obstructionist approach that groups take in order to carry out a political agenda in which they can run for office as a reform or environmental justice candidate. We demand to have our own voice outside of the 10-20 people that are paid in political exposure. We want to speak on the issue at hand of industry and development in McKinley Park and not be used as a pawn to carry out someone else’s city wide social justice agenda.
Daniel Munoz
-Archer and Wood
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