Luis Gutierrez Essay, Research Paper

Luis Gutierrez

The Fourth District of Chicago is rather new to the Chicago land made up

largely of Hispanics and Latinos. This District like many others face major

problems of crime, health care and education. Democratic representative Luis V.

Gutierrez represents the answer to these and other problems. Who is Luis

Gutierrez? Is this man making a difference? What are his issues? Is Luis doing

his job? What is his impact on the system? These are question that need

answering. These problems need solving is Luis Gutierrez really the answer?

Gutierrez was born December 10 1954, in Chicago Illinois. He received a

Bachelors degree from Northeastern Illinois University, in 1975. His

professional experience is as follows: teacher in Puerto Rico from, 1977 to

1978; social worker for Chicago’s Department of children and family Services,

from 1979 to 1983; An advisor to Chicago mayor Harold Washington, from 1984 to

1987; Chicago city Alderman from 1986 to 1992; President of the Pro. Tem, from

1989 to 1992.

Luis V. Gutierrez was elected to represent Illinois district four in

1992. The congressional committees he serves on include Banking and Financial

Services; General Overnight and Investigations; Housing and Community

opportunity; Veteran Affairs and Hospital and Health Care. Mr. Gutierrez’s

addresses in Washington and in Chicago are: 408 Longworth House office Building,

Washington Dc 20515; 3181 North Elston Avenue, Chicago 60618; 1715 west 47th

street, Chicago 60609; 3659 Halsted Chicago 60609; and 2132 West 21st street

Chicago 60608.

Luis Gutierrez start the road to politics by being a strong supporter on

our former late mayor Harold Washington. With the backing of Washington,

Gutierrez won the race for Alderman in 1986. After the death of Washington,

Gutierrez soon supported Richard Daley for mayor and was appointed to chairman

of the housing committee. Gutierrez was now able to instate his “New Homes for

Chicago plan”. This plan called for the city to sell empty spaces of land to

housing contractors to construct homes for as little as one dollar.

In 1992, Gutierrez ran for representative of the fourth district

election, Gutierrez opponent was Juan Soliz. During the campaign Gutierrez

focused more on crime, while Soliz focused on many issues such as: trade and

health care. Gutierrez soon showed to be the candidate for his people of all

ethnic groups. He became known in the area for the following passage, “If you

work hard, sweat and toil and play by the rules, you will be rewarded…with

clean street, safer and better schools, the opportunity to send your kids to

college.” He won sixty percent to forty percent and sixty-four percent to

thirty-four percent in the primary. In the district, Gutierrez is well respected,

he has been running various programs to better the fourth district such as

recycling drives (the blue bag), an anti-graffiti plan and citizen enrollment

meetings.

A little history of how district four came about; District four is made

up primarily of Hispanic Americans. There was once a problem with congressional

district. It was meant to have its majority Hispanic but, since the south side

Mexican-Americans and the north side Puerto Rican-Americans, were separated by

the west side African-American communities, Hispanics were not the majority. In

order to fix this problem, the Latin communities became the seventh district.

Hispanics in this district are two thirds of the population. Mexicans out number

Puerto Ricans two to one. Although Hispanics are the majority only thirty-nine

percent are registered to vote while, fifty-eight percent of white are

registered.

As of 1990 District four had a population of 571,162 people. Eight

percent were African-American; three percent were Asian; sixty-four percent

Hispanic; fifty-nine percent were white and forty percent were of other ethnic

groups. There were 383,285 people eligible to vote. Fifty-eight Hispanic; six

percent African-American; twenty-four percent had college education’s; forty-

nine percent married and thirty- one percent married with children. The average

rent was 393 dollars a month. The cost of housing is relatively low in this area.

The average value of a home was 64,300 dollars

Since the people in Gutierrez district lacked college education

according the Ross text book, they are less likely to vote. Gutierrez chose a

clear cut campaign “Anti-crime”. The use of one major topic enabled him to gain

the votes of people who do to lack of education, would not have voted. Another

reason for the success of Gutierrez’s anti-crime campaign was because of the

fact that in the center of the district is low income housing (projects) that

are highly associated with crime and violence. One of the major concerns of the

residents in the fourth district is violence. Therefore, his campaign lead

voters to believe that if he were to be elected, crime would lesson in there

surrounding.

Gutierrez’s 1996 campaign cost approximately 406,609 dollars.

Approximately one hundred and ninety thousand dollars were givens by political

action committee. The three major pac contributors to his campaign were labor

unions who gave 109,650 dollars; finance, insurance and real estate. Since he

was on the banking committee, bankers backed him on his re-election.

Public funding for health services, gun control and abortion are the

three most controversial issues in politics, Gutierrez is primarily pro-choice.

A bill was brought to congress on July 17, 1996 to allow federal employees

health insurance program to cover abortion, Gutierrez voted, yes to this bill

but this amendment was rejected. He supports the Brady bill as well as other

topic bills preventing semi-automatic weapons. Gutierrez major campaign topic

for 1992’s election. He is primarily for better health care service throughout

America.

According to the performance evaluation by special interest groups,

Gutierrez in the area of education was 100 percent for the American Federation

of teachers and the U.S. student Association in 1993. In 1994 he was 91 percent

for national Education Association. On Gun control Gutierrez shows to be one

hundred percent for the handgun control. Zero percent in favor of the National

Riffle Association. On the issues of labor he was one hundred percent for;

United Food and Commercial workers; AFL-CIO; American Federation of Government

Employees: American Federation of state.

Gutierrez, in the house, is excepted with mixed feelings Gutierrez has

been known to speak unprofessional about the house as well as it’s members. In a

sixty minute profile he claimed that the house was “belly of the best” and later

called the new democrats “sell outs”, because of these comments, Gutierrez has

not been successful as a legislature. Both Gutierrez’s abortion in veteran’s

Hospitals and anti-crime bill have been rejected. As a leader Gutierrez has had

to pick himself up and rejoin the game many times.

Is Luis Gutierrez the man for the job? I personally feel that he is? By

sticking in what he believes and not being persuaded by the common mistake that

new reps take, his honesty will one day win out. Crime is a world issue that

needs to be addressed Luis Gutierrez is putting forth and effort in the right

direction.