Major  Chicago  Taxi  Cab  Organization  endorses  Bob  Fioretti  for  Mayor  of  Chicago    

 

   

FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  2/19/2015  

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Major  Chicago  Taxi  Cab  Organization  endorses  Bob  Fioretti  for  Mayor  of  Chicago  

 Chicago-­‐  On  Tuesday,  the  Illinois  Transportation  Trade  Association  (ITTA)  announced  their  endorsement  for  current  2nd  Ward  Alderman  Bob  Fioretti  for  Mayor  of  Chicago.  The  ITTA  serves  as  a  consolidated  voice  for  89-­‐90%  the  local  taxicab  industry  with  18  taxicab  affiliations  under  its  umbrella.      “We  are  supporting  Alderman  Fioretti  because  he  has  been  a  long  time  supporter  of  the  taxi  cab  industry.  He  has  taken  time  to  understand  and  advocate  for  the  issues  long  before  he  was  running  for  mayor,”  John  Moberg,  President  of  ITTA,  said  in  a  statement.    “Alderman  Fioretti  raised  a  voice  on  the  lack  of  regulation  and  enforcement  of  law  in  regards  to  Uber.  He  was  willing  to  listen  to  the  issues  and  understand  them  before  he  voted,  which  is  sadly  not  characteristic  of  other  Alderman.    Most  of  them  are  rubber  stamps  while  Alderman  Fioretti  is  not.  He  has  the  qualities  we  want  in  a  Mayor.”    In  mid  January,  Alderman  Fioretti  accused  Mayor  Rahm  Emanuel  of  favoring  ride-­‐sharing  company  Uber  X,  whose  investors  include  the  mayor’s  brother  Ari  Emanuel,  by  passing  weak  regulations  and  failing  to  tighten  them,  even  after  two  sexual  attacks  on  Uber  X  passengers.    Alderman  Fioretti  called  for  City  Council  hearings  on  the  “business  and  employment  practices”  of  companies  licensed  by  the  city  to  be  “transportation  network  providers”  to  determine  ways  to  correct  glaring  weaknesses.  “Not  to  be  licensed?  Not  to  be  regulated  in  a  fair  way?    It’s  a  very  suspicious  undertaking.  All  the  rushes  we  do  to  get  legislation  through,  yet  we  can’t  protect  the  public?  Something  is  wrong  here.  There’s  more  than  favoritism.  The  mayor  has  a  conflict  of  interest  with  his  brother’s  interest  in  the  company,”  Fioretti  said.        "Alderman  Bob  Fioretti  has  been  supporting  the  taxi  cab  industry  all  along-­‐  whatever  our  efforts  have  been.  He  has  been  listening  to  our  rationale  and  we  are  very  thankful  to  him  for  standing  behind  us,  which  is  why  we  will  return  the  favor  in  supporting  his  run  for  mayor,”  said  ITTA  Treasurer  and  Blue  Ribbon  Taxi  Association  President  Sabir  Waheed.      On  Tuesday  morning,  Alderman  Bob  Fioretti  joined  the  United  Taxidrivers  Community  Council’s  (UTCC)  “Occupy  the  Loop”  demonstration  to  support  their  cause.  The  UTCC’s  agenda  was  that  the  Emanuel  administration  has  made  it  very  difficult  for  cab  companies  in  Chicago  to  operate.      Alderman  Fioretti  has  been  a  strong  advocate  for  the  transportation  industry  and  automobile  owners.  He  has  been  a  consistent  opponent  to  the  Redlight  Cameras  saying  they  are  riddled  with  corruption,  "The  entire  program  is  fraught  with  failed  oversight,  corruption  and  unfair  enforcement.  It  has  not  been  proven  to  increase  safety  and  is  a  burden  on  the  hard  working  taxpayers  of  our  city,"  Fioretti  added.      Fioretti  has  signed  the  Ban  the  Cams  pledge  sponsored  by  the  Citizens  to  Abolish  Red  Light  Cameras.  Last  fall,  Alderman  Fioretti  called  on  the  city  to  refund  drivers  the  $7.7  million  in  tickets  that  were  racked  up  after  the  Rahm  

Emanuel  administration  improperly  lowered  the  length  of  yellow  lights.  The  reduction  in  the  length  of  yellow  lights  resulted  in  77,000  tickets.    In  January  Alderman  Fioretti,  introduced  a  Parking  Ticket  Amnesty  Program  resolution  that  would  allow  citizens  to  clear  their  parking  ticket  debts  and  bring  an  influx  of  much-­‐needed  cash  into  city  coffers.  He  also  introduced  a  City  Council  resolution  to  re-­‐evaluate  the  city’s  winter  overnight  parking  ban  that  bars  parking  on  107  miles  of  city  thoroughfares  regardless  of  the  weather  between  3  and  7  a.m.  from  Dec.  1  to  March  31.    More  than  200  cars  were  towed  early  Dec.  1  this  year  and  Alderman  Fioretti  feels  it  needs  to  be  revaluated  with  the  better  weather  reading  technology  available  today.      The  Chicago  Mayoral  Election  is  on  Tuesday,  February  24th,  2015.      

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