IL: Interview with Green Party's Matt Reichel

From the Windy City Times:

Matt Reichel, 29, a freelance French interpreter, is running for alderman in the 47th Ward. He is a peace activist, Green Party organizer and most recently worked for the William Wrigley Jr. Company.

"I understand the tedium of political organizing, and the strength of character that is required for a demanding job of this nature," Reichel said. "Furthermore, as a progressive, I see the need to fight to defend the public sector from encroachment by greedy and unaccountable private interests.

"As alderman, I will be the foremost spokesperson in the city council for defending the public domain, the public pensions and public utilities. I consider it disingenuous and negligent that public officials do otherwise."

Windy City Times: What are your strengths?
Matt Reichel: I have an advanced degree in diplomacy, [and] earned over a three-year stay in Paris, where I obtained a worldly understanding of international relations and the dynamics of cultural interaction. As such, I have a keen ability to relate to people from a variety of different backgrounds, and an even keener ability to negotiate, debate, and stand my ground. . . .