Andre Dickens

What is your plan to control the COVID-19 pandemic in Atlanta? What are your plans to encourage vaccination given that Georgia and Atlanta’s vaccination rates fall far behind the national average? Given that a growing number of Atlanta businesses are opting to implement vaccine mandates, would you support a vaccine mandate for public employees?

I think the city has done well with our response, and as mayor I will ensure that Atlanta follows CDC guidance, including mask mandates, social distancing, quarantine requirements and contact tracing as this pandemic evolves. I would reinstate hazard pay for frontline essential workers and encourage remote work wherever possible. Recognizing the virus and the vaccine have been politicized, I will work with state lawmakers to use technology and common sense when allowing companies to continue serving their customers. Finally, having overseen Hartsfield Jackson as chair of the transportation committee, I know how important it is to stop the spread of COVID at our borders. As Mayor, I’ll set the highest safety thresholds for the world's busiest airport while ensuring that Atlanta remains a hub for tourism and travel.

Related to vaccines, I hope to use significant incentives to encourage all city employees to get vaccinated and explore similar options for the general public. We have to do everything we can to increase the vaccination rate throughout our city.

COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated economic disparity in Atlanta. What are your plans to promote economic opportunities for all people in our city? How do you plan to ensure this growth is shared by all, especially historically marginalized groups?

Since 2010, Atlanta has carried the unwelcome distinction of having the highest income inequality in the nation. An Atlantan born into poverty only has a 4% chance of making it to the middle class. The city has attracted a steady stream of corporate headquarters and relocations, but provisions have not been made to ensure that all Atlantans are able to participate in the city’s growth and prosperity.

To tackle the racial wealth gap, my administration will invest to provide low-income families with training programs like the TechBridge Technology Career Program that I co-founded. In just two years, that program trained more than 400 people to earn certifications and helped graduates begin internet technology careers with an average annual salary of $56,000. My administration will support the expansion of this program and others like it, to include nursing, aircraft mechanics, electricians, logistics, and more.

My first post at Georgia Tech was recruiting diverse student populations with the talent and drive to apply a top-notch education to becoming a productive member of society. I have also taken up the cause of fighting income inequality in my capacity as an elected leader. In 2016, I authored and passed legislation to gradually increase the city's minimum wage from $10.10 per hour to $15 per hour over 3 years. Now, every city employee earns at least $15/hr and my goal is to expand that legislation to city contractors by working with state officials on legislation.

Atlanta’s population has seen steady growth over the past few years, and many have noted that this growth has pushed members out of their communities. What are your plans to increase affordable housing availability?

I am proud to have led on affordable housing, both in policy and in practice. I passed two affordable housing bonds totalling $140M, authored the Beltline Inclusionary Zoning ordinance that requires new rental developments to provide affordable housing units, launched the Beltline senior housing rehab program that helps legacy residents make much-needed repairs to their homes, and publicly called for more cohesion between development community, policy makers, and rapidly displaced communities.

As Mayor, I will:

• Create & Scale Current Affordable Housing Development by

  • Building or preserving 20,000 affordable housing units in eight years

  • Incentivizing Atlanta Housing Authority to build affordable units on more than 400 acres of undeveloped land

  • Lobbying the state to relax impediments to expand inclusionary zoning
    

• Preserve Existing Affordability by

  • Expanding upon the recent $100M Housing Opportunity Bond focused on extending or permanent affordability to retain.

  • Enforcing laws against predatory tactics to pressure Atlanta residents, particularly seniors, to sell their homes for less than market value.

Do you support the Atlanta Homeless Union’s 4 demands - for “housing, healthcare, water, and a seat at the table” - and if so, how do you plan to meet these demands as mayor?

I am committed to working with all groups to help solve both the homelessness crisis and the underlying issues which might cause someone to enter into homelessness. That includes working with the homeless community to address these concerns. I’ve been an affordable housing champion and am committed to a housing first strategy for those experiencing homelessness. In addition, I will work with our state leaders to expand healthcare options for all Atlantans. Lastly, I will explore options to provide public water to all those who need it throughout the city.

In the wake of all these natural disasters occurring nationwide, what is your plan to make Atlanta more resilient to the effects of climate change? Do you support declaring a climate emergency?

A Dickens administration will be committed to combating climate change. There are a number of ways to fulfill that commitment, both in and outside of City Hall. I’ll instruct my cabinet to be mindful of the impact that all policies have -- even those not focused on climate change -- can impact our environment. Policies from planning, zoning, transportation and more have a significant impact on the environment. Housing policies may increase sprawl and result in negative environmental impacts. Lack of alternative forms of transportation increase car dependency and emissions. In order to bring businesses and residents onboard, we must consciously and consistently make climate change and the environment part of the city’s decision making process.

The health of all persons, including immigrants and incarcerated populations, matter. During the pandemic, we’ve witnessed COVID-19 outbreaks in prison and ICE detention facilities. As mayor, how will you ensure that the health of these individuals are maintained and held to the appropriate standards?

The first solution has been to assist Fulton County in eliminating its jail’s overcrowding issues. The city needs to keep the Atlanta detention facility open temporarily to relieve overcrowding in the county. For facilities under our purview, we will ensure that we are following all health measures and holding any facilities to the highest standards.

The pandemic has further exacerbated the opioid crisis. What measures would you implement to decrease opioid deaths and the spread of infectious disease among people who use drugs in Atlanta? Further, what harm reduction policies would you implement more broadly?

This is a situation where I would consult with experts in the field to determine the best strategies to address these issues. I will maintain a posture as mayor of listening to and heeding the advice of experts when I need guidance on issues.

Racial justice, particularly in the context of the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements, has been central to our city’s discourse in the past year. How would you address hate crimes and discrimination as mayor?

Hate crime laws are an important addition to our justice system, and I support District Attorney Fani Willis’ use of the hate crimes statute. However, we cannot rely on hate crimes laws to rid us of the violence perpetrated against Black, latinx, trans, and queer people. We have to work to educate the community and continue to create a culture of welcoming and affirmation both in and out of city hall. That begins by being willing to address and acknowledge the reality of the situation and acknowledging that there is violence targeted against Black, latinx, trans and queer people.

Also, I believe that the mayor has a responsibility to create the most diverse and inclusive city government possible. That doesn’t just rely upon opening up applications and hoping a diverse group applies. There is untapped talent throughout the city that we have to recruit to come work for the city. That culture shift starts by bringing in more Black, latinx, trans, and queer people into key leadership roles in the city, and, to be clear, they cannot simply be siloed off in the “diversity” or “inclusion” offices. Our diversity and inclusion should extend to all facets of city government. We need a broad and diverse coalition of ladders present and at the table for policy and decision making.

The Atlanta City Council recently voted to move forward with a lease to the Atlanta Policing Foundation for the construction of a police training facility, called “Cop City”. Do you support this move, and what is your stance on public safety and policing more generally?

As a twice-elected citywide councilmember, I have tackled several complex issues (like affordable housing and transportation) through legislation and collaboration. We have changed the way the city works on these issues, and I am proposing that we do it again, with S.A.F.E. Streets Atlanta, a 4-Point Plan to reduce violent crime.

As Mayor, I will focus on immediately halting the crime that’s plaguing our communities. I have a plan to stop crime TODAY – by coordinating and investing new federal resources in additional officers, technology and tactics, including partnerships with groups that can help us identify, arrest and detain dangerous criminals.

I also know that we have to fight the crime of TOMORROW – and I will simultaneously invest resources in job placement programs, anti-recidivism outreach, after school programs and creating good paying jobs for citizens and communities that have been overlooked for too long.

S is to SURGE the police force by 250 officers during my first year in office while training every APD employee in racial sensitivity and de-escalation techniques.

A is to ARREST gang leaders that are preying on our children and resolve pandemic-related court backlogs to get violent criminals off our streets.

F is to create a task FORCE with GBI, FBI, and ATF to address gun trafficking and a task force to hire and deploy specialists to deal with non-violent issues like mental health and homelessness.

E is to EMPOWER APD to engage in community policing and to support them with new technologies to reduce response times, like smart streetlights, shot-spotters and software connecting APD and Fulton Sheriffs.

The public safety training facility is a key part in this plan which will allow our officers to be trained in 21st Century policing models and serve as a recruiting tool for our police and fire departments.