The ideas and desires of a community are far more important than any individual vision. People understand their own suffering better than any outsider, and therefore they will always develop better solutions to their suffering. Consider the policies below more brainstorming than promises- I will be spending my campaign listening to Ward 1 residents about how they want to live in their community, and the policies below will evolve to reflect that.

Even so, I still subscribe to the solidarity platform, and will make no compromises regarding the vital need to eliminate atmosphere and ground pollutants, have every person in Eugene be able to eat nutritious food and sleep somewhere warm and safe, that are conception of what is economically possible is extremely limited and needs expanding, that the status quo of democratic participation is fundamentally exclusionary and weakens our society, and there can be no progress without restoring the dignity of the Kalyapulya people whose lives were stolen by European settlers.

Proposed Policies

Climate Urgency

Work with the University of Oregon Climate Change Research Group to identify the most effective means to reduce the environmental impact of the city of Eugene, and then pass law in accordance with those recommendations.

Decolonization

Work with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon to identify land owned by the city of Eugene that can be returned to their members.

Regenerative Economic Modeling

Use city resources to encourage and support neighborhood-scale community projects and opportunities- local job fairs, community gardens, block parties, neighborhood food sharing programs, disability support networks. These projects would be chosen, planned, and organized by that community.

The City of Eugene or any public entity is prevented from privatizing any further public property or public services.

Property owned solely by banks and not directly used for financial business must demonstrate that the property is actively on the market (that there is credible evidence that there is an intent to sell in the near future), or that property will be taxed at 100% of its current valuation each year, or the bank sell that property to the city for $1. This is intended to alleviate abandoned or unused property that still contributes to escalating property costs in the city.

One part of this solution is to require city councilors to hold regular community forums within their ward, so that the community can more frequently interact with their representative. This could be incorporated with neighborhood projects program outlined above. Another part would be for the city to invest in improved online services that would allow greater participation in council meetings, work meetings, and provide more robust input to the council that is also more accessible than the current system.

The city council consistently prioritizes input of business owners and business associations over community members. I do believe in the universal right to organize for political action, but this includes workers as well as business owners. The City of Eugene should actively encourage the formation and support of unions not just in public services, but in all workplaces or trades. Through unions workers have the ability to use their collective voices to put pressure on elected government.