HomeMy WebLinkAboutDanielle Jones - Travel expenses for elected officials_RedactedFrom:Danielle Jones
To:Public Comments (publiccomments@sbcity.org)
Subject:Fwd: Travel expenses for elected officials
Date:Wednesday, June 17, 2020 3:45:13 PM
My name is Danielle Jones and as a community member I define myself as a homeowner,
activist for change, parent and a citizen who is
concerned about the values that all of you hold to ensure the safety, equity and progress for
this city. Beyond these walls, I am also a
concerned wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend and colleague who is pained by the distrust
and misuse of leadership you have displayed. I
am in disgust with your choices and your lack of reality to the lives you hold in your hands.
78% of our population in our City are Black and
Brown families who already show the highest percentages of poverty in our country. You have
continued that systematic oppression in your
spending, ideals and values. We are tired. Enough is Enough. The times has come for us to
assess the choices you have made such as
44% of our budget that is going to police. To be clear that is 85 million dollars! That has been
the trend you have formed and it is not
working. We need peace and we demand change. You have killed and trapped our Black and
Brown bodies into this city and we are done
being silent. You have decreased the parks and rec budget to almost complete depletion
instead of utilizing them as a resource to provide
safe places for young teens and youth to learn, prosper and fight the economic disadvantages
you have created us to climb out Of. Your
budget has failed our families, failed our schools, failed our homes and failed our progress.
You have built the schools to prison pipeline with
your own hands. You have financed it, you created the route and you fund the means for our
youth to be sent to prison nicely in a new
police patrol car.
Our city is known for violence. Death. Failure. Distrust.
I invite you to look at programs that would revitalize downtown and make it safe for families
to enjoy. Partner with organizations that would
provide our minority families opportunities to be business owners and indulge in financial
literacy, rather than the monetary distress you
create. In addition, instead of moving 4 million from the Cultural Foundation to give to code
enforcement to add to your ill agendas of taking
from you own citizens, how about we move that money to fund the empty pockets of
Economic and Housing development where you have
allocated ZERO dollars. You can create options for elderly members of our community to
make improvements to their homes instead of
fining them as they attempt to scrape by. Another budget adjustment we can make is simple-
stop spending money on travel for elected
officials-is that why the Mayors budget increased by 200,000?! I ask you to think on your
drive home tonight. Think about what you see.
You cannot be blind to the inequity of our city and the lack of progress we continue to sulk in.
I love my City. I will not abandon hope on
overcoming our concerns for safety, progress and revitalization to our home. How can you
sleep knowing that your actions create
perpetuate generational poverty? Change is due. I am here to remind you that, as a loyal
citizen, I am watching and waiting, but I will no
longer be silent to the unjust choices you make for our community.