Thread by @jospacebear

With the announcement of the proposed #MAPS4 package for consideration by Council at Tuesday's meeting, I feel compelled to share my thoughts and where my head is and has been during this process.

I ran my campaign for City Council w/ the core value that caring for our most vulnerable neighbors creates a community that works better for everyone. Robust transit gets people to work, healthcare, groceries, & entertainment...

Affordable housing ensures we use tax-payer resources effectively in prevention rather than emergency services; complete streets enables families to feel safe when their kids walk or bike to school and people with mobility devices can safely navigate our streets.

Like many, I see the shift in this MAPS package that begins to address many of those needs in our community - it's certainly promising that so many human & neighborhood needs are included in this proposal.

However, I fear that many of those projects started out compromising the true needs with the fear that they might not get included if their request was "too big".

In fact, since I have been involved in this process since April when I was sworn into office, the originally projected numbers for the projects haven't changed much - and the numbers that did change were all in the group of proposals related to human & neighborhood level needs.

That concerns me because many of those needs are already huge and I am concerned that while the investment may sound big now, the solution will just begin to scratch the surface as the need grows larger.

In my time working in social services, I've learned the mantra & hold true to the idea that we "can't sacrifice the good for the perfect". However, I'm not sure that advocates don't sometimes use that phrase to start out compromising rather than making the big, bold asks we need.

I recognize that by sharing these thoughts I might be seen as "bomb throwing" or "not being a team player". I suppose I'm willing to risk those criticisms to share my thoughts & struggles with this proposed package because I suspect I'm not the only person with these thoughts.

I think I'm also willing to risk those criticisms because I believe there is value in my being transparent and honest and open to the conversation that will result from the process.