Trust In The People
Friends,
Well, the big soccer vote is behind us. Though the new PSDA map passed, I stand behind my vote NOT to create a new Professional Sports Development Area for the heliport-based site. If you’re disappointed, I encourage you to let me know. My other arguments are amply documented elsewhere, including into the mic at the meeting Monday night, but the major one was this:
Roughly 165 people weighed in on the issue to me. 15 wanted “yes” votes; 150 wanted “no”. Since Monday night, I’ve received roughly the same volume of feedback - I’ve certainly had some trusted heroes of mine who were disappointed with me. But I’ve had far more people tell me I did the right thing. If you are a supporter or constituent who didn’t let me know how you felt, I truly regret that I did not have that information in front of me, as the opinions of my constituents are always the number one way I make decisions on votes.
Speaking of which - the focus of this week’s email is on leadership and constituent engagement.
This weekend, I flew out to Oakland to participate as a guest speaker in the East Bay chapter of DSA’s annual convention. My speech, and the question-and-answer session that followed, focused on my core political belief: trust in the people.
I talk (probably too much) about my own far-left beliefs and opinions. I’m a police and prison abolitionist. I’m a socialist, and look favorably towards the eventual egalitarian, classless society with no government that Karl Marx called “communism”. I personally don’t believe that borders of countries are ethical.
But I don’t seek to impose those personal beliefs and opinions on others from above - just as I don’t seek to convert anyone by force or coercion to my Christian religion or my personal pacifism.
Instead, I ask my constituents for their support, and I respect their opinions when they disagree with me. In a democracy, I feel strongly that the role of a representative is to represent one's constituents, not to rule from on high as one sees fit. I am a democratic socialist, which means that I believe that my lofty left-wing dreams should be pursued if and only if my constituents agree - and in strong majorities.
People interested in my own viewpoint and desires have ample opportunity to read about them. If you get bored by my social media, write me an email asking to get a coffee or beer to talk. Constituents from across the political spectrum have done so and enjoyed the talks, even if they strongly disagreed with me.
But my goal in this email is not to talk about my own viewpoint, it’s to learn more about yours.
Last week I mentioned that I was committing myself to spending more time in the community listening to people’s hopes, dreams, frustrations, and priorities.
I’m pleased to say that we have our first two dates set for listening sessions on the near east side.
Senior Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocate Jacob Barnes and I are hosting two listening sessions this month. We plan to offer just a few minutes' overview on the city's / my personal priorities and a progress report on what we've done so far this year. We want to spend the vast majority of the time just listening to constituents and writing down their questions and comments for us to look into and respond to more fully later on. As you can tell from the locations, this is intended predominantly for the Near East side communities that Jacob serves to support. But I'd be happy to hear from the downtown / near north neighbors as well, and will be replicating this process in those areas of the district, too.
Session 1 will be from 6-8 pm on June 18th at the Spades Park Library.
Session 2 will be from 6-8 pm on June 27th at the Boner Center.
There is no matter too big or too small to bring to the listening session. It could be that one annoying pothole that hasn’t yet been filled, or a plan for totally revising the tax structure of the city. We will write down all suggestions and I’ll present them in a future email newsletter so that others can think about them and weigh in.
This is YOUR district, in YOUR city, and I’m proud to work hard for you doing what you think is best. I can’t wait to see many of you later this month.
In love and solidarity,
Jesse