Atlanta – and Atlantans — can do anything we decide. We rose from ashes to become the undisputed economic engine of the south. We birthed the Civil Rights Movement and showed the whole world the value of human dignity. We create the films that everyone wants to see, and the music that everyone dances to. We will only continue to rise. I am running for mayor to make sure that, as we rise, we don’t leave anyone behind. Right now, some serious problems are keeping us from reaching our full potential: an educational system that is failing to equip too many of our young people for a successful future. An economy that too often works best for only some of us, not all. A real estate market that leaves too many of our residents in danger of being left out in the cold. A road and transit system that slows us down instead of bringing us together. Neighborhoods that don’t always feel as safe as they should. These problems are not separate from each other, and the solutions can’t be either. That is why I am proposing a platform that addresses them together. I call it All Rise, because here in Atlanta, we know that we rise or fall together. And because this is a city that can do anything it decides, let’s all decide to rise.
“Atlanta is the city where impossible dreams take form.”
– Keisha Lance Bottoms
Democrats from across our city, state and nation have chosen to rally around my campaign because they believe in the progressive values that I represent and will champion including criminal justice reform, affordable housing, ending homelessness and economic/workforce development. I am proud to present my full progressive agenda for the first one hundred days of my administration.
My All Rise Program Will...
Make our neighborhoods safer by:
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Protecting our neighborhoods with cameras, security patrols, and officer housing.
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Implementing a smart recruiting and retention strategy for APD so that the department can attract and retain top-quality officers who share Atlanta’s values.Expanding the city’s youth engagement efforts to provide mentoring, job opportunities and other supportive resources for vulnerable youth and their families.
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Increasing APD transparency to make it easier for residents to understand what is happening in their neighborhoods and to make their voices heard within the Department.
Tackle our traffic and transit problems by:
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Prioritizing near-term road repair to protect the safety and finances of our residents.
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Bringing reliable transit options to the neighborhoods that need them most. Our transit network has to provide comprehensive support for our residents, not just point-to-point transportation for commuters.
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Ensuring that the major taxpayer investments we are making in our road and transit infrastructure are creating training and employment opportunities in the communities that need them most.
Address our housing affordability challenges by:
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Through public-private collaboration, raising $1 billion in dedicated funding to fight displacement and ensure that Atlanta has enough quality, safe, affordable housing for all our communities.
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Establishing a rental housing initiative to support the fifty-percent of Atlantans who rent their homes.
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Pursuing the expansion of inclusionary zoning throughout the City’s boundaries, so that every new development contributes to maintaining affordability for Atlantans.
Create good-paying jobs for Atlantans from every community by:
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Requiring accountable hiring standards for publicly-funded projects so that jobs reach the communities that need them most, and ensuring that every job resulting from public investment pays a living wage.
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Building on my successful legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 for City of Atlanta employees, to develop the ability for Atlanta to increase its minimum wage for private workers.
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Providing technical and other assistance to help small businesses grow.
Support our LGBTQ community by:
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Ensuring LGBTQ+ voices are heard within my administration. I look forward to continuing the series of open conversations I have started with the LGBT community over the course of my campaign once I’m elected and appointing an LGBTQ liaison to City Hall to ensure that we maintain our commitment to proactive dialogue, not reactive responses.
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Being a more present and accountable “face” regarding the HIV Crisis. We need to create an office dedicated to the HIV issue in Atlanta since we have lacked a coordinated effort or response. We are aware the recent ruling on the HIV formulary from the Federal Government has changed just a week ago which means as a city and state, we will receive less money to address HIV. I commit to addressing this gap as the next Mayor of Atlanta.
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Fighting the stigma and shame that often surrounds and HIV+ diagnosis. We must continue to reinforce the effectiveness/importance of options like contraceptives or PrEP, working with the county to make them accessible to those in serodiscordant relationships.
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Supporting LGBT citizens impacted by the affordable housing crisis, especially youth who are disproportionately represented in the homeless population by imposing sanctions on organizations in Atlanta who discriminate against transgender and gender non-conforming folks in emergency housing services. We need to allocate resources to address this critical issue if we truly want to rise to live up to our reputation as one of the most LGBT-safe cities in the nation.
Support our students and their families by:
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Giving every Atlanta child a great start by creating a Children’s Savings Account program to help put college or other future opportunities within reach.
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Making the sidewalks, streetlights and other safety near schools the top priority of our infrastructure investment and public safety programs.
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Appointing a liaison within the Mayor’s office to work directly with schools and residents to improve access to quality education throughout Atlanta.
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Convening our local industry leaders, public schools, community colleges, and colleges and universities to develop career-preparatory workforce training targeting Atlanta’s unique private-sector strengths: film and entertainment production; smart technology; and construction.
Copyright 2016 Keisha Lance Bottoms | All Rights Reserved
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