Amelia is running on a people-centered platform. She believes that people know what is best for their communities. She believes that the role of government is to ensure that the basic human rights of all residents are upheld - including the right to access shelter, education, health care, good jobs, and clean air, to name a few. She is running for city council to advocate for an equitable distribution of city resources and to help put into place democratic processes that empower Knoxville residents to decide the future direction of our city.
Public services must meet future needs of a diverse and growing city
As Knoxville officials and residents plan for how our city will look and function over the next 50 years through Recode and other processes, our plans must include robust public transportation that enables residents to move throughout a city with a population predicted to increase by 1/3 over the next few decades. We need clear zoning policies that are applied equitably throughout the city, flexible to suit the needs of many different communities while adhering to principles that do not create conditions unfavorable for poor, working class, youth, or other minority groups. We need an anti-discrimination ordinance that outlaws discrimination of any sort in our city limits. We need public amenities that help us sustain vibrant, healthy neighborhoods and restore parts of our city still recovering from destructive policies like urban renewal. And we need law enforcement services that work for us and not against us.
Everyone deserves a good job & safe place to live
The core function of a municipality is to ensure the rights and well-being of its residents are upheld. In addition to the right to vote and the right to free speech, we also have the human right to shelter, a good job, food, clean air and water. Therefore, a city must prioritize those parts of its budget that facilitate these needs - such as community and economic development. We must make public investments that can prevent the social problems that we face as a city such as poverty, crime, bullying, homelessness, drug addiction, etc.
The residents of Knoxville should determine the future direction of our city
Too often, our local leaders seek ways to limit public comment and debate at public meetings. Consequently residents often leave feeling frustrated, unheard, and bulldozed by the system. While continuing to adhere to Robert’s Rules of Order, we can structure city council meetings, workshops, and other public meetings to become educational spaces for listening to each other and the community and resolving issues in our city rather than a meeting being treated as a procedural necessity to be finished as quickly as possible.
