by James B
This is a draft of a speech delivered in front of the Rock Island City Council
I am James, I am a citizen of Rock Island, and I serve as the co-chair of the Quad Cities chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
I am here today to ask, on behalf of our chapter, that the members of city council vote “No” on this moratorium, especially as it is written. For years now our chapter has been working on anti-poverty projects that include mutual aid, free food, solidarity shopping, and housing justice. Projects that have helped ease the burden of poverty for some in our communities, though we recognize that much more work still needs to be done. Many of the members of our chapter have, in fact, experienced homelessness at one point in our lives, and some still struggle with it as rent-seeking landlords and corporations continue to control the housing market in our communities.
What we see when we look at this moratorium is confusion. Will our efforts to help our neighbors and ourselves be disrupted by this moratorium? If we have plans to help shelter and feed people experiencing homelessness as we move into the winter, will those plans have to be put on hold until the city decides it’s ready to implement a plan? If we are not creating a new project but simply moving it to the city of Rock Island, is the city government going to behave with hostility towards us if we begin helping the most vulnerable citizens in the city? What are our neighbors, friends, and loved ones experiencing homelessness supposed to do when they cannot find shelter or food this coming winter as the moratorium ends and all projects have been placed into limbo? What are the alternatives for these people, who by the grace of God could just as easily be one of us?
There has been discussion, outside of this chamber, about implementing a plan that has been employed in Dubuque. As we understand it, it took over a decade of fine-tuning to get it right. If we are going to import such a plan, there seems to be very little reason why we should have to put any ongoing projects on hold for a fiscal quarter just to decide how we’re going to integrate it. If such time is truly necessary, then why not start implementation the first time a complaint was given to Alderman Parker? How much time has already been wasted in writing up this moratorium and then pushing it off that could have been spent doing the important work of starting such a plan?
It is our belief that this moratorium is needless and unhelpful. It creates confusion and concern where none need be. We also look forward to working with the city as partners on implementing any future anti-poverty plans going forward if the city sees fit to include its own citizens already doing the work of fighting poverty in any of its future anti-poverty projects.