We imagined ourselves as a “brand new community” and envisioned how we wanted it to look — NewCAP founder, Percy Green II & Associates

Click here to download a printable version — People’s Platform

#1 – Public safety – City policy must support the civil rights of all, regardless of socioeconomic status, citizen status, disability, and all other St. Louis protected classifications. City law enforcement agencies should consistently reflect the goal of protecting and serving the public. We support the following:

A. Effective formal citizen oversight of the police.

B. Strong enforcement of the Equal Opportunities Ordinance.

C. Treating drug-related issues as a public health, rather than a law-enforcement

concern.

D. Community mediation efforts.

E. Restorative justice.

F. All Public Safety employees being required to be residents of our city.

G. Everyone having the right to enjoy public spaces and parks.

#2 Education/Youth Development – The city’s policy must provide free, universal public education to help individuals realize their full potential and towards helping build a better community. We support the following:

A. Our public school district shall be governed by a democratically elected school board.

B. Universal free early childhood education

C. All schools should be full service (including, but not limited to: early childhood development, remedial programs and adult education)

D. Vocational and technical schools.

We Oppose the following:

E. Charter schools, school vouchers and tuition tax credits.

F. City policy allowing (tiffs, abatements, etc…) that infringe upon school funding.

Youth Development

The ongoing growth process in which all youth are engaged in attempting to (1) meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful (2) to build skills, competencies and critical thinking that allow them to function and contribute to our community.

1. Create a sense of security and safety

2. Enhance positive membership in and belonging to groups and community

3. Raise achievement levels in technology, employability, artistic expression & life skills

4. Expand self-knowledge and a positive self-identity

5. Develop critical thinking, initiative, and civic responsibility

#3 Economic Development

Sustainable Economic Development

We support economic development that will allow citizens and their families to become self-sustaining members of the community. The city shall have an Economic Development Plan that is annually updated through a transparent public process, including budget and planning decisions and that focuses on areas of the city most in need of assistance. We support the following:

A.     The formation of community development banks, exploration of a public bank .

B.     A minimum wage that acts as a living wage and is indexed to inflation.

C.     The City, in granting contracts and economic support for development projects and when purchasing goods and services, shall give priority to locally owned firms, minority owned firms, women owned firms, unionized firms and firms with a proven track record of recruiting and hiring a diverse workforce.

D.      City policy shall prioritize programs of economic and social aid and protection to our community’s most vulnerable residents and should protect funding for such programs.

E.      The City shall critically evaluate prospective development projects to fully understand any potential environmental and economic impact.

F.     TIF shall be used to support projects that would not otherwise occur and where there are clear public benefits, economic and otherwise, and include enforceable Community Benefit Agreements. Developers who fail to produce these results should be required to repay the TIF subsidy with interest.

G.     The location and scope of TIF districts shall be driven by priorities set by the City, and the City should issue guidelines and seek applicants for projects to be funded according to these guidelines within districts.

H.     City policies shall promote and expand affordable and accessible public transportation options to promote economic development along transportation corridors .

I.       The City’s initiatives and programs shall promote energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy by the City and its residents and promote environmentally friendly technology and employment.

J.       The city development approval process shall be transparent and predictable, taking into account independent expert opinion.

#4 Housing

Housing is a human right. The city should ensure high quality, safe, fair, accessible, and affordable housing for all. We support the following.

A. The development of high income, middle income, affordable/low-income {for families earning 30% or less of the area’s median income} and accessible housing throughout the city, including the construction of new city housing.

B.  Incentives for developers who maintain 30% of developments as permanently affordable housing.

C. Enforcement of tenant rights in accordance with St. Louis City ordinances. The Neighborhood association will set our standards and we will have a community mediation service to arbitrate disputes.

D. Flexible zoning policies in order to promote affordable housing alternatives, including co-ownership and cooperative housing arrangements throughout the city.

E.  The establishment of a citywide housing conservation district.

F.  A dedicated funding source for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund

administered  by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

G. Adequate shelter space for homeless individuals and families and access to employment and other life-sustaining activities.

H. We oppose displacing anyone from current traditional housing or transient shelter unless they violate standards set forth by the neighborhood association.

I. We oppose the use of eminent domain procedures against resident owners of private homes or against local owner-occupied businesses unless 2/3’s of the owner occupied properties approve.

J. We oppose discrimination in housing based on credit history, which is unreliable, dated, or unrelated to a housing obligation.

#5 Healthcare

     City policy shall provide high-quality healthcare, including but not limited to: general health, mental health, reproductive health, dental, and vision. We are in support of the following:

A. We believe in a single payer system of Healthcare. (Medicare for all).

B. Community healthcare provider clinics that give continuous care with services provided to the community on a sliding scale.

C. We want clinics to provide preventative services for needs including, but not limited to: obesity, malnutrition, etc.

D. Ordinances that promote clean air and clean water for the health, safety and comfort of workers and the general public.

#6 Taxes

Tax policy is of tremendous importance, because every governmental plan and/or program requires funding. Whether it be education, healthcare, welfare, bridges, roads, police, fire protection, or any other government service, taxes are necessary to successfully implement the project. We support the following:

A. Getting most of the tax revenue from rich people, not poor or middle-income people. – Our nation and our state do not tax rich people enough. Government expenditure is a much lower percent of our gross domestic product than most of the countries of Europe because we don’t collect enough money in taxes from rich people.

B. Taxing things that rich people spend a high percent of their income or wealth such as stocks, bonds, money market funds, etc and financial transactions in general. – Enacting a sales taxes on things poor people buy as a high percent of their income such as food, drugs, household goods, appliances, alcohol and tobacco is regressive and perpetuates the burden that the lower income families continue to bear.

C. Taxing inheritances much more than the present rate. – In the past, the U.S. taxed inheritances starting at one million or less. Now the nation does not tax inheritances unless over five million dollars. Thus, there is a much lower yield of government revenues from this form of taxation.

D. Taxing income from work, such as wages, at a lesser rate than the present one.

E. Taxing income from capital gains at a higher rate than the present one. – This is income from sources other than work like appreciation of value of stocks. We presently tax capital gains at about half the rate of regular income.

F. A graduated tax system that taxes rich people at a higher percent even on regular income, (the percent taken from the high income earners of regular income is much lower than in past generations and less than is taken from higher income earners in most countries in Europe).

G. A direct wealth tax as percentage of all wealth taken every year regardless of income that year. – We presently have a wealth tax only on things poor and middle-income have as a high percent of their assets but not on things rich people own in great abundance such as stocks, bonds, derivatives etc.

H. All income earners in the middle-income range pay more in taxes than at present. – Middle-income people do in Europe. (Europeans have their needs taken care such as healthcare, education of their children, pensions, etc. They also have a higher savings and lower poverty and homelessness rates).