City must address entrenched poverty
On Tuesday, the Chattanooga City Council heard a rebuttal to the “State of the City” address given by Mayor Andy Berke. While Berke highlighted some great things happening in our city, he failed to capture the reality that many Chattanoogans experience, especially those who are poor and people of color.
It is well-known that poverty is a root cause of violence. Increasing police presence, installing surveillance cameras and arresting more people cannot and will not alleviate poverty. It’s ineffectual and illogical to keep pouring resources into programs (e.g. Violence Reduction Initiative) that are not working. We must, as a city, decide that our priorities have to shift, and the city budget must reflect this.
We cannot afford to ignore reality, and we cannot police our way out of poverty. If, in Mayor Berke’s words, “failure is not an option,” then we cannot keep failing poor and black communities. Chattanooga can and should be a city where everyone is considered worthy of resources, not just those who are already privileged.
Allie Stafford