Public Assembly presents perspectives on divided America

Joda Thongnopnua
Joda Thongnopnua
photo Joda Thongnopnua

Racial bias in public education, the power struggle between state and city governments, and the political woes of the white working class were among a host of topics tackled Saturday by a panel of speakers brought to Chattanooga by a local, urban policy startup.

"I couldn't be prouder of the content," said Joda Thongnopnua, executive director of Metro Ideas Project and democratic candidate for Tennessee's State House District 30. "The attendees were super engaged."

Around 75 people came and went at the new headquarters of Chattanooga Whiskey as seven speakers, including journalists, academics and policy experts, discussed existing divisions in America and theorized about possible solutions.

Paula Wilson, a professional mediator who lives in East Chattanooga, said she got a ticket to the weekend conference on the rural/urban/suburban divide, called A Public Assembly, because she worries about gentrification and wanted to make sure that the public policy discussion considered the needs of vulnerable Chattanoogans.

"I wasn't sure what their objective was," said Wilson. "So I thought, I better find out."

Several speakers touched on issues affecting Chattanooga that are often overlooked.

Robinson Meyer, a staff writer with The Atlantic who has written extensively about the science and politics of climate change, said, if nothing changes, forecasting research shows that Hamilton County will be hurt by global warming. The average summer day between 1981 and 2010 was 76 degrees. However, Meyer said research shows by 2080 the average summer day will be 85 degrees, a jump which would affect agriculture and other industries.

"6.7 percent of its [gross domestic product] would evaporate," said Meyer. "It's a climate tax in Hamilton County."

Mark Stodola, the mayor of Little Rock and the president of the National League of Cities, warned about the consequences of declining local control and said Chattanoogans are prevented from making local decisions about minimum wage, paid leave policies, anti-discrimination policies, ride sharing and municipal broadband because state preemption limits local authority.

"There is a perfect storm preventing local control," said Stodola, who argued that lobbyist for national companies such as Uber are influencing state legislatures to make policy in their favor. "We are dedicated to equipping city leaders to fight this, and we want a national conversation about this. Preemption is neutering local control."

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