ON THE ISSUES
The following section lays out the concrete policies that Joshua will help fight for when elected to the Louisville Metro Council.
Affordable Housing
Joshua is a renter in the district and has spent many years fighting for tenant protections, so he understands the challenges that working people face trying to find an affordable place to live. The high cost of housing forces many low-income families to make a difficult choice—pay for housing or pay for basic necessities like food. This can lead to food insecurity and financial instability. We need affordable housing approaches and initiatives that will be a solution for working families and not a pay out for wealthy developers.
Food Justice for Food Deserts
Large swaths of Louisville are “food deserts,” including District 4 neighborhoods Russell and Smoketown. While grocery store developers add more locations to already well-served neighborhoods, 44K people do not have the money or transportation they need to buy healthy, affordable food. Since 2016, more than a dozen grocery stores have closed across the city. Clearly, private development has failed. This is not just a matter of nutrition, it’s a matter of equity and justice. We need publicly owned municipal grocery stores that won’t abandon entire communities because of low profit margins.
Criminal Justice Reform
Now more than ever, we see the dangers of our carceral police state. We have empowered and encouraged the police to default to violence. And people of color, the poor, and the working class are often the victims. Many police-focused policy decisions have led us to this place and we must do the work to unravel it, turning our focus to solutions that prioritize people, especially our youth. Joshua will oppose police budget increases that double down on the same failed policies that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor and many others in this city.
A Healthy City is A Safe City
A health equity approach is needed to address the root causes of health disparities, going beyond equal access. This approach includes intentionally reducing barriers and providing a vibrant quality of life for marginalized communities. Housing instability, food insecurity, access to medical care, reproductive justice, and environmental health are ALL interconnected. We need to make Louisville safer by providing holistic support for families and individuals.
Criminal Justice Reform
Now more than ever, we see the dangers of our carceral police state. We have empowered and encouraged the police to default to violence. And people of color, the poor, and the working class are often the victims. Many police-focused policy decisions have led us to this place and we must do the work to unravel it, turning our focus to solutions that prioritize people, especially our youth. Joshua will oppose police budget increases that double down on the same failed policies that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor and many others in this city.
A Healthy City is A Safe City
A health equity approach is needed to address the root causes of health disparities, going beyond equal access. This approach includes intentionally reducing barriers and providing a vibrant quality of life for marginalized communities. Housing instability, food insecurity, access to medical care, reproductive justice, and environmental health are ALL interconnected. We need to make Louisville safer by providing holistic support for families and individuals.
Universal Pre-K
Universal preschool can help bridge the “academic gap“ experienced by children from low-income families, who are often at a disadvantage when it comes to education, primarily because of a lack of access to early childhood education programs. We need high-quality, universal Pre-K for all children in Louisville to ensure that ALL families have access to early care and education.
Good Jobs Are Union Jobs
Joshua is a proud union Teamster who knows that workers in Louisville have the power to build a city that truly empowers all. For centuries, powerful business interests have built their wealth on the blood and sweat of Louisville’s workers. Our political leaders too often side with big business over the needs of ordinary workers. It’s time that we fight back. We need better wages, benefits, working conditions, and labor laws that help workers organize and fight for what is rightfully ours.
Publicly Owned Utilities
Public utilities are already widespread across the United States, with 28% of customers served by a public or cooperatively-owned utility. Louisville should be next. Public utilities are not incentivized to maximize profits for shareholders by expanding service and infrastructure instead of investing in solutions that address the effects of climate change. Public utilities answer to their customers—the working people of Louisville. We need public ownership of utilities in Louisville to keep energy bills affordable and to combat climate change.
Well-funded Public Transit
Louisville has the potential to be a world leader in public transit, in turn fighting climate change by reducing traffic congestion and the pollution caused by single-occupancy vehicles, but the current funding model for TARC is archaic and insufficient. We need new funding solutions for TARC that will make it a reliable mode of transportation for working people in Louisville who often have no other options.
Publicly Owned Utilities
Public utilities are already widespread across the United States, with 28% of customers served by a public or cooperatively-owned utility. Louisville should be next. Public utilities are not incentivized to maximize profits for shareholders by expanding service and infrastructure instead of investing in solutions that address the effects of climate change. Public utilities answer to their customers—the working people of Louisville. We need public ownership of utilities in Louisville to keep energy bills affordable and to combat climate change.
Well-funded Public Transit
Louisville has the potential to be a world leader in public transit, in turn fighting climate change by reducing traffic congestion and the pollution caused by single-occupancy vehicles, but the current funding model for TARC is archaic and insufficient. We need new funding solutions for TARC that will make it a reliable mode of transportation for working people in Louisville who often have no other options.
Joshua is rejecting ALL corporate donations and developer dollars. His campaign is sustained by grassroots donors like you.
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