Economic
and Social Justice Improve living and working conditions of St. Paul's
citizens —
Wages, Housing, Education, Small Business, Education, and the Arts.
In a progressive philosphy, all of these issues are addressed
together to create a healthy community.
•
Support the Little Davis Bacon laws,
which ensure a living minimum wage to employees of large corporations
that take state money through tax incentives or in other ways. Pass
the ordinance supported by a coalition of union, community, and
faith groups to tie St. Paul's TIF (tax increment financing) and
other business subsidies to a living wage based on 130% of the Federal
Poverty Guidelines for food stamps for a family of four.
•
Promote affordable housing, a bottom
line investment and top business priority. The Metro area will need
34,500 new housing units for workforce households in the next five
years to keep pace with job and population growth. The Mayor of
St. Paul has proposed 5,000 units of housing — a number a
local bank manager calls a "drop in the bucket." For a vibrant downtown
the size of St. Paul — one that can support small businesses,
the lifeblood of a city, we need at least 15,000 residents. I will
do all I can, working with groups like Housing Minnesota and local
business to create more affordable housing. One of the greatest
joys of my life is owning my home. I want to make that a reality
for more people.
•
Promote strong public education
for all St. Paulites. Work with the School Board, teachers,
and students to ensure good communication and sufficient government
funding. Involve business and non-profits in a more substantive
way to provide mentoring and role models for students through curriculum
enhancement and out-of-school activities.
•
Support small businesses — which account
for over 75% of new jobs — through groups like the Metro Independent
Business Alliance (MetroIBA). Explore ways to seek property tax
equity for small business, explore ordinances that limit the number
of chain stores or "big box" stores that are in any one
neighborhood, tie city subsidies for developers to requirements
for space devoted to small business, and give tax breaks to developers
who make rent adjustments for small businesses.
•
Support the arts in the downtown. 3,339 full
time jobs are created in St. Paul by the nonprofit arts community.
The business of art builds communities both economically and culturally.
As an artist, I fully appreciate the role of the arts in building
a "civil" society.
•
Create "Weekend Getaway Packages" with
downtown hotels, theatres, and Xcel Energy Center to attract tourists
to St. Paul.
•
Utilize the skyways in downtown St. Paul as a
place for local artists and artisans to display and sell their artwork
during business hours to animate the skyways and support the artists.
More Information
Click here for speeches, press
releases, and press coverage about Elizabeth's vision and plan for St.
Paul.
Economic
and Social Justice