Hi all, My name is Jacqueline Lewis, and I am a resident of Menlo Park. I am writing to demand that the City Council adopts a People’s Budget that prioritizes community wellbeing and redirects funding away from the police. This past week, our nation has been gripped by protests calling for a rapid and meaningful reconsideration of the role of policing in communities as well as an end to racism and anti-Blackness in America. The Bay Area has been at the forefront of much of this action. As the new budget will not be adopted until July 1st, this is the time to implement changes. MPPD is a poor use of our resources. Last year, the Menlo Park general fund spent 21.13 million dollars on the MPPD, or 30% of the budget which also funds public works, community services, and the library for considerably less. We could be spending this money on resources that better serve the community, like affordable housing, mental health resources, and the library system just to name a few. Amidst a pandemic in which everyone has been affected monetarily, the police system should be the first to be defunded. There are other far more important initiatives that need our money. I join the calls of those across the country to defund the police. I demand a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of impacted Menlo Park residents during this trying and uncertain time, when livelihoods are on the line. I call on you to slash the MPPD budget and instead meaningfully reallocate funds towards social programs and resources that support housing, jobs, education, health care, child care, and other critical community needs. We demand a budget that supports community wellbeing, rather than empowering the police forces that tear us apart. As the City Council, the budget proposal is in your hands. It is your duty to represent your constituents. I am urging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. We can be a beacon for other cities to follow if only we have the courage to change. Sincerely, Jacqueline Lewis 1010 Noel Drive jacqlewis15_at_(domainremoved) 412-328-13357 Received on Wed Jun 10 2020 - 13:01:41 PDT
