Read on Twitter
I’m seeing a lot of tweets and statements from San Diego politicians who are no where to be found on very real proposals to reform policing here at home.
People are going to be offended. I don’t care. Get mad. Then do the right thing.
A thread.
People are going to be offended. I don’t care. Get mad. Then do the right thing.
A thread.
The @SDForJustice ballot measure is in the council process right now. It’s been in the works for years. It was killed by the POA in 2018 behind closed doors and the council was complicit.
Former Council President Myrtle Cole gave the death blow and delayed meaningful reform for another 2 years. Her district responded by elected an ACLU police reform attorney as their Councilmember. And it wasn’t close.
Black San Diegans haven’t *just* been protesting. They’ve been organizing. They’ve been electing. They’ve been fundraising. They’ve been policy writing. They’ve done all the heavy work to offer solutions.
Honestly, @SDForJustice is just the tip of the iceburg. @sdACLU, Racial Justice Coalition, TRUST SD, @EarlBGilliamBar, and dozens of other Black led orgs are working their asses off.
All you have to do is pay attention. Support them. It’s not as hard or as politically scary as you make it out to be.
Credit where credit is due: @CD4Monica has been a champion in City Hall and on the trail. @GGomezD9 @bry4sd and @ScottPetersSD have endorsed the measure as written. @DrShirleyWeber has been a great resource.
Everyone else— and I do mean EVERY other elected official— has been noncommittal at best, flat out ignoring us most of the time, or actively antagonistic on the other end of the spectrum.
We get a lot of word salad responses that mean nothing, commit to nothing, and vaguely reference “let’s see what the POA does.” You know what they did? Spend money on lobbyists to oppose it. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.
(BTW, they like to play victim here, but they’ve been at the table since before the measure was even submitted to the City Clerk. I’ve sat across from them myself. No one is trying to trick them or shove anything down their throats without their input. We aren’t stupid.)
The funny part here is that the POA gets a lot of the same noncommittal shit. Because you know there’s a problem. Yea, those of you who tell both groups what we want to hear, it gets back to us. And now no one trusts you. So that’s working great.
This would be a good time to commit to reform. To specific policies. To ballot measures and ordinances and bans and commissions.
You’re politicians. Electoral and policy work is what you do. It’s how you change the world. Own it.
You’re politicians. Electoral and policy work is what you do. It’s how you change the world. Own it.
@SDForJustice is going to qualify for the ballot. We are going to get the @sandiegodems endorsement. Dems, you’re going to be running on a slate with this issue. Figure it out now.
And stop with the bullshit tweets when you have power to help and you simply refuse to do so.
And stop with the bullshit tweets when you have power to help and you simply refuse to do so.
PS. Side rant, shame on San Diego media which has, with very few exceptions, ignored these policy proposals as well. SDSU and the Convention Center are cool and all. But people are DYING. Figure your shit out.
