1/ There’s a lot of unpacking needed in @FrancisSuarez’s simplistic formula for city-growth. 1) Low taxes attracts businesses. True. Then housing demand grows, cost of living skyrockets, and low income communities suffer. Desperation kicks in, crime increases. https://twitter.com/francissuarez/status/1382029288862580736

2/ Crime doesn’t exist in a bubble because people are born criminals. It’s a product of environment and access to resources. SF saw these problems increase with their burgeoning tech scene.

3/ Solving the problem of crime requires a systemic response, not merely more police with access to tech that increases their capability to spy on and potentially subjugate citizens. Frankly, the list of MPD tech capabilities is frightening.

4/ If you are saying more police make people feel safer, you are clearly only speaking to middle and upper class white and white-identified Latinx folk. Period. Full stop. It’s just tone deaf AF. Sorry.

5/ City of Miami proper, with rents already 200% higher than a few metro stops away, will consolidate power and push minority communities and homelessness to the margins. Problem solved for the City becomes a Miami-Dade County problem for @MayorDaniella

6/ Addressing crime, homelessness and addiction requires more services, not just cops. Opportunities, resources, healthcare cost money. How to pay for those?

7/ Don’t get me wrong, I’m stoked about this newly inspired Miami. But to say we can grow and avoid the increasing crime and social problems that follow by increasing police power without investing in our community services in a real way, is short sighted at best.

8/ So what’s the plan? Stay the course on this effective marketing pitch, wait until things get bad and the pressure mounts to increase and pay for services, then leave the unpleasant job of increasing taxes to the next mayor? We need an actual plan. Upskilling is not enough.