Essaibi George lays out ‘equity’ agenda

Essaibi George in Roxbury to roll out equity agenda

City Councillor At-Large Annissa Essaibi George was in Roxbury Tuesday to roll out an equity agenda after a "listen and learn" tour across the city. (Photo via Essaibi George campaign)

Mayoral candidate and City Councillor At-Large Annissa Essaibi George on Tuesday rolled out an “Equity, Inclusion and Justice Agenda” after a “listen and learn” tour that took her to the Bowdoin Geneva neighborhood, the Vietnamese Day Center in Fields Corner, Le Foyer bakery in Mattapan, and a roundtable discussion with Somali women.

“As mayor of Boston, I will ensure that Boston is intentional in rooting out inequity and dismantling racism in our city — from education and housing, to climate and health care, and even how and when potholes are filled and sidewalks are fixed,” she said in a statement.

At an event laying out the agenda in Roxbury, Essaibi George said it will be a “constant work in progress.” She also said her administration would spend $100 million to implement her goals, with the help of a task force of community members, clergy, and advocates.

The 44-page agenda calls for increased funding for down payment assistance and other housing initiatives and within the first 100 days of her administration, an “anti-speculation” tax that seeks to “discourage investors from buying units and leaving them empty.” Part of the agenda is available here.

The agenda also calls for expanding addiction support and a centralized database for recovery services and the creation of a $50 million fund that would go directly to Black, Latinx, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) entrepreneurs.

Essaibi George also plans to implement the recommendations of a police reform task force, including the expansion of the use of body cameras and a mandate to release footage of an incident within 24 hours “to establish public trust and transparency.”

When asked about Essaibi George’s plan hours before it was formally released, City Councillor At-Large Michelle Wu said her mayoral campaign proposals are centered on their own conversations with community members.

“There is so much that is within the power of city government to do and to do immediately, from reforming our contracts to ensure there is equity and clear steps in the first 100 days around spending of city dollars,” to boosting homeownership, she said.

“We have the resources, we have the activism, we have the ideas, we just have to make sure we are using the political will to center Black and brown communities,” she added.

Wu's plans are available here.

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