Philosophy & Plans

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A society's first priority should always be to help it's most ailing members. With the already infamous temperature extremes of Michigan becoming more deadly each year, it is imperative that we find swifter, more efficient methods of assistance for our homeless population. 

Nobody needs to perish of heat stroke in a city able to build an ampitheatre even Caligula would find gaudy.

It is quite telling that syntactically Bliss, LaGrande, and Lear all put 'businesses' before ’people‘ or ‘community’ in their mission statements. I harbour no such sentiments: I believe in a trickle-up society, where even the poorest of us lives out their life in fair health, which naturally will lead to a bounty of creativity & innovation. 

As businesses are, of course, comprised of people, the wealth of the community should spread to them in short order.

As a demonstration & propagation of this faith, 

I intend to donate my mayoral salary to the public in some manner, 

the logistics of which must be sorted once in office; 

I will continue working my part-time kitchen job for rent, and eating my rice.

By focusing on novel methods of community engagement may we build structures non-reliant upon the whims of the economy, and return value to our dollar; by becoming a City of Volunteers may we grow as a collective society. 

I have spoken to many people willing to commit their efforts to the betterment of their fellows, if only they knew how or felt they had the time and money. 

If we rebalance our collective values around giving over receiving, what kind of opportunities might open up? Further, if we no longer see the structure of society as so many prison bars of constriction & obligation, but as an absurdist jungle gym upon which to play, what new avenues of creation might we discover?

The horror of Late Capitalism is also it's gift, if seen correctly: a quick and dirty example of easy-to-organise volunteer work is acquiring the leftover food from willing restaurants, to be brought to participating shelters & locations, etc. 

Anybody who works or has worked in a kitchen knows how much foodstuff is unnecessarily tossed by the end of the night...nobody should be hungry in our city.

By converting available lots of land & portions of our parks into community gardens - as well as incentivising home gardens - we may reduce the rising cost of groceries for us all, as well as  improve our diets while encouraging outdoor play and social engagement.

I really don't mean to sound like such a hippie, have you seen what i wear?! 

All black, no hippies here.

I am only one person, and know not yet all that which much be healed in Grand Rapids, nor how to do so in many cases; however, this is our city, together:

I look forward to those brilliant of you coming forth, with shining ideals and beautiful plots, that we may accomplish in union.

<3 HLB