We cannot resign ourselves to the “darkest timeline”
For decades, resources have been pulled away from the poor, the working class, and even the middle class—funneled upward while our communities were told to make do with less. Wages have stayed flat, costs have soared (especially in the last five years), and public supports and programs have been gutted. For most, it’s been like walking a tightrope, with only the illusion of a government safety net. No room for error. No cushion to land on. Just the daily balancing act of survival.
Overwhelmingly, it’s been people—not systems—who have kept folks from falling. When someone stumbles, chances are it’s not a policy that catches them. Our networks are our safety nets. A neighbor who shares groceries. A cousin who chips in for rent. A friend who picks up the kids after school. When crisis hits, the shock can be absorbed by the collective.
But what happens when the hits keep coming? When our very own president has done everything but formally declare war on his own citizens? How do we survive when the folks who’ve been helping others across are being pushed to the edge themselves? The ones who gave, who showed up, who stretched every dollar—they’re slipping. And if they fall, who’s left to catch the rest?
This isn’t a call to fear. It’s a call for solidarity. To prepare—not alone, but together. To build stronger ties, deepen our roots, and remember that the only real security we’ve ever had is each other. We can’t control what Trump and his crew slash at the federal level—but we can build local infrastructure that shields us from the worst of it, that keeps more of us in a position to help each other. Our tax dollars should be spent investing in public services, funding care work, and creating systems that don’t rely on charity but are rooted in justice. We can become a more locally sustainable community, and find different ways to make sure our needs are met using the resources and knowhow we have right here in Rochester.
I’m running for City Council because I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live a good life, that government should work for the people, and that our future is worth fighting for. If you believe that too—if you’re ready to build a Rochester where we take care of each other, where our budgets reflect our values, and where no one is left behind—I would love to work with you.
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