This event was hosted by the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) and the Brentwood 300. People gathered for a circle discussion under the trees, while their children played nearby. Attendees enjoyed soul food and conversation with their neighbors. The programming for this event was focused on the People’s Budget.

The People’s Budget is an initiative on behalf of the JCAC to both reimagine public safety and consider the impact that reinvestment could have in the community. The JCAC believes that enhancing public safety in Jacksonville requires prioritizing the historically neglected communities through direct investment and enacting legislation that addresses the root causes of crime.

As explained in the program for Saturday’s event, “Popular Education in the Park is a series created to truly meet folks where they are in Black and working-class communities.”

People discussed the history of redlining in Jacksonville, as well as the modern day ramifications. A recurring example of one such ramification was the morgue that is being built in the Brentwood neighborhood across the street from a school.

The discussion facilitator explained that “Redlining has regulated Black people to the Northside without any real representation, thus disenfranchising an entire people. Then city leaders decide that anything unappealing should be placed on the city’s north side, which is why a morgue is being built in a neighborhood despite the community’s strong opposition.”

Members of the Brentwood 300, an older working-class black organization, echoed these sentiments, as their organizational work is focused on publicly opposing the development of this morgue in a residential Black community.

Many attendees spoke about land and family property that is regularly at risk of being taken by white wealthy developers. People shared that Black homeowners on the Northside receive low offers for their property – only for that property to then be flipped and sold for twice what they paid.

During the “Reinvestment” portion of the program, attendees discussed why 34% of the city’s budget goes to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO), but only 1% goes to neighborhoods. One attendee asked, “What is JSO doing with all those funds?” People felt that those funds for JSO were being mismanaged, and the city would have fewer problems if they worked to prevent crime, rather than react to crime. Community members also spoke of their disgust with building a new billion-dollar jail, possibly in the Black community.

Popular Education in the Park is an ongoing series. JCAC will select a different park in Black and working-class communities in the month of June, and plan to spend the month canvassing neighborhoods and deepening ties with the community. This initiative will help JCAC refine their People’s Budget to include the input from neighborhood people they have spoken with.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesBudget

This opposition is due to issues regarding mass incarceration, police and state violence, redlining, housing insecurity, immigrant safety, and the outrage caused by city council approving a morgue in the Brentwood neighborhood. This morgue was built despite Brentwood residents’ objections toward the construction of a morgue, and it was built less than 500 feet from a school.

Since 2024, when Councilman Ron Salem formed a committee to discuss the funding and relocation of a new jail, the council has made its best attempt to keep this project quiet and out of the public sphere. It is for this very reason that the JCAC has been adamant about keeping this campaign front and center for all to witness and have a say.

The JCAC stood alongside Take ‘Em Down Jax (TEDJ), Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN), Metro Gardens Neighborhood Association, Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA), Jax Tenants Union (JTU), and The Red Alliance.

Wells Todd, a veteran activist, TEDJ front-runner and respected Jacksonville elder, stated, “These jails are built not only to oppress us and use us for free labor, but also as an alternative to providing communities their needs.”

Attendees also heard from Metro Gardens lead activist, Lydia Bell, about how the demands of Brentwood are being ignored, which is a direct reflection of the council’s intent to pursue financial gain at the expense of Black and brown communities. The jail is a continued representation of the council’s desire to save the best for themselves, while regular working class people are forced to pay the price.

City leaders have been vague about the location of this new jail. There is discussion of its construction on either the Westside or the Northside. The Westside is representative of many white working-class neighborhoods. The Northside is representative of many historically Black neighborhoods that continue to struggle against redlining and systemic racism.

After making it clear how far-reaching an issue the jail is for every aspect of community health, Jacksonville residents filed into the chambers to make their voices heard, yet again proving to be the collective majority.

Residents argue that the funds would be better invested into an all-encompassing “People’s Budget,” focusing on housing, education, food access, and more. JCAC member Ash Chatmon stated, “We want to see our money go to programs and institutions that meet our needs. Mass incarceration is a parasite that sucks the life and resources out of our community, and it fails to solve any of the underlying issues. This is not a jail issue, this is a policy issue; this is a manufactured problem.”

Despite these concerns, Jacksonville City Council has made it clear that they are most focused about the possibility of what could develop where the current jail sits – an ideal riverfront property with a central location.

A resident stated, “We no longer come to city council to try to appeal to council members’ morality, as they have proven to be lacking. We speak to them in words they understand: Reallocation of votes and funding. When our rights and needs are held over our heads like a carrot on a stick, we refuse to chase false promises and instead turn to face our neighbors and community at large.”

As succinctly stated by activist and community member Denise Scott, “The power of the people is greater than the people in power.”

The Jacksonville Community Action Committee says the fight in opposition of a new jail is ongoing, and they plan to be at all upcoming city council meetings to make their voices heard.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #Jail #JCAC #PeoplesBudget

Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors convened on Thursday, November 9, to adopt the 2024 County Budget. Included in this year’s budget was an amendment package that included $250,000 for a third-party audit of the County Jail. The adoption of the amended budget marks a step towards securing transparency and accountability in the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

The third-party audit has been a demand of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression for several months. While it’s not everything that the Milwaukee Alliance is fighting for, the inclusion of this third-party audit in the adopted budget marks a significant win for the movement against police crimes in Milwaukee. These wins build the momentum necessary to achieve larger and more significant victories, and we must recognize them as such.

In 2023 alone there have been four in-custody deaths, and people locked inside the jail have had to resort to barricading themselves inside the jail library to demand that MCSO take action against the conditions they are forced to live in. Solutions to the problems inside the jail will not be easy, and regardless of how much more county supervisors fund the MCSO, without a system in place capable of holding the MCSO accountable, the deaths won’t stop, and the conditions will only worsen.

The timeline for the third-party audit remains unclear, but organizers will not be wasting any time waiting for it. The Milwaukee Alliance will continue mounting pressure at the county level to secure a civilian accountability council over the MCSO with the necessary power to hold them accountable, control their swollen budget, and improve the conditions inside the jail. The support of the Milwaukee community secured the third-party audit, and it will be that same support that builds to the victory that will be community control of the MCSO.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesBudget #CommunityControlOfPolice

Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, October 30, the County Board of Supervisors held their annual public hearing to discuss the proposed 2024 county budget. One of the proposals within this budget was an increase to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) of $7 million. Although people attended the public hearing to discuss a wide range of issues, such as taking into account the safety of Milwaukee County Transit System’s drivers or better accessibility for the disabled community within the county, the majority of public testimonies demanded increased spending for public goods and services rather than continual increase to the MCSO.

“That money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is our communities. As you chip away at our communities, you harm people,” said Pearl Foster, a social worker in Milwaukee, highlighting that an increase in the MCSO’s budget would harm other programs funded by tax dollars. This excessive funding of policing institutions at the cost of peoples’ ability to live with dignity is an issue that plagues most municipalities across the U.S.

MCSO’s request for a budgetary increase has also spurred criticism due to an alarming lack of transparency. Alan Chavoya, Outreach Chair of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR), said, “If the county sheriff is serious about wanting more money, we have to understand how they are using or, in better terms, misusing the budget they already have.”

Chavoya and other Milwaukee residents have been calling for a full third-party audit from the MCSO in order for the public to understand how the millions they receive each year are spent.

Unfortunately, the county budget presents one of the few opportunities for members of the public to pressure elected officials to hold the MCSO accountable. As the MCSO arrogantly reminds the public at county board meetings, they are only accountable to themselves. For this reason, the Milwaukee Alliance has been calling for a Civilian Accountability Council over the MCSO. While the proposed budget is poised to pass through the county board at the November 9 meeting, the struggle against the MCSO, the in-custody deaths, and deplorable conditions inside the county jail continue.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesBudget #MAARPR

Jacksonville, FL – On Wednesday July 20, local organizers rallied in favor of a People’s Budget, and against the proposed increase in the budget at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). They gathered outside of a townhall meeting scheduled by JSO Sheriff T.K. Waters at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has consistently received yearly increases to their budget for nearly a decade. Sheriff T.K. Waters is asking city leaders for funding to hire another 80 officers, while pushing for over 200 to be added in the next four years. As the city's basic infrastructure continues to decay and houseless rates in the city reach an all-time high, JSO is expected to receive a historic budget increase.

The rally was called by with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, The Northside Coalition and Take Em' Down Jax.

“A People's Budget would see bloated police budget increases reallocated and reinvested into the community,” said Neal Jefferson of the JCAC.

“If all of the officers are here, then who is responding to crimes?” asked one activist as they were met with egregious displays of force mirroring a military parade at the JSO townhall. Officers clad in gear clearly designed for urban warfare arrived in a variety of increasingly ludicrous vehicles, including what can only be described as tactical golf carts, a helicopter and police speed boat.

The coalition of grassroots community organizations was not intimidated, and dozens gathered to rally in favor of community control of the police, for the creation of a Public Safety Committee. Chanting, “No new JSO!” and “People's Budget now!” they vowed to oppose increased police funding.

#JacksonvilleFL #PeoplesBudget

Denver, CO – On November 14, activists gathered outside the city and county government building to protest the 2023 budget. The city council passed the mayor's proposed plan by a 12-1 on that day with only one minor amendment for building more crosswalks. Public comment on the budget from three weeks before, which includes a $45 million increase in police funding, indicated that not a single Denver resident supported passing the measure as is.

This has been an annual trend in Denver. Every year the police budget increases and, every year, more police crimes are committed. While Denver has similar homeless sweeps, racist beatings, and police murders as other major urban centers in the U.S., Denver police can be especially brutal. One example of this brutality happened in July when DPD gunned down seven innocent people outside of a downtown nightclub. The only person to be charged with a crime in that mass shooting to date is one of the victims, 21-year-old Jordan Waddy.

Lawsuits over DPD misconduct during the 2020 protests surrounding George Floyd's murder have cost Denver taxpayers $20 million this year alone. Allocating $611 million (nearly 40% of the city’s general fund) to cops is a spit in the face to community members who have been suffering at the hands of police terror.

“Imagine 188 additional doctors and nurses in Denver hospitals. Imagine 188 more social workers who can work with folks experiencing housing and food insecurity. Imagine 188 more qualified teachers in DPS,” said Jonce Palmer, chair of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC). This is a reference to the $8.4 million allotted by the new budget for hiring 188 new police officers in 2023. DACAC is an organization that works to support victims of police crimes in seeking justice and fights for community control of the police.

Another group who sponsored the event, Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND), was successful in enlisting the help of Councilmember Candi CdeBaca to propose seven amendments to the budget that would have addressed critical issues of housing, sanitation and safety, particularly for Denver residents experiencing homelessness. These amendments were almost entirely ignored by the rest of the council and CdeBaca represents the lone dissenting vote in Monday’s proceedings. “There needs to be a community voice speaking loud,” said HAND representative Terese Howard, “The city needs to stop prioritizing spending on police and start prioritizing people.”

The city council’s disdain for democracy was showcased by their refusal to allow the public into the building during the vote. Demonstrators, who numbered over a dozen, were forced to stand outside in below freezing temperatures. Despite the poor weather and early sunset, the rally was a resounding success and will be a precursor to future actions for greater community control over the city’s police and budget. “We may not have the money, but we have the people power,” said Kyle Burroughs, “When you come to a rally like this, we become a physical force.”

#DenverCO #PoliceBrutality #antipolicebrutality #PeoplesBudget

TCAC members agitated for changes on a variety of topics related to the budget, including housing, free and accessible public service, healthcare, and ending police brutality. TCAC’s president, Delilah Pierre, spoke on the need for community control of the police and for the city of Tallahassee to take police accountability seriously.

“If we want to transform policing in our city we need community control of the police, and the first step to that is a Civilian Police Accountability Council The city has done a subpar job at best at taking the demands of the Civilian Police Review Board seriously. Despite submitting their annual report in February, it still hasn’t even been reviewed by the city and it’s September. It’s a grave error and a testament to the city’s use of the CPRB as a buffer for police brutality and negligence.”

Jacob Muldoon, a member of Students for a Democratic Society, spoke on the need for affordable housing in Tallahassee. “Although the city of Tallahassee has made claims that they are not a housing authority, the simple truth is that the city of Tallahassee has the power to renovate units such as the unoccupied houses within the Southside and provide them to housing insecure people in our city, which has increased exponentially each year since the start of the pandemic.”

Other organizations also spoke about the city budget. Members of the Capital Area Justice Ministry, a local coalition of churches fighting for affordable housing and gun violence intervention in Tallahassee, came to advocate for gun violence intervention. James Houston, a pastor at Bethelonian AME church, which is a member of the Capital Area Justice Ministry stated “I am personally affected by gun violence. My cousin was killed through gun violence, and it always has been a part of me.”

Despite the requests made by TCAC, the city budget was nearly unaltered from its previous form. The city commission also voted 3-2 to create a Real Time Crime Center within Tallahassee, giving the Tallahassee Police Department more power to surveil the public. Despite questioning from the two opposing city commissioners, the vote in favor does nothing to limit TPD’s power of surveillance.

#TallahasseeFL #TallahasseeCommunityActionCommitteeTCAC #PeoplesBudget

Jacksonville, FL – As the people of Jacksonville face rapidly increasing rent hikes and evictions, local organizers and residents rallied outside of City Hall on August 9. Before entering the city council meeting, they rallied and chanted, “Peoples Budget now!” “Make housing affordable,” and “Rent stabilization now!”

After listening to speakers outside of city hall, many people spoke at the city council meeting, demanding a People’s Budget. The proposal from the Jacksonville Community Action Committee will reallocate funds from the inflated Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) budget back into the community.

The People's Budget proposal focuses on Jacksonville’s city budget and reallocating funds because, under Mayor Curry, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office currently holds nearly 40% of the $1.4 billion budget.

Sara Mahmoud of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization stood at the podium and said, “JSO has consistently proven that they have no intention to protect our community but would rather brutalize and kill our residents. On top of that, as we witnessed over 1200 eviction filings in July, it is JSO who will enforce those evictions. Instead of funding measures that will help our residents in the middle of a pandemic and crisis, they’re choosing to fund police who will penalize the working class for simply being poor. This is why we’re demanding a Peoples Budget from city council, that includes proposals for a Tenants Bill of Rights and an Office of Tenant Advocacy to enforce the bill of rights.”

Shayne Tremblay, a local IBEW union member said, “I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: We the workers, are what make Jacksonville the city it is. We are the ones building the homes, delivering the packages, teaching our children, making the coffee, and keeping the city clean, but we are being priced out of living in our own city, and our city officials are letting it happen.”

Christina Kittle, an organizer with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, stated that Jacksonville should enact a housing state of emergency, like Orange County, which was able to get rent stabilization on the election ballot.

Kittle explained, “There have been 20,825 evictions in Jacksonville from March 2022 to the end of July 2022. It’s clear we have a housing crisis, yet more and more funding goes to the police. It is unfair when organizations have to provide numbers and data and months of research just to be considered for funding, but a department that underperforms consistently gets millions each year. No questions asked.”

Protesters demanded that the city council focus on two initiatives that could help combat the housing crisis in Jacksonville: First, a housing state of emergency that will put in place an eviction moratorium. Second, an Office of Tenant Advocacy that will uphold a Tenant Bill of Rights to hold landholders accountable for negligence in maintenance, management or unjust rent hikes. This could be created by taking the $37million proposed for police and reallocating it.

The People’s Budget proposes legislation that will provide for resources lacking in Jacksonville. This includes funding the Division of Mental Health Services to improve access to quality mental health services, funding for the construction and maintenance of new homeless shelters to reduce overcrowding in existing shelters, increasing wage raises for case managers and recruiting more shelter employees. Other legislation includes supporting Black businesses, crime reduction, and public infrastructure efforts.

Protesters vowed to keep the pressure on the city council until their demands for a People’s Budget are met. You can read JCAC’s proposal for a People’s Budget at https://jaxtakesaction.org/peoples-budget-now.

#JacksonvilleFL #HousingStruggles #PeoplesBudget

Tallahassee, FL – On April 30, Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) hosted a panel discussing Tallahassee’s current city budget and the need for a People’s Budget. The panel was put on at The Bark, a local vegan restaurant in the All Saints neighborhood, and was co-sponsored by the Tallahassee chapters of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

“It’s super important that we let the city know that we’re not just going to be silent in the face of rising rent and inflation and unemployment. In general, it’s really important for people to know that they can make a difference,” said Regina Joseph, president of TCAC and district organizer for FRSO.

The panelists highlighted how the current city budget does not allocate enough resources to take care of the everyday needs of Tallahassee residents, but instead funnels more and more money to the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) with each passing year. For the 2022 fiscal year, TPD received just over $64 million, which equates to roughly 37% of the city’s general fund. TCAC demands that the city reallocate the funding for community support and stop using other city and county funding for TPD.

With the high correlation between poverty and increased crime rates, if the city really wanted to address crime, they would redirect money away from TPD and put it towards solutions proven to reduce both poverty and crime, such as reliable access to affordable housing and public healthcare options. Instead, that money is used to further militarize a police force with things like night vision goggles, urban assault vehicles and a new helicopter.

“The city commission would rather let developers build more student housing and more studio apartments instead of actually allocating money towards housing that working people can afford,” said Isabela Casanova, one of the panelists and a member of SDS.

Casanova added, “The truth of the matter is that people need a place to sleep, and people need a place to call home – to not put affordable housing on their agenda or even on the radar is pretty sad. Working-class people need a cap on rent and to be actually able to afford the houses they are living in.”

Tallahassee’s desperate need for a People’s Budget further reinforces the demand from Tallahassee activists for a Civilian Police Accountability Council, which would put the power of police and their spending in the hands of the city’s residents. If each year TPD is rewarded for their inability to keep Tallahassee residents safe with a larger budget, there will never be an incentive for them to change, so it’s time to take that decision away from the city and give it to the people most affected.

Jordan Scott, the organizing chair for Graduates Assistants United, a union for grad students on FSU’s campus, stated, “The people’s budget gives the ability to seize those resources – that we pay anyway, through taxes- and give it back to things we need, like public transportation. We know that working-class people are the people that make this city.”

#TallahasseeFL #PoorPeoplesMovements #InJusticeSystem #HousingStruggles #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #PeoplesBudget #TallahasseeCommunityActionCommitteeTCAC

Jacksonville, FL – Around 40 community members, led by the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) came out to Jacksonville City Hall July 27 to rally and demand a People’s Budget before the city council meeting started.

The week before, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry released his proposed 2021-2022 budget, which calls for an increase to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) budget by $29 million, bringing their total share of the budget to around $513 million and accounting for nearly 40% of city spending.

Community members from the Northside Coalition, Southern Women Against Gun Violence and representatives from other organizations all came out to speak at the rally and gave public comment before the city councilors.

“We came out to demand our city officials allocate our taxpayer dollars to ending poverty, not more policing,” said Monique Sampson of the JCAC. “We’ve seen JSO’s budget go up every year while the Black community struggles to get roads repaired and septic tanks removed. We have the democratic right to determine how our money is spent.”

Despite the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s consistent increase in funding the previous years, Jacksonville has not experienced a decrease in crime and had an actual uptick in violent crime along with citizen police complaints last year. The JCAC says the People’s Budget aims to address the social issues that contribute directly to crime and poor public health. It includes proposals for investment in living wage job opportunities, mental health services and strengthened city infrastructure. The People’s Budget also contains legislation that activists are pushing for, including marijuana decriminalization, demanding city contracts go to Black contractors equally, and redirecting sheriff’s office funds to helping grow Black small business.

Organizers also say the People’s Budget aims to strengthen organized labor through redirecting city funds away from policing to public workers and a creation of a large public works program that would hire workers at a living wage. The People’s Budget contains the push for legislation such as a union neutrality ordinance for any vendor doing business with the city, along with calls for raising taxes on the wealthy to fund development in the Urban Core, Northwest and Out East, three historically Black and underdeveloped areas in Jacksonville.

“In the Black Belt and in cities like Jacksonville in the Black Belt, you’ve seen historic underdevelopment,” said Neal Jefferson with the JCAC. “The People’s budget aims to change that.”

After the rally, around 25 community members gave public comment demanding city council persons hear their calls.

#Jacksonville #AfricanAmerican #JacksonvilleCommunityActionCommitteeJCAC #PeoplesBudget #LennyCurry #BlackBelt

Jacksonville, FL – Wrapping up an entire month of action, on June 27, over 400 people gathered in front of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Duval County Jail. Over a month ago, in the wake of COVID-19, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee led a car caravan around the Duval County Jail demanding the mass release of inmates, especially those over 65 years of age and those who are immunocompromised. Those demands were ignored and now 178 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. This rally and march occurred under a backdrop of rising COVID infection rates in the city of Jacksonville as well as recording-setting heat.

The Duval County Jail is already overpopulated by over 800 inmates, and there have been firsthand accounts, including those of protesters who were recently arrested, attesting to the filth and inhumane conditions of the jail.

The mother of a 16-year-old minor who was arrested and is awaiting trial addressed the crowd. She explained how she has received no information regarding the release of her son, that when he calls, he is covering his face with a t-shirt as those incarcerated were not given masks. The Jacksonville Community Action Committee has handed out free masks at every march and rally, while the jail has yet to issue masks to inmates. Family members and loved ones of those incarcerated are left feeling hopeless as they hear that there is no social distancing, no appropriate protective gear, and that inmates are forced to share cells with those infected.

The crowd marched around the jail and chanted “Free my brother! Free my sister!” The inmates pounding on the windows and walls could be heard throughout the crowd.

“There is no excuse for what is happening in this jail and in prisons around the country,” said Rachel Duff, an organizer with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee. “We warned that this would happen and now that it has begun to spread, there must be a swift response by our elected officials, and we will hold them accountable for anything that happens to those incarcerated and exposed to COVID-19.”

As of June 29, JSO Sheriff Mike Williams indicated 50 inmates who had tested positive for COVID-19 had been released over the weekend, after the protests.

Protesters also raised the demand for community control of the police through a Jacksonville Police Accountability Council, as a means to hold JSO accountable through indicting killer cops, overseeing policy and amongst other things, having the ability to defund the police.

Earlier that week, Sheriff Mike Williams asked for a $6 million budget increase, for a department that already makes up over 40% of the city’s total budget. The Jacksonville Community Action Committee is also demanding a People’s Budget, calling for slashing half of JSO’s budget and reinvesting those hundreds of millions back in the Black community.

#JacksonvilleFL #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #JacksonvilleCommunityActionCommittee #JacksonvillePoliceAccountabilityCouncil #FreeThemAll #PeoplesBudget