Friends,
Last week was the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s horrific public murder. On that anniversary, Bloomington launched a Future of Policing task force. By several measures, our police department is among the most progressive in the country, but we all must be committed to ongoing efforts to keep improving. This diverse group of local residents will recommend how to build even better community safety and how to enhance relations among our public safety officers, residents and visitors.
Yesterday was the 100-year anniversary of the worst race riot in American history, when white residents of Tulsa attacked and murdered hundreds of their Black neighbors. That city is still dealing with that legacy. Aren’t we all in our own ways and with our own histories?
Making Bloomington more diverse and more inclusive must be a constant priority. Like many hard issues -- homelessness or affordable housing, poverty, climate and economic justice, for example -- institutional racism is complex, pernicious, and hard to solve. Simple solutions are usually wrong. Long-term, multi-layered approaches are needed.
I believe Bloomington at our best embraces these challenges. Among other things, this has gotten us:
the STRIDE Center to divert people in crisis away from our jail and into our social services;
Crawford Homes and the new Kinser Flats developments providing permanent housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness;
the Divided Communities Project to engage with racial injustice in our community;
CDFI Friendly Bloomington to bring in long-term new money to address economic and social disparities;
the new Climate Action Plan setting specific goals for our community; and
the Recover Forward program to advance justice of all kinds as we emerge from the pandemic.
Still in front of us is the extraordinary American Rescue Plan, and how the city and county will allocate about $50 million of one-time funding to advance our community. Annexation will determine political boundaries and participation – and important dynamics in coming decades. And in case you missed it, also in front of us is the question whether Bloomington ought to invest in a state-of-the-art performance arts center for our inspiring local arts scene.
Life is complicated, with myriad choices and trade-offs. Thanks for getting involved in all the civic complexities of the day. Together we make better choices, and we make a better future.
Please, let’s all get vaccinated. Thanks to IU for their decision.
Democratically yours,
John
P.S. I hope you got a chance to thank a veteran on Memorial Day yesterday. We owe our freedoms and liberty to all those who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice to protect our country.
P.P.S. If you get a chance, consider joining Thursday afternoon this week for the groundbreaking of the new 7-Line – a great part of our Bicentennial gift to the future.