HomeMy WebLinkAboutNot An “Insane Idea”Dear Mayor Harmon and San Luis Obispo City Council,
I’d like to first give recognition to Mayor Harmon for standing in solidarity of the movement that’s being formed in SLO, your support and continuous work with the black members of our
community is a model for what public service should look like. As for Councilwoman Carlyn Christianson, I urge you to hear the voices of your community, and not dismiss their concerns
and ideas as “insane”.
That being said, my name is Chris McKinsey and I am a resident of San Luis Obispo and student at Cal Poly. I am writing to demand that the San Luis Obispo City Council adopt a city budget
that prioritizes community well-being, and redirects funding away from the police.
In 2019, the City of San Luis Obispo allocated 36.3 million dollars to our police system, an inordinate 27.5% of our total budget. This is compared to just 7.3% of the budget, $9.7 million,
allocated towards community development, with only $1.4 million towards housing development. Next year, the city estimates that there will be a $8.6 million deficit as a result of the
pandemic. The city may recoup these funds by decreasing the police budget.
We need the City Council to begin meaningfully defunding the San Luis Obispo Police Department and re-allocate those funds to programs proven to more effectively promote a safe and equitable
community. We need funding for community-based mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, affordable housing programs, not police. I demand a budget that reflects the
actual needs of San Luis Obispo residents.
History has shown that police "reform" is not enough. No more money, and more importantly, no more lives must be lost to police. We must take a hard look at the way the current system
in place fails to serve-and in fact actively harms-our community, and come together to reimagine the role of police in our city.
I am urging you to revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and to invest in the people that make this community great, not the police.
Thank you for your time,
Chris Mckinsey
1641 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo, Ca
c.mckinsey5@gmail.com
(415) 715-4589