HomeMy WebLinkAboutSan Luis Obispo 2020-2021 Budget Meeting
Christian, Kevin
From:Natalya Autumn Spivack <nspivack@calpoly.edu>
Sent:Tuesday, June 2, 2020 2:24 PM
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:San Luis Obispo 2020-2021 Budget Meeting
Dear City Council,
My name is Natalya Spivack and I am a part-time resident of San Luis Obispo and a student at Cal Poly.
As you know, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and so many unnamed others have been
killed because of our country’s systemically racist criminal justice system.
In light of these events, we ask that in today’s review of the 2020-21 budget, you reallocate some of the funds currently
directed toward the police department to other programs and alternative forms of policing, such as community policing,
community development, or even a specific diversity, equity, and inclusion line item.
We believe this is a small request to begin to address the massive inequities and systems of oppression that have been
perpetuated by governmental inaction. Though this will not fix the problem, it will move our city in a positive direction and
demonstrate a tangible commitment to addressing systematic racism.
It is disheartening to me to look back on how much racism I witnessed firsthand in the few months I was in San Luis
Obispo for school. I am extremely proud to be a Cal Poly student, but I am often shocked at how a campus, and town,
filled with individuals who are supposed to embody intelligence and civility could continue to make people of color feel
unwelcome. Minority students have consistently expressed this feeling and it feels as if little to nothing has been done to
confront it.
I hope more can be done in the future to address this, but until then I think reconsidering the funding of the police
department is a step that must be taken to show people of color who are routinely looked down upon by our criminal
justice system that we care.
Thank you for all you do for the City of San Luis Obispo and for your consideration.
All the best,
Natalya Spivack
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