We need a movement that is centered on real issues that affect all members of this community. The issues are unaffordable housing, low-wage jobs, ineffective public transportation, lack of access to healthy and local foods, lack of clean water, susceptibility to floods, and the list goes on. One person, politician, or election will not make the systemic change that we all need. We need students and long-term residents alike. After the City Council election on Nov. 7, 2017, I will continue to organize our collective power around these issues and do my part in making this community a more sustainable, just, and equitable community for all.
In my three years of service with AmeriCorps, I witnessed issues ranging to the school-to-prison pipeline in public education. I saw how low-income folks pay an unjustly high price for energy and utilities due to their living conditions. As a wildland firefighter, I observed our flawed approach to resource conservation.
As a student at the University of Iowa, I have learned that low-wage jobs mixed with an unreasonably expensive housing market keep many folks in poverty. Through volunteering with the Center for Worker Justice in the fight for $10.10, I learned that these same issues keep our community members in poverty. We must unite our resources and our passions to tackle these common issues.
I am running for City Council because we must bridge these gaps, build our collective power, and make this place more affordable and accessible for all people.
— Ryan Hall
City Council
Candidate District B
