TRAVIS DISCUSSES DIVERSITY, ECONOMICS AT DEMOCRATIC WOMEN’S CAUCUS BREAKFAST.

Speaking on Friday to members of the Democratic Women’s PAC, Sophia Travis, candidate for Monroe County Council at Large, discussed her platform’s focus on diversity and the benefits to all Monroe County residents of having diverse representation on the County Council.

At the meeting, Travis highlighted comments recently made by a Republican council member as evidence that the council is suffering from uniformity, specifically uniformity of professional and economic interests, among its members.  Travis specifically questioned whether a lack of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints among its members was hindering the council’s ability to meaningfully and broadly deliberate in the community’s interest.

Later, Travis said “Advocating for increasing public subsidy of a real-estate club, the BEDC, and then cutting public spending on social services is bad enough.”

“But, “ she continued, “when you justify that by saying something as narrow as ‘The county is in the business of economic development.  It is not in the business of social services,’ it really calls into question your objectivity and ability to govern in the interests of the entire community, not just the myopic interests of land developers.”

Travis went on to cite studies, such as that of William Freudenburg of the University of Wisconsin, which found that states in which government concentrates on providing business subsidies, at the expense of social services and amenities, actually do worse in long-term economic growth than states in which government does the opposite. 

“Government is of, for, and by the people and its priorities should reflect that” said Travis.  “Business can and always does take care of itself.  A government that places business subsidy ahead of public welfare ends up hurting both business and the public whereas a government that puts social services on top also creates a terrific environment for business and economic growth.”