Center for Civic Policy Statement on Councilor Pat Davis
Our country is battling a deadly pandemic –a public health crisis that has served to fuel an upsurge in politically and racially motivated attacks against Black, Indigenous, People of Color nationwide. Now is not the time to ignore the ever-growing calls for justice at every level of our society –especially when the calls come from the very communities that have been and are still being impacted disproportionately every day since the colonization of this land.
No, this is a time for truth.
The Center for Civic Policy works to empower and amplify the voices of everyday New Mexicans, especially those who experience oppression, to shape a more inclusive, responsive, and accountable democracy ––using a racial, gender, class, and equity lens to build transformative power through collective responsibility and build thriving communities in New Mexico. Our work focuses on incubating policy campaigns and fostering strategic partnerships, rooted in the experience of multiracial, LGBTQ+, communities that have been historically and systematically excluded from power. In this work, we strive to ensure intersectional, power-building strategies to achieve a more just and equitable New Mexico where everyone can live in their full dignity.
Using these principles to guide our everyday work, we support ProgressNow NM and other community stakeholders’ call to action to hold Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis accountable for his troubling policy record in our local government and his clear disconnect from the very people he’s meant to serve in our city. By joining this demand, we are acknowledging the fact that repeatedly mouthing the term “progressive” simply won’t cut it if actions fail to reflect the values we live by and aspire to see in our local, state, and national government.
Councilor Davis most recently demonstrated his lack of commitment to and complete disregard for Albuquerque’s Black, Brown, and working class community members when paid sick leave and hazard pay measures were taken up by the City Council. Councilors Davis, Bassan, Borrego, Gibson, Harris, Jones, and Peña all voted against a hazard pay measure that would have compensated essential workers with critical economic support, while at the same time addressing some of the inequities being exacerbated amongst communities of color during this unprecedented public health crisis.
At the Center for Civic Policy we will continue the work of building an inclusive, representative, and equitable democracy that is rooted in community, by community, and for community. At the same time, our work includes holding those in “power” accountable for their responses to, or lack thereof, the needs and aspirations of the communities they serve.
We understand that true change comes when those who’ve been historically and systemically marginalized have a seat at the decision-making table and are afforded every opportunity to realize the future our communities deserve.