I’d love for them to make it a policy priority because it’s good policy and because I think it is a broadly popular program among both democratic and republican voters that the GOP would need to defend opposing.

Preventing gentrification should be a core function of good planning and development. We lack some of the tools we need but are also not doing nearly enough locally in Durham using tools we do have available. If we keep allowing developers to do whatever they want it will make the problem worse.

Whether we prioritize the voices of community on safety/gun violence, environment, and governance or voices of big business and developers.

Whether we listen to scientists and environmentalists over corporate citizens.

Whether we take our housing advice and expertise from apartment tenants and city planners or instead from the apartment and homebuilders associations.

Do we have the courage to speak out with moral clarity during this modern day McCarthyism and rise of authoritarianism.

Whether we understand our city in a global context and are willing to speak with our voices and choices on our own nation’s inhumane actions at home and abroad, including ICE raids and American bombs dropped on Gaza.

Whether we begin holding developers adequately accountable for contributing their fair share of their profits toward the public good in the form of affordable housing, parks, art, public space, and other community benefits during the development process.

Whether we self-inflict more fiscal wounds like the one redirecting an annual 3.3 million dollars from the city’s own initiatives to a new nonprofit that promotes tourism.

Whether we create true representative wards rather than a council entirely at-large that currently lacks the local representation residents across our city need.

Whether we have the political will not just to say we want it but to leverage our local powers to pursue a just outcome and commit to concrete actions.