Issues

Clean air, land, and water, and climate justice

Climate justice is a human right. Erika will continue her work to make Pittsburgh an environmental leader in the region, state, and country — promoting sustainability, conservation, and a clean energy economy that works for everyone. She will work to ensure everyone has access to safe, affordable drinking water, and keep our water system publicly-owned and operated; creating new, inclusive union jobs throughout the region in the clean energy economy by ensuring collaboration occurs between environmental groups and organized labor; keep Pittsburgh on track to meet its 2030 Climate Action Plan goals while also cutting down on other types of harmful air pollution; invest in efficient, sustainable stormwater management that reduces flooding and sewage pollution in our rivers; help create the City’s first comprehensive land use plan that prioritizes public transportation, urban trails, parks, and municipal utilities.

Equitable, inclusive, and growing economy

Building a strong and inclusive economy is imperative in an effort to support all Pittsburghers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Erika is committed to a future where every worker in the city has a pathway to a job that pays a family-sustaining wage, values workers’ voices, and protects workers’ health and welfare. She will continue to call for diversity in its employment base and on the City’s boards, authorities and commissions. She will continue to work to ensure Pittsburgh’s minority, women-owned, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses have access to all of the resources and contracts they deserve. In addition to this, Erika is dedicated to uplifting Black and Latinx women and providing them with resources to succeed. She will advocate for the City as a liaison for small businesses; helping them survive and thrive and recover from COVID-19.

An accessible and safe Pittsburgh for all

An accessible and safe Pittsburgh is one where all are welcome and supported, no matter what. Erika will work to make housing safe, affordable, and secure for all families at all income levels. Home ownership will be a possibility for an increasing number of people, where no resident spends more than one-third of their income on housing and transportation needs. Erika is committed to creating infrastructure that works for all Pittsburghers. Whether 9 or 90 years old, folks will have the ability to walk, bike, roll, gather, and learn freely in every neighborhood in the city, which necessitates expanding the City’s Bike+ Plan and urban trails system. She will fight for every resident in the City to have access to: a variety of affordable, healthy food, the health care and medicine they need, and the ability to stay as physically and mentally well as possible.

A reimagined, equitable public safety

The public safety of Pittsburghers requires restructuring of traditional processes in order to protect constituents of all colors and creeds. Erika will continue her work in supporting offices and programs that allow the City to train and employ social workers and mental health professionals to work in partnership with those in and outside of government to address social service needs “upstream”. She is committed to building streets that are safe, stress-free, and multi-modal. To achieve this, traffic and parking violations will be managed by an expertly trained civilian workforce, as should all minor citations. Erika will continue her support of requiring data from the Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Police to be shared publicly in a disaggregated and searchable format in a way that protects identities of the public and officers. She will work with Council and the City to ban use of any lethal or less-lethal weapons to control crowds or encourage disbursement, and help train civilian staff to work with police to ensure peaceful gatherings throughout the city. Erika will advocate for an empowered Independent Citizen Police Review Board at every level of government, with seats that represent community leaders, activists, organizers, and advocates committed to ensuring intersectional justice for all Pittsburghers.

A Pittsburgh where all residents are empowered and engaged

In order to forge a more perfect union, our processes must be transparent and our citizens engaged. Erika will foster a government that is transparent, allowing citizens to be involved in the decision-making process and Pittsburgh as a whole is responsive to the needs of its citizens. She will work to empower businesses and neighborhood associations to work cooperatively with City officials and residents to address local projects and issues. Residents and advocates, especially women and people of color, must be integrally involved in the operating and capital budget process, listening to their input and using it to shape priorities and investments. She will be a strong voice in favor of continuing to improve the City’s budget process to ensure it is transparent and open to all, and reflects the City’s commitment to creating safe, healthy, productive lives for all residents.

A prosperous educational system for every student

The success of our schools and the success of Pittsburgh go hand in hand. Investing in good schools is an investment in our neighborhoods, our communities, and our future. Excellent schools not only provide opportunities for students to excel, they also keep neighborhoods vibrant, attract and retain families in the city, and increase property values. Erika will fight for passage and funding of quality, affordable, inclusive, universal pre-k which will help level the playing field for all students. It’s critical that as a city we address the ways in which poverty and racism have led to an unacceptable opportunity gap for too many Pittsburgh children. Erika will be a strong advocate for high quality, inclusive, and equitable schools for our community.