Political Profile: Jackie Goldman, Candidate for Providence City Council, Fifth Ward

Political Profile: Jackie Goldman, Candidate for Providence City Council, Fifth Ward

Jackie Goldman is a Democratic candidate for Providence City Council in the Fifth Ward. Here is what they have to say.

What do you think is the biggest political issue this campaign season in Providence?

The biggest political issue facing Rhode Island today is the immense lack of transparent and honest government. We are seeing a perfect example of this now with the installation of the Flock cameras. Many sitting City Councilors have concerns about them, and the ACLU has issued a number of statements about their threat to our privacy, and yet they are being installed without input from the people of Providence.

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 Elected officials routinely ignore the needs and testimony of the people they represent, as well as cover up how they come to their decisions. If we as a city want to improve our lives and communities, we need representatives in government who will listen and clearly respond to the concerns of the people. The people of Providence have been crying out for improved schools, affordable housing, and functioning city services and all of this is being ignored by our government who use their power for personal gain. We need to center our constituents as opposed to focusing on special interest groups. 

 

What do we need to do to improve Providence’s economy?

In order to improve our community’s economy, we need to reevaluate our systems for generating revenue from the ground up. This means taxing wealthy non-profits, ending large corporate tax breaks and removing the financial burden placed on every day, working people. The Pension Obligation Bond was a good start, but we waited too long to address the financial problems of the city. Unfortunately, there are likely more to come. We have to end Tax Stabilization Agreements for luxury housing, which deplete our city of millions every year, and find more responsible ways of incentivizing development. Additionally, we need to do what we can at the city level to help with the rising cost of living. This could mean implementing rent caps, providing support to small, family businesses, and fully funding local resources.

 

What is the greatest challenge facing Providence as a city?

The greatest challenge facing Rhode Island today is the lack of affordable housing. Rates of houselessness have skyrocketed over the past few years and 1 in 8 renters could be facing eviction this year alone. The current administration has prioritized giving luxury developers massive tax breaks in order to build units for people making $72,000 a year instead of building units for middle and low-income Rhode Islanders. We need to prioritize funding the construction of units for people making 30-80% Area Median Income (AMI) and change some of our zoning policies. We (both at the city and state level) also need to take advantage of federal tax credits and use them for reimbursable expenses in order to maximize the production of housing. 

 

Why are you running for office? What makes you uniquely qualified?

The people of Providence deserve leadership that will work for them and not for special interests. I have witnessed firsthand what poverty and corrupt policymaking has done. I served two terms as an AmeriCorps member where I built physical infrastructure and provided community healthcare to people who had no other options. Now, I work as a public health researcher whose work has focused on overdose prevention. These experiences have given me insight into the needs of the people in my community. Additionally, being trained as an epidemiologist means that I understand the complex nature of a problem and how we can get to the root of it. 

 

Who is your inspiration?

I cannot say that I have a single inspiration. As long as I can remember, I have been inspired by a collection of different writers and activists who have used their platforms to speak truth to power. Some names that come to mind are Sarah Schulman, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, and Harvey Milk. Additionally, I am constantly inspired by some legislators in Rhode Island who have prioritized fighting for their constituents, even when the establishment is against them. This would include Senators Sam Bell, Tiara Mack and Kendra Anderson, and Representatives Morales and Ranglin-Vassel. These are all people who work tirelessly, passionately and selflessly and set an example for how I want to represent my constituents. 

 

Short Bio

Jackie Goldman (they/them) is a public health researcher living in Mount Pleasant. They earned a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Wisconsin in 2015. Jackie went on to complete two terms of AmeriCorps before moving to Rhode Island. Jackie earned a Masters in Epidemiology from Brown University in 2019. Since 2019, Jackie has worked with the People, Place and Health Collective, a group of researchers at Brown University School of Public Health whose work uses intersectional methods to address some of the most pressing and evolving health crises such as the overdose epidemic and COVID-19. In addition to their work, Jackie has been a community organizer in Providence. They have advocated for single-payer healthcare, affordable housing, environmental justice and a more transparent government process.  

 

Website: https://www.jackiegoldmanri.com/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Jackie Goldman for Ward 5

Twitter: @JackieGoldmanRI