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Alfred "Shivy" Brooks
Alfred "Shivy" Brooks is running for City Council Member - Post 1.
Personal background
Alfred was born in New Jersey and raised in Atlanta. As a young adult, he won "Freestyle Friday Champion" on the BET show "106 & Park." He suspended his music career to raise his niece and nephew after his brother was convicted of a crime. He graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in public policy. He is a father, and he lives in East Atlanta in the Custer/McDonough/Guice community.
Professional background
Alfred teaches economics, personal finance and government at Charles Drew High School in Clayton County. He worked for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities advocating for individuals who need access to mental and physical healthcare. He started his career lobbying the Georgia General Assembly as a legislative aid for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the Working Families Caucus.
Political background
Alfred "Shivy" Brooks' campaign for city council is his first entry into politics.
ON THE ISSUES
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Public Services
Wants Atlanta to create the best conditions for small and large companies, while also ensuring that businesses who receive city incentives hire Atlantans, pay rewarding wages, and invest in the responsible growth of the city just as much as their bottom lines
Promises to prioritize internet connectivity as a necessity for all people.
Plans to increase the city's responsiveness to residents needs through additional funding to 311 and city call centers
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COVID
Said, "\[w\]e are currently experiencing inequity with vaccination rollouts, public services, public safety, municipal court capacity, mass job loss, and lapses in essential city services."
Participated in a national teacher sick-out in December 2020 to protest the requirement that teachers return to the classroom for standardized testing during the pandemic.
Supports the S. 674 Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives
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City Budget
Supports increasing the Policing Alternatives and Diversion program's budget from $1.5 million per year to $5 million per year
Supports providing tuition-free or subsidized education to Atlanta's police officers, arguing that it will benefit the entire city by expanding police training and providing additional perspective to police work
Wants to increase grant allocations from the city budget to improve small business ownership, community engagement, and access to opportunities
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Housing & Urban Development
Wants to create affordable living for essential workers, newcomers and legacy residents.
Said that Atlanta is not doing enough about homelessness "to answer the problem in a comprehensive and robust kind of way"
Protested for access to housing, clean water, and healthcare for the homeless residents of Atlanta.
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Public Safety
Marched in Atlanta to protest police killings of Black Americans with his students for 150 consecutive days.
Wants to build better public safety partnerships between the community and city leadership.
Wants more accountability for Atlanta's police departments.
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Transportation & Infrastructure
Plans to assess travel patterns, current public transportation capacity and develop a strategic approach to transportation.
Plans to make the city more walkable, bike-able and livable while prioritizing safety and economic stability.
Wants to form public-private partnerships to get funding for sidewalks, including increased wheelchair accessible sidewalks in predominately Black and brown communities.
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Zoning
Said that "permits given to developers need to include a larger percentage of affordable housing"
Supports streamlining permit processing and creating transparency on licensing
Supports a Revised Area Median Income (AMI) to create a more accurate depiction of what "affordable housing" in Atlanta means
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