Pictured above: Richie Floyd is a middle school science teacher, and former aerospace engineer.
Courtesy of Richie Floyd
By Richie Floyd
At a time when national politics are becoming increasingly flamboyant and ratings-driven, it’s understandable that many choose to not engage in local politics. Local issues rarely carry the gravitas of the national horse race, despite “Florida Man’s” best efforts to keep us entertained.
But it’s a mistake for young people to tune out of local politics, since it has the largest and most direct impact on our daily lives. Our cost of living, from rent to utility bills, is largely dictated by the politics of city hall, not Washington D.C.
Municipal leaders can create innovative approaches to the problems of tuition cost, environmental degradation and climate change, discrimination, labor law and much more. It’s imperative that the people with the largest stake in the future have a say in these decisions.
In St. Petersburg we have an affordable housing crisis, increasing water bills and the looming threat of environmental disaster. All of these issues are going to be addressed at some level by the people we elect to the municipal government.
For example, the city’s fight against the rising sea level will largely depend on the mayor and City Council; these officials will decide where to invest key infrastructure to protect our coast.
The involvement of young people in local politics can make the difference between infrastructure funds being spent to protect the assets of the rich and well connected, or investment being provided to the working class, minority and disproportionately younger populations that are most likely to be displaced.
My campaign for City Council District 8 has insisted on uplifting the issues most important to the future of our city, and this is a direct result of the dozens of young people and college students who have helped us along the way.
We are fighting for housing as a right, with long-term affordability in mind; raising wages in the city to increase quality of life; fighting all forms of discrimination in housing and employment, including racial, gender preference and sexual orientation; and ending our city’s reliance on fossil fuels.
We will not be able to accomplish these goals without the involvement of young people and college students. We need the voices of those with the most at stake to be heard.
Getting involved in political organizing will be crucial to our collective future, but at the very least, we need to vote in our local races.
You can do just that in St. Petersburg’s Municipal General Election on Nov. 2. Find your polling place at votepinellas.com, make a plan and vote.
Richie Floyd is a St. Petersburg City Council candidate representing District 8. To learn more about City Council candidates, the general election and how to register to vote, visit stpete.org/government/elections/index.php.
