I’m proposing three principles that I’ve seen weaving through the ideas on this site. Adherence to them won’t be easy but they are important for ensuring a successful rebuilding of our city.

Reinvestment in Damaged Areas
It’s hard to imagine how the damaged areas will again be places that people want to be. We have to give people reasons to be there, especially those who lived there before the storm. This means shared spaces. It’s not just the city that has to reinvest in shared spaces; we have to provide reasons for residents to reinvest in these areas. Community gardens, parks, beautification, and *improving* schools are things that will ameliorate the long wait until these areas are healed.

Connectivity
To heal as a city, Tuscaloosa has to reconnect itself to itself. Our plan has to take this disaster as an opportunity to connect neighborhoods like Alberta and Rosedale to the rest of town. Lost home, car and job is a difficult hole to climb out of. Public transportation would reinvest in those areas as good places to live and provide its residents a way to get to work. A costly solution, in the end far less costly than the poverty many of our residents will be stuck in for years to come otherwise. We should also draw people to these areas from the rest of the city: create a dog park, a skate park, or a farmers market.

We Can’t Afford Not to Spend – Tax Property
In May, our mayor said that it is vital that we turn this disaster into an opportunity. To rebuild what we had isn’t only impossible it’s irresponsible. While this means holding those who rebuild to the highest standards, it also means aiding them, especially residential owners to meet those standards. We have to reach deep into our own pockets. Petition the state to tax property to rebuild above and beyond the federal and state aid we’re already receiving. Real estate here is taxed at the lowest rates in the nation. As a homeowner, I’m happy to contribute a heavier share while we rebuild.