Municipal employees at libraries and cultural centers have found inspiring ways to serve their communities by creating free content accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

Many Southern Dallas residents heavily rely on hotspots for free internet, or computers at the libraries (facilitated by library staff) and child care services provided by park and recreation employees.

Imagine instead, once leadership recognized the potential budget shortfall, they serve the community and address the problem at hand by revealing the following plan that would maintain employment for all 13,000 city employees:

All employees making a salary of $250,000 and more would take a 20% pay cut, employees making between $100,000 and 250,000 would take a 15% pay cut, and everyone making over $60,000 would take a 10% pay cut for the duration of the pandemic.

This year, we have an opportunity to create a People’s Health Budget, which includes affordable housing, community and mental health resources and employment.

By funding a People’s Health Budget, Dallas could choose a culture of healing and valuing each person existing in Dallas in ways that will be remembered and emulated for years to come.