I think we can all agree that this has not been a great year.
Long-simmering tensions over racial inequalities have exploded across the country. Climate change is no longer just a worry for the future. We are experiencing it daily — in the record high temperatures experienced across Utah this summer; in the seemingly unending parade of hurricanes along the East Coast and South; and in the devastating West Coast fire season that is far from over.
All of this as we are still grappling with the consequences of embarrassing national management of COVID-19 and its effects on the economy, on our schools, and its disproportionate health impacts on low-income communities and communities of color.
The THRIVE Agenda (Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) is an ambitious plan that faces these challenges head on, seeking to act based on the best available scientific evidence, with a focus on justice and equity. Building from the Green New Deal, the THRIVE Agenda introduces a bold economic recovery plan to create nearly 16 million new jobs in sectors that will help transition our economy away from dying industries such as coal, oil and gas and toward the rapidly growing clean energy sector.
This resolution acknowledges what is becoming increasingly apparent: that the futures of our economy, the climate and our communities are all dependent on each other. The THRIVE Resolution calls for rapid decarbonization of our economy while focusing on new investments in low-income communities, communities of color and in Native communities. A vote for Joe Biden is a commitment to face the current challenges bravely, making decisions based on science, not wishful thinking, and to focus on building communities where all of us can thrive.
Jody Reimer, Salt Lake City