We are community leaders, activists, and politicians writing this letter to highlight our support for Simone Pass Tucker for Falls Church City Council, and want to explain why you should support and vote for Simone, too.
Few roots go deeper than the community you grow up in — the streets feel like your home, your neighbors feel like family. Simone is a Falls Church local, born and raised in the Little City, and they love and understand our tightly-bound community. Having attended college in other parts of the mid-Atlantic, Simone realized that home is where the heart is, and their heart was here. Now, they work full-time as a community activist, trying to improve the town they so dearly call home.
While Falls Church represents the best of the American small town — the ingenuity and creativity driven by our arts scene and our local businesses, the welcoming embrace of the City Hall Farmers Market, and the beauty found in Broad Street’s historic buildings — many middle class and working families struggle to get by on a daily basis in our community.
In particular, public servants who make up the backbone of our society, such as teachers and police officers, are often left in the dust as high housing costs eat away at their paychecks. Simone’s vision to help reduce the high cost of living is simple, but comprehensive. We must support affordable housing as much as possible, no one should have to fear eviction because they can’t make next month’s rent during a severe recession. Other solutions, such as expanding public transportation and pedestrian access, would go a long way in truly making our town a ‘15-minute city’ by reducing daily commutes. It would let every resident free up money that might otherwise go to gas or vehicle maintenance, and help us proactively address the future costs of climate change.
Addressing climate change in these ways makes economic sense: in the coming decades, these changes will have to come as we adapt to the ever-changing earth and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Laying the foundation now will give us the opportunity to serve as an example for our nation, putting Falls Church on the leading edge of transforming urban spaces. Simone hopes to achieve this by introducing green roofing into new and current housing projects, making our city greener and more nature-friendly while also giving us longer-lasting buildings, less money spent on heating and cooling, and fewer green-house gas emissions.
These aren’t radical, idealistic proposals: plenty of cities across our country and across the world have been implementing these programs for decades. They are attainable, they expand the economic potential of every family, and they can reduce government and personal spending, saving every resident from paying more than they should for utilities, transportation, and daily living.
Simone is the only candidate who seeks to proactively address the issues facing our community. They are the only candidate with a comprehensive plan to adjust Falls Church to the new climate reality. As a working class Jewish member of the LGBTQ+ community, they know the pain of never seeing yourself or your community represented. Simone is driven by the belief that every voice matters and the Little City needs to be a welcoming and safe place for everyone, regardless of background. This is why we wholeheartedly support Simone Pass Tucker for Falls Church City Council.
Join us in supporting an exciting new candidate who will fight for you and let your voice be heard in making Falls Church more beautiful, affordable, greener, and forward-thinking.
Signed: Virginian Delegate Ibraheem Samirah, 86th District; Virginian Delegate Sam Rasoul, 11th District; Virginian Delegate Elizabeth Guzman, 31st District; Matt Rogers, Executive Vice President of Politidope and Delegate Candidate for Virginia’s 47th District; The Sunrise Movement, Fairfax; The Sunrise Movement, McLean; The Sunrise Movement, Williamsburg; Thomas R. Cash, the former vice-chair of Falls Church Environmental Sustainability Council and member of the Energy Transition Subcommittee.
