COMMUNITY-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT
So often, economic and infrastructure development comes at the expense of the environment and of communities, especially those who are working-class or otherwise marginalized. It is crucial that in our work to strengthen and grow our region, we do not tear down the communities we are trying to help.
Tekesha's Experience
As a Mayor and City Councilmember, Tekesha has been involved in securing over $400 million of development in Hagerstown along with a total of $1.3 billion across Washington County. Throughout this expansion, she has committed to do everything in her power to ensure that new development does not leave communities behind.
As Congresswoman, Tekesha's goals will include:
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Ensuring that crumbling American infrastructure and eroding community services are restored while securing new, ecologically sustainable development for the future.
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Magnifying the voices of communities across the district to ensure that development does not harm them, and advocating that local, union labor is utilized in as many projects across the district as possible.
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Securing federal funding to make up for state budget shortfalls that have impeded the construction and growth of Western Maryland public schools. It's no secret that our current system does not have the capacity for our region's growth rate, so we must meet that need and ensure we support and expand our pool of teaching professionals.
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Ensuring that our public transportation needs are met, from expanding MARC rail availability for the Brunswick-DC line to alleviating traffic congestion through smart approaches to quickly developing areas.
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Funding upgrades and expansion of existing transportation and energy infrastructure to meet the demands of a future clean energy economy, including rural power grids and EV stations.
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Helping farmers, their families, and rural communities protect their livelihoods while increasing agricultural sustainability and harmony with the environment by incentivizing evidence-based practices such as increasing crop diversity and rotations, planting cover crops to improve soil health during the off-season, and minimizing pesticide use through integrated pest management strategies. This mission will also be aided by holding large corporations accountable for the lack of oversight for healthy practices on massive factory farms.
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Supporting retrofit programs that help homeowners cut energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint through efficiency upgrades while also stimulating job growth and economic activity.
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Supporting, protecting, and expanding the extent of measures supporting clean infrastructure in bills such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is not only helping vulnerable communities build climate resilience, but is preemptively investing in cleaner transportation methods such as high-speed passenger rail which will dramatically reduce our everyday carbon emissions.