Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
I know the best spot in my ward for …
Well I used to know the best spot in my ward for breakfast, it was Burns Street Bistro.
If loving this is wrong, I don’t want to be right
Working class and unhoused people.
This year, I really want to achieve …
Really just more organizing within, like, different varieties of income levels in Missoula. I’ve been trying to do a lot of work with the unhoused community. And I feel like if we can get a foothold established and get people more organized so that they can advocate for their own needs, I think we’ll be able to tackle a lot of big issues within the city.
What I order for the table
Garlic parm fries.
Never have I ever …
Crossed an ocean (I’ve been to Canada and that’s it).
How can we alleviate tax pressure on homeowners and renters?
We have a lot of limitations placed on us by the state. But what we can do is make sure that new developments aren’t pricing people out of neighborhoods. I’ve seen that a lot, especially as I’ve been canvassing in the Northside. It’s just luxury developments going up in traditionally low-income neighborhoods and forcing low-income people out. The other thing is getting people into positions where they can own land, cooperatively and collectively.
Change my mind about …
Tax increment financing.
I wind down by …
Doing Duolingo. [She’s learning Japanese!]
What’s a specific approach or policy that a community elsewhere in the country has employed to reduce homelessness that you think might also work in Missoula?
I’ve done a lot of work with Missoula Tenants Union. They reached out and talked to the Kansas City tenants union about doing work on getting a universal right to council passed for tenants in eviction disputes, whether that’s mediated disputes or out and out court. What they found is that that’s really useful in lowering the eviction rate and eviction is one of the leading causes of homelessness.
I geek out on…
Queer joy.
My best dad joke
Why did I turn down the female janitor when she asked me if I wanted to smoke a joint with her?
Because I don’t like high-maintenance women.
Three infrastructure priorities?
Increasing pedestrian access, increasing bike access/protected bike lanes, expanding bus access.
My cry-in-the-car song
“Who’ll Stop the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival (because it reminds me of my dad).
That fire levy though …
I probably would have voted for it just as a show of support. Fire services, that’s really close to my heart. My dad was a Missoula city firefighter. When we talk about public safety, that’s kind of the number one thing. We do need to hire more firefighters and find ways to prioritize that specifically within our public safety budget. I think more of it should be going to those essential services, fire and EMS, that kind of thing.
Unusual skills
I’m really good at Jeopardy.
Together, we could…
Transform the world.
