Peace & Freedom Party Sacramento County has announced its official endorsement of two candidates running for the Citrus Heights city council, Nicole Castor and Thomas Goetz. Below runs a statement from Thomas released upon receiving PFP endorsement.

My name is Thomas Goetz, and I am proud to have the Peace and Freedom Party’s endorsement for Citrus Heights City Council, District 3. My top three priorities as a Citrus Heights City Councilor will be:

•  ending homelessness through a Housing First approach and investment in a Tiny House village;

•  a “Care for the Community, Cops for a Crisis” approach that redirects police funding toward non-violent solutions; and

•  strengthening relationships between the city and local unions through a “Citrus Heights Student Empowerment and Trade Apprenticeship Program” to reintroduce trade skills into the classroom and allow students to find a career path through practical, hands-on learning directly from union workers, giving them an immediate path to wellbeing when they join the workforce.

My priorities are designed to address the most pressing needs of Citrus Heights’ residents head on. Homelessness is a major concern throughout ALL of Sacramento County, including Citrus Heights. As someone who was homeless twice at the age of 18 and is a homeowner today, I know the simplest, cheapest, and most effective way to end the issue is to address their named problem: lack of housing. People who have a safe place to sleep, shower, and a door to lock at night are more likely to recover from mental health and substance abuse issues.

Additionally, people who have suffered disproportionately under systems of oppression, including capitalism, patriarchy, white supremacy, hetero-normativity, and ableism are also disproportionately likely to be homeless and this will directly combat that. Lastly, instead of community services and providers tirelessly searching, the Tiny House village can serve as a centralized hub for recipients to easily receive help.

“Care for the Community, Cops for a Crisis” recognizes the simple truth that a violent response is rarely the most effective one. As a former Army MP, I know de-escalation techniques and have yet to see them by a large number of our current law enforcement officers. I fully believe that starting each and every encounter with an armed officer heightens the likelihood of a civilian getting executed extrajudicially. An armed response is needed during a crisis, but it should be an escalation point, not a starting position. Having alternatives like social workers and mental health responders would increase effectiveness and safely provide community services for all involved.

Finally, I am already in contact with local labor leaders to build a school-to-union partnership program that will allow high school students to explore their interest and potential careers with unionized trade workers, getting hands-on, practical knowledge in whatever field they choose. We need to reconfigure schools so that trade-bound high school students can easily prepare for their career path in the same way college-prep is so readily accessible.

For more information, visit my website at GoetzCitrusHeights.com.