By Jennifer Hanley
Alderman Allison talks city merger, civil rights at campus teach-in
Alderman Bill Allison was the keynote speaker at a teach-in on the effects of merger on October 3, 2002, at 7 PM in the McConnell Center’s Ford Hall. Also in attendance were representatives from the Fairness campaign, Jobs with Justice, the Civilian Police Review Board, and the People’s Agenda.
The Young Democratic Socialists hosted the teach-in. They are a progressive student group fighting for social injustices and economic equality.
Allison, whose constituency is the Third Ward, has been against a merger of the City of Louisville and Jefferson County’s governments. He was against it in his last election and won, even though the merger was passed. With a progressive track record, he is a major backer of progressive campaigns such as the Fairness campaign.
“The powers that be were afraid of what the city of Louisville would become,” Allison stated about the reason merger came about. “They felt like they were losing control.”
With the population of the city of Louisville becoming increasingly African-American, homosexual, and progressive, ordinances that aided and protected these groups were actually getting passed with the help of a progressive coalition on the Board of Aldermen, of which Allison is a part.
When the governments of Jefferson County and City of Louisville are merged, the council will expand to twenty-six members from the twelve that now sit. This amount of people will make it much harder to form coalitions and get ordinances passed.
“There will be new members who will not know how to work the system,” Allison said. “Abramson will be in complete control.”
Jerry Abramson won the election to become the first mayor of the merged government. Abramson was the mayor of Louisville from 1986 to 1998 and was the first mayor in Louisville history to serve three consecutive terms. Coincidentally, he served on the Board of Aldermen in representing the Third Ward from 1975 to 1979.
Alderman Allison is afraid that because of the increase in members on the Metro Council, members who will also be concerned with the issues of residents outside of the city, the progressive platform will be left to the side. Money that could be spent on mass transit will go to building two more bridges across the Ohio River. Union issues might be tabled, and ideas like the Living Wage, which would require city workers to be paid no less than $10.20 an hour, would be left in the hopper.
For more information on the Young Democratic Socialists or on how to get in touch with Alderman Bill Allison, contact Michael Key at 228-1624.
