Pinole can be better- a city where there’s a thriving community that’s engaged with its government, which in turn provides the services and spaces to help the community thrive. But by default, this will not happen. Inertia in the structures of government and the challenges people face in their everyday lives has lead to disengagement with government, which will lead to a backlash against government revenue sources, which will lead to fewer services and on in a cycle of decline.
I plan to break that cycle at the root, by getting information on what the government does out to the community. The Pinole Library would be an ideal space for that, but it’s only open every other weekday because the city doesn’t pay for its maintenance. I think the city should fully fund the library’s maintenance so it can act as the heart of the community once again.
Rafael's thoughts 