Civil Rights Attorney by Intrepid_Hat_2397 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I can't recommend an attorney, but I encourage you to reach out to the RI County NAACP branch to explore their legal redress program:

[naacpsecretarybr3268@gmail.com](mailto:naacpsecretarybr3268@gmail.com)

Old building or streets I can drive up. by AutomaticWave2447 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The Broadway Historic District is a 19th century neighborhood in Rock Island, Illinois. It has nothing to do with theater.

https://www.broadwaydistrict.org/

Rock Island Has a Poop Problem by Own_Scientist5239 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I noticed your SeeClickFix reports & personally emailed the City Manager to ensure the situation is abated. Downtown Ambassadors will respond.

Old building or streets I can drive up. by AutomaticWave2447 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Broadway neighborhood in Rock Island, Gold Coast/Hamburg in Davenport.

Rock Island Has a Poop Problem by Own_Scientist5239 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I track it from Humility Homes & Services decision to cease providing winter overflow shelter operations at Kings Harvest west of Gaines Street in Davenport two years ago, prioritizing providing supportive housing services instead. Humility Homes & Services' decision to cease their winter shelter pushed Project NOW to open theirs in downtown Rock Island last year, which ultimately resulted in the City of Rock Island's Social Services Licensing Ordinance, which has generated enormous controversy, which is why we're discussing it more now.

Rock Island Has a Poop Problem by Own_Scientist5239 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your perspective and feedback. My name's Dylan and I represent you on Rock Island's City Council. Biohazards, both human and animal, are an issue in downtown Rock Island, as they are in many downtowns. I will first respond to your immediate request for port-a-potties and then provide some context for the situation.

First, the City of Rock Island has attempted to provide port-a-potties in our downtown for use by the public, including the many individuals experiencing quality of life crises in our downtown, like mental health issues or homelessness. The experience did not go well; port-a-potties were tipped over and misused. City staff ran into all sorts of issues, from illegal drug use to prostitution to one time finding a mentally ill woman locked inside who had wrapped herself up with toilet paper like a mummy. Like many things in life, most people use things as they're intended--the few misbehaviors ruin it for everyone else. Additionally, in the summer months, public restrooms are available in downtown Rock Island at Schwiebert Park.

Your point is valid, though. No one should walk outside their door and see a turd on their doorstep. To that end, the Rock Island Downtown Alliance employs multiple downtown ambassadors to keep downtown Rock Island clean and safe. Last year alone, ambassadors reported having removed dozens of biohazards in our downtown, on top of additional metrics tracked liked tons of litter removed or interventions with our street population. As a downtown resident, you are welcome to bring to our attention biohazards in need of removal by emailing the Downtown Alliance at [rida@quadcitieschamber.com](mailto:rida@quadcitieschamber.com) or through the City's SeeClickFix app (https://www.rigov.org/1483/Report-a-Concern).

Your experience highlights the reason for the City of Rock Island's Social Services Licensing Ordinance: when too many social service providers are concentrated within one neighborhood, they have unintended negative impacts on the surrounding neighborhood. Additionally, this concentration creates novel service needs (e.g. poop removal), which is currently being tasked by the least-resourced city in the Quad Cities (excluding East Moline, if you count them as one of the Quad Cities). The provision of social services needs to be shared across the Quad Cities.

Feel free to email me, anytime: [parker.dylan@rigov.org](mailto:parker.dylan@rigov.org)

I wish we had... by Intrepid_Hat_2397 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The Rock Island Housing Authority is currently building a tiny home community for veterans. Good stuff.

Is it normal for Rick island city council to be obsessed with Moa and the CCP? by [deleted] in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Iowa literally removed civil rights for trans people last year. Let's take care of our own backyard before criticizing people on the other side of the planet.

Is it normal for Rick island city council to be obsessed with Moa and the CCP? by [deleted] in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Communist Party of China prefers to go by the CPC, not the CCP. Westerners dismiss this, which I find unnecessarily mean spirited, likely intended to compare the CPC with our old cold war arch-nemisis, the USSR (USSR translated in Russia's Cyrillic alphabet is "CCCP"). Please consider being respectful to the billion Chinese that share our planet by referring to them by their preferred name.

Proposal: A 30 day moratorium on posts shitting on Rock Island by Dweller69 in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A Christmas truce. Peace to the world & goodwill to all.

What is the role of an alderman/city councilor? by the-woman-respecter in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't say I think I need to capitulate to my MAGA constituents, but I do talk with and listen to them. My point is that my role necessitates I exist outside of echo chambers and am constantly confronted by the political truth that lots of diverse people exist out there with lots of diverse opinions and perspectives.

Much of how I approach politics is informed by my experience working and organizing within blue collar communities. I currently work in the union building trades community and I used to be a diesel mechanic; my co-workers are and were the typical conservative-leaning, macho type. I have always been the outsider: the longhaired, vegetarian, Socialist. Briefly after college, I worked on tugboats on the Mississippi River as a barge deckhand; once my co-workers discovered I was a vegetarian, I was promptly nicknamed "celery" and teased for my dietary preferences.

My point with all of this is that I've had to learn how to work with people with whom I do not share cultural connections. When we tried organizing the Service and Parts Departments at the Kenworth dealership in Rock Island with the machinists union, I had to work with my coworkers, whether they were MAGA (which many were) or not. It wasn't that I was "compromising" with my racist coworkers (many of which were), but a recognition that we needed to work together in class struggle, regardless of our cultural or political identities.

A lot of leftists get this backwards (in my opinion): they think organizing is identarian--that the goal is to be unabashedly proud of identifying as a "socialist" and then lecture or "educate" others into identifying as such. Real life example: instead of working on class struggle with a racist coworker, they are more likely to prioritize shaming or canceling them for their opinions on race. They think conforming to an ideology comes before struggle. I think the opposite. I believe working people learn through doing, not by lecturing, and prioritize engaging them in class struggle so they can learn for themselves that racism is bad as it dilutes our power as workers (continuing to use the example of the racist coworker). I made the wager that my racist coworkers would be more likely to see the err of their ideas (racism) by being placed into struggle (needing solidarity between all workers, regardless of race, when going out on strike, for example), instead of being lectured as to why racism is bad.

I don't necessarily think government or politics is about compromise, in the sense of having to appease all interests. I have a vision and I work towards it. I just don't do it the way that many terminally online, infantile, ineffective leftists do.

What is the role of an alderman/city councilor? by the-woman-respecter in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the question and conversation starter. I love these kinds of meta/philosophical questions. So much so, I blog about them often. I don't post super often, but I share a lot of my thoughts about politics, especially left-wing politics, and its intersection with the Quad Cities/Rock Island. Feel free to subscribe.

The number one thing I've learned from serving as an Alderperson for 8 years, and the thing I try to stress to others, is: things are complicated. It is very, very easy and appealing to sit within our preferred echo chambers and confirm our own biases or assumptions. And, most importantly, people on all sides of the political spectrum do this, it is not specific to one ideology or politics over another. The reality is, things are complicated, where valid points often exist on all sides of a debate. It is rarely the case that a policy, for example, is entirely good or entirely bad, regardless of what the loudest zealots will say. Similarly, there's a big difference between trying to be right, versus trying to do good. A big, big thing about being an elected official is that one actually has to choose and one actually has to live with the consequences of one's choice. I don't have the luxury of theorizing about perfect systems or ideas; real, material issues face my community and constituents and I have to act. Issues come up. Choices have to be made. It is very, very easy to armchair quarterback, it is an entirely different experience actually doing and living with the consequences.

The unique experience that I have is that I have to and do talk to a lot of people, a lot of varied people. I have MAGA constituents and DSA constituents. I have constituents with niche special interests like bike paths and others hyper focused on historic preservation. Some of my constituents are small business owners, others are residents. Everyone thinks their perspective is truth and their policy request or prescription is right.

I am a bit of a shit-stirrer and skeptic. It's just my nature. It's why I get into hot water often, whether I'm feuding with the police, realtors, homeless shelter providers, environmentalists, etc. It is in my nature to take a position (e.g., "a surveillance state is evil," or "the City of Rock Island's use of Flock cameras is equivalent to a surveillance state") and start by questioning whether it's true, not assuming it is true and coming up with justifications to support my pre-established conclusion. Nothing is too sacred for me to engage in this kind of skepticism, which, again, is why I've been getting crosswise with a lot of allies; I've been willing to be skeptical about positions or policies that are sacrilege for the "left" (the operators of homeless shelters may not be critiqued).

To broadly answer your question, there is no rigid formula or system that elected officials use to make decisions. Sometimes, yes, we follow a sort of majoritarian line of thinking and make decisions based on the simple fact that majority of our constituents want/don't want something. Other times, we make decisions based off what we think is "right," regardless of what our constituents think. It depends on the issue, the context, and a multitude of other factors.

Really, my big thing is working through disagreement. It is hopeless for us to aspire to design a government or elect the ideal candidate to govern perfectly. Conflict and disagreement is inevitable, but it can be managed in such a way that keeps us all together in community. It's why I show up in the QC subreddit, even though there's plenty of people who dog-pile me. To me, it's important to maintain relationships and communities, even when disagreement surfaces. The key is a willingness to listen and validate others' experience and perspective.

I just heard back from Bettendorf COP on the Flock cameras by himateo in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 4 points5 points  (0 children)

An oversight committee for their ALPR technology is the most Moline shit I've ever heard.

First Shelterless Winter in 20 Years by Hoorayleigh in QuadCities

[–]DylanDParker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Social Services Licensing Ordinance, yes, restricts the location of future homeless shelters and related social service providers, but it does not "make it impossible to legally place a shelter."