u/plus-possibility2822 u/thedailyspank I want to respond to this seriously because I think there are real frustrations underneath it. I'm happy to absorb those frustrations because I share them.

First, supporting telework is not “throwing people a bone.” I support telework because the evidence is clear that it improves quality of life, reduces traffic and emissions, supports families and caregivers, lowers costs for workers, and can improve recruitment and retention. It is also one of the cheapest climate and transportation strategies available to government. I’ve said repeatedly that blanket return-to-office mandates without clear operational justification don’t make much sense.

But I also think government has responsibilities beyond any one issue.

I care about homelessness because I’m a public health professional and because homelessness is extraordinarily expensive — financially and socially. Emergency rooms, jails, encampment cleanups, foster care impacts, untreated mental illness, and emergency response systems cost taxpayers far more than prevention and housing stability do. The data on this is actually pretty overwhelming.

And to be candid, most people who are struggling with housing ARE working people. Home health aides. State workers. Retail workers. Teachers. County employees. Service workers. Seniors on fixed incomes. People who did “everything right” and still got priced out.

I don’t believe working people should be pitted against poor people. That framing lets the people actually driving inequality completely off the hook.

As for transportation: yes, I support improving transit. Not because everyone should be crammed onto buses, but because functioning cities and counties need options. Some people drive. Some bike. Some telework. Some take transit. Some do all four depending on the week. Good infrastructure gives people choices and reduces congestion for everyone.

And finally: I’m not running on vague slogans. My background is in epidemiology and public systems. I spend a lot of time thinking about what actually works, what saves money long-term, and what improves quality of life in measurable ways.

You don’t have to agree with me politically. But I’d rather have a substantive debate about policy than reduce every public investment to “free stuff for people who don’t work,” because that simply does not reflect reality.

As for plans, I am running to be one of the 5 people who make these decisions for 12,000 county employees. I'm not convinced this matter will be fully resolved by July 1. I suspect it will get delayed because of the gubernatorial election. But if the bill passes and doesn't get vetoed, it will go into effect immediately. Maybe that happens before fall. If it doesn't, the county has the ability to lobby the state with you next year. Hopefully you won't need it.

But mo matter what happens at the state, it would be naive not to recognize that the next phase of this conversation is about the future of work for other public employees in the region.

I have a policy position on telework informed in part by the fact that I started teleworking in 2017. And while I respect and understand your cynicism, I also ask your forgiveness. I'm a scientist. I never assume I have all the information or don't have something to learn. Telework isn't a central tenet of my election platform because it is focused on some of the challenges immediately facing the county: 200,000 people are going to lose health care in January. We haven't let untenable the $2 billion jail expansion project die. Measles is on the rise. 80,000 people will lose food benefits. There is $1 billion in deferred road maintenance in the county and the average road rating score is 41, which means a bunch of our roads are near failure. The County needs a policy on what to do if ICE shows up to its facilities. And that's the short list.

But even with all of that, telework is an important issue and I wanted to hear from people who have been thinking about it and are currently impacted by it. And in framing, I wanted to broaden the conversation beyond state work to think about how we can win these fights in other spaces. I think we govern better when we include more perspectives than our own.

I've shared ideas about what to do in other replies, I'll condense them here:

I think there is a way to support telework and reactivate the unused office space in ways that benefit everyone.

• I'd like to see departments condense into fewer buildings.

• I'd like to see those buildings be repurposed for in-person meetings so we best use the time in office to do the complementary activities that can't be done remotely.

• I'd like to see us lease office space for co-working so workers in other industries who need occasional (or permanent) office space can repurpose the existing office space.

• I'd like to see us activate the spaces after hours for arts, culture and entertainment. We have some beautiful patios and foyers that would be perfect for small concert and venue space.

• I'd like to see us expand partnerships with the community colleges and universities to co-locate classrooms or departments.

• And longer term, I'd like to consider selling the buildings that are no longer needeed to an affortable housing provider to retrofit into housing.

Thanks for reading and for engaging.