Who’s Mark?
I’m a life-long Shreveport resident, born and raised in the district, a graduate of Caddo Magnet High and LSU Shreveport. I'm a husband, a father, and a worker.
I'm running for City Council because I want to fight for a Shreveport that works for workers.
It’s time for a change in priorities. It's time to put Shreveport's workers first!
What're Mark’s Policies?
Jobs and Economy
Shreveport's economy is struggling, and the City's economic strategy of handouts to corporate capital has not paid off, least of all for working people. As Councilman, I will fight to:
Prioritize Working Class Shreveport — The City of Shreveport must not only take the needs of working class Shreveporters into consideration, it must prioritize them. The issues facing Shreveport's working class majority must be made a priority.
Encourage Workers’ Cooperatives — As Councilman, I will fight for policies that enable workers to more easily form workers' cooperatives. Workers' cooperatives are businesses that are run by their employees, who share in the disstribution of profits and the responsibilities of management. Cooperatives keep wealth local, keep workers employed, increase wages, and reduce inequality.
Open and Honest Government
Politicians should not keep information about government policy from the public. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) like those signed by our City Council members in relation to data center construction are intolerable. The people should not be kept in the dark. I will never sign an NDA that prevents me from keeping constituents informed and in the loop. Instead, I will fight for:
- More Appropriate Meeting Times, Regular Constituent Consultation — Working people do not have the time to attend City Council meetings. I will fight to move the meeting times to the evenings, and I will hold regular consultations with constituents over legislation debated by the Council to better represent the interests of our district.
Housing Justice
Shreveport is in the middle of a cost of living crisis, and the cost of housing in particular has increased at a faster pace than wages. Most Shreveporters rent their homes, and many landlords have taken advantage of their tenants by raising rents even while their properties deteriorate. As your Councilman, I will fight to:
Rein in Junk Fees, Protect Tenants — I will advocate for city-wide regulations on rental application fees, late fees and other "junk" fees which raise the cost of housing, which prevent working people from accessing quality housing, and which reduce competition between housing providers. I will fight for tenants when their rights are violated and rental agreements are broken by predatory landlords.
Build Emergency Housing to Tackle Homelessness — It's easier to become homeless than to escape homelessness. Our homeless neighbors need help. I will fight for investment in emergency housing programs that provide our homeless residents with dignified shelter and a pathway to independence.
Repeal Cruel Anti-Homeless Laws — The criminalization of homelessness is counter-productive. Criminalization places further hurdles in the way of overcoming homelessness. Our city should help those who need it, not give them criminal records. I will stand up against the criminalization of our most vulnerable neighbors and fight for the dignity and well-being of all Shreveporters.
Public Safety
Pubic safety is a working class issue. Working people deserve to be safe, in public and at home, from crime and from government. As your Councilman, I will fight to:
Keep Pedestrians Safe — Pedestrian injuries and fatalities are increasingly common in our district, and the cost of owning a car has increased faster than wages. Children especially are endangered by speeding, inattentive, motorists and by the lack of infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists. As Councilman, I will fight to improve pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and for the enforcement of traffic laws that hold dangerous motorists accountable.
- End Warantless Mass Surveillance — I will fight the city's use of ALPR cameras which invade the privacy and liberty of law-abiding citizens. The daily activity of ordinary people should not be collected and stored by for-profit companies run outside of the city and state. A free society does not have room for mass surveillance.
End Forced Overtime — The City of Shreveport is in conflict with the Police Department over the policy of forced overtime. Forced overtime is stretching an already thin police force even thinner. I will fight to end this policy.
Why No Party?
The two-party system has limited the choice voters have in their political representatives. Powerful special interests, rich donors, and political bureaucrats set the agenda in both major parties, not ordinary people.
Policy that affects ordinary people should be made by ordinary people. As Councilman, I will not be beholden to bureaucrats, special interests, or rich donors, I will be beholden only to the people of this district, consulting the people of this district on every decision tnat comes before the Council.
This election, let's make a change. Let's break the two-party system. Let's give no party a chance. Vote MARK BLACK for DISTRICT C on November 3rd!