The Board of Health meeting starts today at 5:30pm

Hello, 

It's been a busy day on my end and there were still some questions about tonight's meeting to sort through.  

Here a few quick notes before I head over to the meeting: 

• Meeting details 
  • Agenda item 7
• Why there is still a vote tonight 
• There will be no public comments taken at tonight's meeting
• My letter to the Board of Health ahead of their vote tonight: 

 "Dear Members of the Board of Health,  Regarding item #7 on tonight's agenda, I'd like to say thank you for taking the concerns raised by myself and Alders Field and Matthews along with multiple community members seriously and for engaging in this decision with care.  It is my hope that you have also had time to read and consider the additional issues shared by Madison365 yesterday regarding CAYA Clinic including false collaborations and partnerships in their application.  The vote before you tonight is not just about a proposal—it is about how power is exercised, who it serves, and whether it advances justice or creates further harm. In Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us: Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political or economic changes. In this sense power is not only desirable but necessary in order to implement the demands of love and justice. One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites.

He goes on to say: 

What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love. There is nothing essentially wrong with power. The problem is that in America power is unequally distributed.

 

A yes vote would not reflect power guided by love and justice—it would risk creating more confusion, more harm, and ultimately more chaos. I urge you to vote no, allow the necessary corrections to be made, and ensure that any future decision is grounded in transparency, public trust, and sound public health practices." 

 

Alder Madison

District17@cityofmadison.com