Gas prices are continuing to climb because Donald Trump is more focussed on getting us into a new forever war than he is actually providing for the American people.

Shelby county faces real threats to the wellbeing of the people who call it home from rising prices, underinvestment in critical resources, and more. If we don’t take bold action now, we may not be a community for us to come home to.

How can we expect our next generation to root themselves into our communities if we’re not investing in their schools and doing nothing to make housing affordable for when they finally step out on their own?

Donald Trump and his movement have no place in Memphis. We deserve a mayor that will remind him of that every single day.

Far too often the profits from data center development fall into the hands of a few while the consequences of their operations—higher electricity costs and pollution—are borne by all of us. We can’t let Memphis be another example of that if we want to build a better future.

A month ago, the average cost of gas in Memphis was $2.58/gallon. Thanks to Trump and the GOP, it’s up to $3.90. This is what happens when you let people who only care about the donors lining their pockets into office. We deserve better.

We spend an unbelievable amount of time at our jobs. A huge part of most of our lives is spent working, so it’s only right that we all be able to organize for better pay and conditions in the places that time is spent. I want to be a leader who helps workers do just that.

Shelby county deserves leadership that will bring costs down, bring wages up, and help the people who call our communities home live the dignified, prosperous lives they deserve.

Why do the American people always end up paying the price of Trump’s mistakes? Why do we have to foot the bill?

The only way this gets better is voting him and his cronies out first chance we get.

No Kings protests and the continued mobilization of so many people in protests across the country are a sign of how ready this country is for a change in the status quo. Trump’s agenda has created nothing but hardship for Americans across the country.

Our small businesses have the chance to play a major role in the education of working folks throughout our communities. We have a chance to work with them and others to develop apprenticeships, fellowships, and on-the-job training roles that give people the skills they need to succeed in any market.

Investing in workers today is how we build our local economy for years to come.

Our educators shouldn’t have to spend their already lower than deserved pay on classroom supplies and other resources for students. We should have an education system that is well funded enough to cover what our kids need in the classroom.

How are we supposed to build thriving communities if people can barely afford to live?

How is that pro-worker at all?

Republicans are perfectly comfortable with our food costs going up, our gas cost going through the roof, our housing costs becoming unaffordable, and every other cost that makes our lives harder continuing to increase, all while standing against any measures that would put more money in our pockets.

Let me say this, Donald Trump isn’t wanted in Shelby County.

It’s our responsibility to build a safer Shelby County by treating public safety as a shared, countywide responsibility, one that breaks down artificial jurisdictional lines, upholds human dignity at every stage of the justice system, and replaces cycles of harm with pathways of stability.

Safe communities are stronger communities. We need to invest in ensuring our neighbors have their basic needs met, all while providing our law enforcement officials with the resources they need to tackle issues as they arise.

How can we expect our communities to be healthy if our community members are unable to access the healthcare they need?

Access to preventative services such as annual wellness visits, screenings, immunizations, and basic chronic disease management are key to ensuring our communities stay healthy. Together, we can ensure that every community member has these services available when they need them.

Access to preventative services such as annual wellness visits, screenings, immunizations, and basic chronic disease management are key to ensuring our communities stay healthy. Together, we can ensure that every community member has these services available when they need them.

Our leaders should be doing everything they can to bring costs down, not embroiling our nation in foreign conflicts that drive up prices for working Americans. We need less expensive gas, food, housing, and more. Nothing short of that can be acceptable.

What’s a home if it isn’t affordable, safe, and stable? We have to do more than invest in housing - we need deep, community led efforts to make that housing the best it can be

Every worker deserves a wage that ensures they thrive, not just get by. Livable wages have to be the standard if we’re to uplift our communities.

An underfunded school is an underfunded future.

JB Smiley for County Mayor Let's do something together.

Let’s Stand Together www.votejbsmiley.com

While others have been talking about it, I’ve actually been doing the work.

When Donald Trump sent ice and the National Guard. I sued.

When the republicans got rid of gun permits, I passed a gun referendum.

I’ve been standing up. And now it’s time for us to stand together.

Election Day: May 5

We can’t just build houses, we need to also invest in repairing and upgrading the homes that already exist. Plenty of homes around the county are in need of repairs, so why not give them the fixes they need?