'Woke' Kentucky mayor is slammed for wanting pull $120,000 from emergency rental fund to pay for 'critical race theory' training for city employees
A Kentucky mayor has come under fire for a proposal that would see funds being taken from an emergency rental assistance program and instead be used to provide city employees with diversity training.
The Mayor of Lexington, Linda Gorton, is proposing to use the funds that had been earmarked for people suffering financial hardship during the pandemic and instead redirect them towards Critical Race Theory training.
'Lexington's woke mayor is taking funds for poor people and using them to pay a rich white woman so she can teach city employees how to become woke... this is progressivism in the 21st century,' author Ryan James Girdusky said on Twitter.
Mayor of Lexington, Linda Gorton, is proposing to use funds from an emergency rental assistance program and instead give council members diversity training
Mayor Gorton, is proposing to use the funds that had been earmarked for people suffering financial hardship during the pandemic and instead redirect them towards Critical Race Theory training
Author Ryan James Girdusky did not appear to be impressed by the proposals
The funds would see $120,000 which was specifically for housing assistance, taken out of its $1.9m budget and used for diversity training.
The Lexington Housing Justice Collective said that the money ended up being 'unallocated' because of bureaucratic slowness and not because the funds are unneeded.
Instead, the money would be put towards diversity training sessions at a cost of $2,000 a day for 35 council employees at a time
Critical Race Theory teaches that American laws and institutions are inherently racist.
The theoretical framework has risen in popularity in recent years.
The theory suggests that racism is the dominant component of American society resulting in minorities being denied many constitutional rights.
The Lexington Housing Justice Collective said that the money ended up being 'unallocated' because of bureaucratic slowness
The charity which is fighting to end homelessness explained in detail what happened
$120,000 part of a $1.9million budget for housing assistance could be used
The money would be put towards diversity training sessions at a cost of $2,000 a day for 35 council employees including both in-person and online
The mayor's plan was published by a charity, the Lexington Housing Justice Collective, on social media which stated how the city was going through the 'worst eviction crisis in at least a decade.'
'The city's rental assistance program is already deeply underfunded. Now Mayor Gorton wants to cut funding even more,' the group said in a tweet. 'This will lead to even more Lexingtonians losing their homes in the coming months, after hundreds have already been evicted since August 24.'
Although the group argued it did not disagree with the training, it did not wish to see funds pulled away from rental assistance programs.
'The proposal is part of Mayor Gorton's response to the Commission for Racial & Equality. But Black and Brown people are disproportionately evicted,' the group said. 'Taking $ from rental assistance does not advance racial justice. It means more Black and Brown people will lose their homes.
Mayor Gorton's plans come despite worries that the city's rental assistance program is already deeply underfunded
Critical Race Theory made headlines a few months ago after the U.S. State Department suspended all training programs for employees related to diversity and inclusion after President Donald Trump directed federal agencies last month to end programs deemed as 'divisive' by the White House.
'Beginning Friday, October 23, 2020, the Department is temporarily pausing all training programs related to diversity and inclusion in accordance with Executive Order ... on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping,' the cable said.
'The pause will allow time for the Department and Office of Personnel Management to review program content,' it said.
Trump's executive order forbid the teaching by federal agencies of 'divisive concepts' including that the United States is 'fundamentally racist or sexist.'
Mayor Gorton is currently dealing with Lexington's coronavirus pandemic crisis and fully intends to implement State Gov Andy Beshear's restrictions on businesses and gatherings
It also banned the use of taxpayer dollars to fund so-called 'un-American propaganda sessions' including the idea of white privilege or 'taught that the United States is an inherently racist or evil' country.
News of the money being diverted away from Lexington's housing assistance program comes as the state of Kentucky deals with a surge of COVID-19 cases.
It has led to Governor Andy Beshear restricting businesses and gatherings.
Gorton appears to be fully behind the emergency rules.
'We can overcome this surge of COVID-19 cases in our community,' she said.
'Let's all do our part to be safe and healthy by following the rules, wearing a mask, washing our hands, and maintaining social distance.'