When the news broke of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, it was chilling to many people to learn that 40 percent of that small city’s budget was allocated to public safety - a budget allocation that utterly failed to keep the children and teachers at Robb Elementary school safe. What might have been a better way to spend that city’s precious funds? After Uvalde, and in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd, residents of many US cities asked that same question. They’re turning to a tool called participatory budgeting that gives residents and taxpayers real decision-making power over their cities’ budgets. It’s already spread to more than 7,000 cities around the world. This week, Laura speaks with Shari Davis and Kristania De Leon, co-directors of the Oakland and NYC based Participatory Budgeting Project, and Shaun Glaze, research director of the Black Brilliance Research Project in Seattle. Participatory budgeting makes a real difference, they say, and at a moment when US democracy itself is hanging by a thread, the experience of participating in budget-making is beginning to validate people’s belief in voting. Could this model bring power to people where they live? We are listener & viewer sponsored. Full episode notes including related articles and LFShow episodes to watch and/or listen to are posted at https://Patreon.com/theLFShow. Patreon Members receive access to the FULL UNCUT CONVERSATION. The show airs on 300+ Public Television households across the U.S., on over 40 community radio stations and as a podcast.