The theme of this campaign
city wide should be “NO MORE, NO MORE, and NO MORE.” With the ever failing city
that’s on the blink of collapse, people seems to be backing up and moving away
from change instead of embracing change. Well to me it hurts so badly, to see how
people can go outside of their city and embrace change or the territory that
represent as a leader. When you have your own people struggling to survive, its
makes me wonder do they really care about their city and its people or the
constituents they represent.
What happened to the
courage, the fighting spirit and hope that once lived in the lives of our forefathers? Is that courage, fighting spirit and hope
still alive today? It makes you believe that it’s not in so many ways. I’m
going to take you through some of those ways today.
I want you to just sit and
think for a minute as you read this post wherever you are. Is the City of
Prichard where you would like it to be as a city to call home and do business?
Is your community the community that you want to call home? Are you receiving
the best in quality of life from the City of Prichard? Is the leadership being
honest with you in the aspects of City business and affairs?
In the past few weeks I
have noticed that very little of our community leaders, pastors, and elected
officials that live in and represent the City of Prichard and whom seeks your
support when it’s their time, have not come out and said who they support or do
they support change that represent the should be campaign theme NO MORE.
It’s time out for playing
these crooked politics that ends up in backroom deals and handshakes for
political favors and a pat on the back.
Now over the past eight
years, honestly so many promises have been made and fewer accomplishments and
then you have just poor leadership in place to move the City of Prichard
forward. It’s simple the status quo has to go in order to embrace change for
the better. It’s year in and year out and campaign after the next where they
champion the success of their administrations and actions, however they don’t
try to fix the much needed problems within the city, and that makes you wonder
why not, or do they even care about its citizens.
There is a problem in
Prichard, and it’s not with the citizens it’s with the leadership and those
that supposedly be representing the people of this struggling city. The
citizens and businesses of Prichard want more and they want better. How can an
administration or elected official ask the citizens and businesses to invest in
a city that is not investing in itself.
Take a ride through
Prichard, and you can look at the city for yourself and know that they the City
of Prichard are not getting what it deserves. The infrastructure and image of
this city is terrible. I have walked through the districts of this city and
have heard complaints from the citizens to know they are not happy and want
better themselves. The communities are in bad shape, drainage and sidewalks are
fading away and much environmental concerns arise when you see the ditches and waterways
in the city and communities. The street lighting and streets needs overdue
repairs. The blight of abandon homes is outrageous, and come to find out the
City of Prichard Housing Authority owns a majority of them. A couple of elderly
citizens complained to me that the City of Prichard want even come out and
clean around the houses or fix the abandon properties, which causes a problem
for their property and residence. Now is that leadership?
When you take a ride down
Wilson Ave, a district that can be the thriving sources for businesses in the City
as it once was; you will find yourself on a bumpy ride. That’s how bad the
streets are on Wilson Ave and others. So where is the leadership?
But here it is the current
mayor Ron Davis and his hand pecked supporters have went around the city to
purchase small bill boards that no one else have seem to invest in to advertise
on and post up campaign lies to deter the voters or just keep them from the
polls as such as the false campaign lies on the green mailers he and his
supporters continue to put out.
This the status quo mayor
that has made many promises and have delivered on a few, I give him that credit
but on the other hand has failed the city that he promise to bring back to
life. He lives in a community where a bad environmental odor has taken over,
and as mayor has failed to help the citizens until a local Eight Mile Community
Citizen Association step forward and seek answers and help. The status quo
mayor has sit and watch the water and sewer rates rise over the past (8) years
under his watch and has not come out in support of lower rates until the
citizens become outraged and nearly voted him out of office in the first of
election on September 11th. Now he is campaigning with lies once again
and putting it on his opponent, as if his opponent is the problem.
A once thriving Prichard
Business district along Wilson Ave has been torn down instead of rebuilt. Crime
and drugs in the city has taken its toile on the city and the citizens are just
tired. Look at the former Greer’s shopping center off Hwy 45, that center that
could be one of the City most thriving center’s has faded away and the parking
lot is just terrible. Now you can’t tell me that is effective and positive
leadership.
Last but not least, the
mayor has hired and pays the city attorneys more pay than the city employees
will ever make. Have the city employees even gotten a raise? And then don’t forget the retiree’s pension fund.
Oh, the money those city attorneys is making off the citizens back, should be
going toward the retirees pension fund. The mayor takes credit for solution
with allowing the retirees to draw some of their due benefits, but it was Councilman
Troy Ephriam that proposed and fought for the retirees to get their needed and
due payments that is still underfunded, and on the other hand the current
status quo mayor proposed to re-enter the City into bankruptcy because he didn’t
want to pay the retirees any payments. Now that’s the truth.
The Mayor has found money
to do so many other things that he desire and his friends desire, but could and
still can’t find any money to pay the retirees their fair share or make the
much needed repairs that the city needs.
But this is the most
serious part of this critical election, the question of where are the leaders
that wanted to represent you the citizens of Prichard? Where is that leader
that is currently representing you in various offices? Is they concerned and
care about you and the struggling city that they claim to represent and wanted
to represent.
It time and time again
that the people elect those that neglect their constituents once they are
elected, and start playing that if you are not in my political camp then HELL
with you.
Yeah I am talking about
that State Representative you elected, State Senator, Council person, and even
that County Commission that represents Prichard. They all claim to be working
together for the better. They all have not come out publicly to say whom they
support or do they support change for the better of Prichard. Um, that’s a
serious question in a critical election as this. Those same representatives
campaigned year and year on promises of change as well, and that they want a
better Prichard.
I even find out that the
former mayor Charles Harden has endorsed and is currently supporting Mayor Ron
Davis in the run-off election, after he has run for the same seat three times
against Ron Davis…lol. Is he serious? He campaigned over the past 8 years that
Ron Davis has failed the city. Now all of a sudden he is doing a great job, because
Charles Harden may be looking for a job.
Former candidate Teresa
Fox Bettis, have not come out to support either candidate to my knowledge after
she lost handily. This is another former candidate that campaign to the
citizens on change and a better Prichard. But now have gone to the sidelines
with a silent voice. What happened to the hope and change?
And the candidate that I
once believe was doing a great job and standing up for the citizens, has gone
silent and to the sidelines as well. Severia Campbell Morris the candidate that
raised so many concerns about the high water and sewer rates and personally
said she think the city needs new leadership have found herself in a
un-disclosed corner. Was she promised a political favor or scared of the political
backlash. I don’t think her supporters are.
Are all of these so called
representatives and once want to be leaders who they say they are? Some that I
have not mentioned are concerned about their campaigns in the next couple of
years. Like the House District 98 race, Senate District 33 race and County
Commission District 1 race which all share the city of Prichard. They are
afraid of the political backlash and how it will affect their races and endorsements
come their next election in 2014. But you remember all of those that are in
office now have campaign on change and better of the City of Prichard, because
they all believe it’s the crossroads of Mobile County.
You don’t see either of
them out publicly endorsing a candidate or embarrassing change. Some have gone
all the way to Charlotte to embrace change, when their own city and communities
in their own districts are struggling and trying to embrace change and move
forward.
Now many question my
motive for this posting, however no there is no need to question my motive.
Because here it is, it’s simple and to the point. It’s because I care about
Prichard and its citizens. I want to see the once thriving city return to where
it once stood on positive standings. It’s time out for the lying to citizens
and depriving the citizens of their votes and support on false hope. The
citizens of Prichard are hurting and they are hungry for change and they have
been lied to so many times and their votes have been taken for granted over and
over again. The status quo must go.
The citizens of Prichard
deserve better and they deserve more. The citizens of Prichard deserve a clean
and safe community and community with the best of Quality of Life. The young
people of the city deserve more activities and programs to help them advance
their lives. The seniors of the city deserve more day programs and activities.
The city of Prichard should embrace and support its educational opportunities
for the students of the city. Prichard should also be in the business of
supporting businesses and not running businesses away. The City of Prichard
should be in business of recruiting quality jobs for its citizens and working
class families.
This election is critical
and the people of Prichard cannot continue to receive poor leadership. This
type of leadership has those that desire to vote, not want to cause of they
feel it’s not worth casting a vote for the same ole politics and leadership. And
we wonder why out voter turnout is low and why our young people want get
involved in the political process. What a role model that is.
You take the time and
think, is this the Prichard you want to see or do you want to see a better
Prichard. My answer is that, the Status
Quo is not going to get a better Prichard.
The NO MORE, NO MORE, and NO MORE have to rise above it all. Hope and
Change have to come alive once again at home before it can happen abroad.
Citizens of Prichard don’t
be deterred or discouraged, get out to vote on October 23, 2012 for change.
