FALLING WATERS
Damn it… I’m torn.
I honestly don’t know who to vote for, and my heart feels heavy.
It doesn’t get much more “frontline” than what I’ve seen in both my personal and professional life over the past decade. I’ve spent, and continue to spend, countless hours in the heart of our community. I’ve seen the struggles up close, the progress, the setbacks, and everything in between.
I’ll give credit where it’s due: I appreciate the beautification efforts and quality-of-life improvements the current administration has brought. The waterfront looks great, new businesses are popping up, and some locations look better than they have in years. There has been positive growth, and I can acknowledge that.
But I also have to be honest, our city IS NOT safe right now. For too many people, it’s not a pleasant place to live. Parts of our community have gotten significantly worse: more violence, more theft, more hardship. I’ve watched neighborhoods I grew up in become completely unrecognizable, destroyed, stripped of the soul and sense of community they once had. The tight-knit, familiar feel that used to define parts of our city is just… gone.
I’ve witnessed former students and clients lose their lives, some to violence, some to circumstances that could have been prevented with better support systems. I’ve worked with families and single parents forced out of their homes due to rising costs and unaffordability. I’ve seen individuals struggle, day after day, because the resources they need just aren’t there.
New development and gentrification have been a double-edged sword. Yes, we’ve seen some improvements like new parks and cleaner streets, but we’ve also seen displacement and deeper divides. Drugs continue to devastate families and neighborhoods, tearing at the fabric of our community.
I’m torn between recognizing the things that have been done right and confronting the things that still feel deeply wrong.
Do I blame the current mayor for national issues that go far beyond our city? Not entirely. But is he complicit for not doing more to set our city apart, to push for deeper change, to stand up for the people who are struggling the most? Maybe.
And at the same time, I can’t completely dismiss the contenders’ claims about elitism and corruption. Some of it resonates, maybe more than I want to admit.
This decision isn’t easy. It’s weighing heavy on me because I love this city. I’ve invested my time, my energy,
and my heart here. I just want to see it become a place where everyone, not just a few, can truly thrive.