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Cortico Highlight

Medley

September 11, 2023

Wedefinitelyhavealotofneeds,withaffordablehousingbeingoneofthem.

Thedowntownareawhereyouhavethethreecomplexesthatservicetheelderlyanddisabled,theonlyrecreationparkthatIseedownthereconsistsofmonkeybarsandlittlebitofstoopstositon,butitdoesn'tgiveyouaareawhereyoucanrunandplay.

Weseealotofmomspushingtheirbabies.Andtheygottopushtheminthestreet,butyougotsidewalksgoinghalfwaydownAustin,butnoneintheneighborhoods.

Itfloodssobadinourneighborhood,especiallywhenwehavealotofrain.

SoIhaveaseeingeyedog,andIalsohavemycane,andIuseit.IwildlyswingmycaneupanddownasIcross,andIpraytoGodeverytimeIcrossbecausethenewercarsdon'tmakeanynoise.AndindowntownDurham,theyputinthesecrosswalksthatarepretty,butthey'renotclear,andIthinkalotofdriversdon'tunderstandwhattheyare.

It'skindofscaryrightnow.Wehavetouseparatransit.Andbecauseofthesituationrightnow,alotoftimes,we'repickeduphoursbeforeappointmenttimes.

We'redoingalltheserenovations,we'redoingallthisbuildupandalltheseinitiativeswithinDurham,buttheroadsremainfarbelow,Ithink,whattheircompetitivecitiesaregoingtobe.Soifwe'relookingtogetGoogle,Amazon,thosetypeofcompaniesinheretobolsteroureconomy,weneedtoaddresstheroads.

That'swhyweneedtobeinvestinginourneighborhoodschoolsandourneighborhoodcommunitycenters,havingtheseplacebetteraccessibletoourcommunity.

I'mthinkingofinformationtechnology,andeveninformationmorebroadlyasinfrastructure,ispotentiallyaspacethatcouldmakesomereallybigleapsandbounds.

Iwouldliketoseemoreprogrammingforcitizens,fortheteens,youngadults,evenourseniors.

Openup...Takethatmoney,insteadofbuildingalargerhundredbeddetentioncenterforouryouth,howaboutbuildingacommunitycenterthatcanhouseahundredyoutheverydayafterschool?

MyvisionfortheDurhamcommunityisthatitbemoreinclusiveintermsofdecision-makingandthatourcitycouncilgoesalongwithwhatthecommunitywants.

Wegottorespectthatthepeopleinthecommunitiesknowwhattheywantandneed,andthattheymaynothavetheeducationandcertifications,buttheyknowtheircommunity.

Let'sputourowncommunicationstogether.Let'sputourownadstogether.Let'sgoouthereandwalksomeflyersout.Let'sgoouthere.Let'stalktosomepeople.

Durham'sawonderfulplace,andIthinkthatwehavethepotentialtobewhateverwewanttobe.