“No More Distractions”
Bullies hiding behind screen names do not represent this city. Cowards who anonymously mail un-funny, not-clever, poorly and cheaply designed cartoons poking fun at others do not represent this city. Alleged gang-banging, foolish criminals who throw away a great career do not represent this city.
I am born and raised in Bristol. I had a safe upbringing and I received a quality education with the best possible teachers in Bristol. This is a worthy community with potential unmatched by any other city I’ve ever known. The people here are diverse in every sense of the word. They are kind, hardworking, and looking forward to a better day for themselves, their families, and their community. These people— the men and women I grew up with; the ones I went to school with; and the ones I meet traveling through the streets of this city—they are the people who represent Bristol.
Bristol is—now more than ever—in critical need of a more positive attitude and more focused leadership. Revitalization downtown cannot and will not be successful unless it is a city-wide priority that everyone can understand, believe in, and see in progress. Our streets cannot and will not be cleaned up until we address blight, hold landlords accountable for the properties they own in this city, and stand with the citizens of Bristol who are concerned about the quality of life for all people across our community. Our government cannot and will not become more efficient until we have a serious and honest conversation about the quality of services we provide, the way we treat our public employees, and the coordination of information between city department heads.
Real issues that affect real people are staring us in the face this year. I don’t know a single candidate this year—Democrat or Republican—that doesn’t want to talk about them. So let’s all do our best to forget the distractions, stay positive, and get talking.
Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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