Friend,
We haven't talked before, but you know my city. Charlotte is known across the country as a hub for innovation, a home to the financial sector, a pop-up scene for foodies, and most recently the target of North Carolina's HB2 law.
Before our current leadership, Charlotte was going to host the NBA All-Star game, an expansion of Paypal, and countless concerts and conferences. People across our state have taken it upon themselves to protest the state legislature's actions, and rightly so; but what of the countless people impacted by this whole ordeal? I'm talking about the people who work at the Bank of America Stadium, the uptown hotels, the waiters and waitresses, for whom the tourism industry was going to supply their holiday gifts to family members, only to have that stripped from them as business declined.
There has been a lot of talk about boycotting North Carolina, and I've come out against that publicly. We cannot use the livelihoods of people in our community as a political bargaining chip. Charlotte can and should do better. A 2013 study ranked Charlotte as the 50th out of 50 cities regarding economic mobility. The paper, published by Harvard University, argues just how stifling the economic environment is in Charlotte.
"For instance, the probability that a child reaches the top fifth of the income distribution conditional on having parents in the bottom fifth is 4.4% in Charlotte..." That, at its core, is the focus of my campaign. We cannot continue to obfuscate the real problems of our city by hiding behind partisan issues that push progress aside.
From the bully pulpit, I promise to bring attention to, and work to fix, the education, economic, and business environment of Charlotte, so that those who work hard to get ahead, can. We have it within ourselves to bring ourselves and neighbors up, but our local government has to make sure those basic needs are met. Ending food deserts, supporting communities and law enforcement, and supporting our education system at all levels are the most certain route to a better city and state. My experience in small business and state government will help me map our route to success.
As I run for Mayor in Charlotte, I hope that you will consider contributing to my campaign in the hopes of affecting change for those who need it most.
Best,
Senator Joel Ford