Holding our Elected Officials Accountable is Hard Work and Necessary

Twice a year I publish a column 'We must hold our Elected Officials Accountable". As I rally with the community members and we discuss the issues that are important to them, I see the fire in their eyes. They are passionate about so many things. Their concerns range from salaries of the city attorneys, property being sold in the community, police stops & police interaction, councilpersons voting the influence of the Mayors, diversity of city hall employees, growing number of marijuana facilities within the city, hiring practices and more.

But there are two common BUTS, that stop the progress. This is what I hear, ' But, they are going to do what they want to do anyway' or 'But, if I speak out, they will retaliate on me. That ends the process... temporarily.

I continue to stress that elected officials work for the citizens and the citizens have the right to ask questions. It should be part of the elected officials' job that they are held accountable by the residents that pay their salaries.

The residents must continue to fight on because the end result should be UNITY. The fight that we fight is to help level the playing field in our cities. We must be constantly involved in our cities and strive to bring about a sense of equity, inclusion and fairness for the residents. It is our responsibility to make sure that our children and grandchildren grow up in communities where they are valued, included in the process and they have a chance for success.

Several cities held elections last week. Some people were re-elected and there are some new officials. Congratulations to all and now it's time to get to work. That means residents and elected officials alike must be ready to get busy. The State of Michigan is in the spotlight and it's our time to shine bright. I encourage everyone to get active and use their voice to be part of the process.

"A democracy cannot thrive where power remains unchecked and justice is reserved for a

select few. "

John Lewis

Let's get busy,

Gina Wilson Steward

President

Western Wayne County NAACP