Where Do we go from here? - Citizens for Equity in Government

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE

As we pause in our day-to-day organizing work, we would like to pay homage to the passing of fellow organizer and community worker Joseph Hill who passed away on February 4, 2011. We will miss his timely comments concerning our struggle for democracy at the local level (even from his death bed). Condolences go out to the Hill family.

Over the past year, we have been uncompromising when it concerns justice, human rights, our values, our children, our families and the development of our community.

We will continue to make a positive difference on behalf of our poor and minority citizens in Hickory, NC as we aspire to achieve democracy at the local level. Local government is the tier of public authority that citizens first look to solve their immediate social problems. It is also the level of democracy in which the citizen has the most effective opportunity to actively and directly participate in decisions made for all of society.

Poor and minority citizens have lost their community swimming pool due to the arrogance of city council and a lack of democracy at the local level. It is public knowledge that they made the decision and will build a new pool in a distant “central location”.

Professional citizens with expertise offered other alternatives but were denied. The city of Hickory spent over $26,000 of taxpayer’s dollars to hold surveys and hearings of what citizens wanted. Citizens asked for and voted on four (4) district pools, much to no avail. Still no democracy at the local level… Legal strategy is being explored. Leaders have been jailed while trying to prevent the demolition of the pools.

We must now appeal to the progressive elements of the Hickory community if we are deliberately being denied access in the decision making process. Because of these “invincible fences”, we need help in relieving our powerlessness.

Historically, we lost our democracy in Hickory in 1970 when the voting process was changed from the pure ward system of electing officials to the modified ward system of electing officials. This was to ensure that only the right kind could be elected. We lost again in 2000 when our majority minority ward was redistricted out. We are now in a process of redistricting from the 2010 census. Democratically, we are still at the mercy of the few. If one person is about democracy, everyone is about democracy!

If you are interested in helping to end this destruction of poor and minority representation in Hickory, join our coalition and meet with us Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 6:00 pm in the Ridgeview Branch Library, 706 1st Street SW in Hickory or call 828-308-4669.

Date:February 24, 2011
Contact: Billy Sudderth (828) 308-4669