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Contributed commentary by BJ Miksic of Woodlawn:
As I look around me, I see dirty laundry, dust bunnies and unpaid bills. I find comfort in letting it go one more day, knowing that I have something more important on today’s schedule: I will be standing beside a man I am proud to call friend waving signs at the Election Commission. That man is your next mayor, Wallace Redd.
I have had the honor of supporting him for the last several months during his campaign, and what I have seen while watching this campaign unfold is awe-inspiring. He is truly a man of honor and integrity with one desire upon his heart, and that is to bring about change sorely needed in Montgomery County. Over the years, I have been involved in fighting many battles that were not in our county’s best interest. Wallace and Helga Redd have been alongside my husband and me during those times. They were there to stop the overreach that would ensue with consolidation. They were there when we tried to introduce a plan that would bring an event center that would not be funded on the backs of the taxpayers.
Wallace knows our infrastructure is a mess, Montgomery County is not as safe as it once was, and the consequences suffered due to unfettered growth. He knows the overcrowding of our schools and the safety of our teachers and kids is in jeopardy. He is one of us and has only the people’s best interest at heart. Throughout this entire campaign, I have watched slings and arrows, falsehoods and untruths hurled at this man. Yet he has never wavered in his resolve to accomplish the mission at hand, which is to represent the people of Montgomery County.
I’ve seen Wallace consistently rise above the fray of dirty politics by separating himself from the pack and running his own grassroots campaign. He spends hours daily reaching out to his constituents letting them know it is time for a much-needed change in the direction Montgomery County has been headed for far too long, and he wants to be a part of that change.
You won’t see endless photo ops with the mayors, Election Commission head, the governor and the senator, who all seem to pop up in the traditional political dog and pony show. You won’t see the local paper touting him as the most qualified. You won’t see the contractors, bankers, lawyers and megachurches parade him around while dropping money in his campaign and promising their vote. Knowing he will be mayor on his own merit, and not owned and maneuvered at the behest of donors pushing for the next big project is all the proof you need to know we can trust him to do the job.
Wallace is not the “golden boy” of the elite. He is a man of the people who will serve you as he has served his community over the last 30 years.
BJ Miksic
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