This past Saturday I was doing what I always do, driving into work to get a group of walkers going for the campaign, when I came across a sight that has become more and more common in my neighborhood - A group of volunteers cleaning up a vacant lot and replacing it with beautiful native plants (I personally found humor in the fact that the vacant, degraded lot held one of our competitors billboards - but I digress).
I have lived in Salt Lake’s West Side my entire life, and I am excited to see where it is headed. People are taking pride in their homes, streets, neighborhoods, and city. It seems as though residents are more than eager to prove that the West Side is just as valuable and worthy as any other part of the city. Furthermore I feel that other residents are starting to take note.
People often ask me why I chose to work on this campaign as opposed to others. The principal reason I chose this race was due to Ralph’s proactive stance on improving our West Side. Don’t get me wrong, I support Ralph’s positions on issues such as making our city green and improving transportation (for a breakdown on what Ralph wants to do for our city, click here), but the West Side holds a place near and dear to my heart.
Hopefully the winner (whoever that person may be) of this September’s/November’s elections will pay attention to the needs of citizens past I-15. The Rose Park, Glendale, and Poplar Grove areas provide affordable housing and a slew of business opportunities for those willing to look beyond traditional borders. I will continue to work hard for Ralph because I know he cares about the needs of all of our residents, not just a few neighborhoods.