Former Mayor Michael B. Coleman of Columbus, Ohio

7/12/2016

Honorable Michael B. Coleman

Director of Businesses and Government Strategies

c/o Ice Miller LLP

Suite 700

250 West Street

Columbus, OH  43215

Dear Honorable Coleman,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in studying history and public policy. These subjects are my favorite is because I like to learn the need to advance on Civil Rights to help protect people who are different from being discriminated, protect the environment from pollution, improve health care reform to help people with pre-existing conditions or who can’t afford insurance get the care they need, and many others.  The main reason I’m writing you a letter is because I find your work as 52^nd Mayor of Columbus, Ohio to be very inspiring to me.

After winning the 1999 Columbus, Ohio mayoral election, I was amazed on how you made history by becoming the first African American to become Mayor of Columbus, Ohio.  When you served as 52^nd Mayor of Columbus, from 2000-2016, I like on how you were a strong supporter of Civil Rights to help protect women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being discriminated in education, public places, and jobs. Also on Civil Rights I was very proud on how you advocated for equal pay for women to help protect them from being discriminated in pay, supported people with disabilities’ rights to help expand their rights, and push for LGBT rights to help protect people with different sexual orientation from being targeted.  On education, I liked on how expand funding for special education to help students with disabilities get educational accommodations they need to help the learn and implement Capital Kids, an after school program to have tutors to help children learn different subjects. Have Anti-gang Unit to combat against gangs, create city in-house resource to have staff be mentors to youth who have problems to help prevent them getting involve in crime, and expand treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need so they won’t be addicted to drugs are great ways to reduce crime.   To protect the environment, I like on how you are a strong supporter of funding renewable energy (solar, wind, biofuel, and energy efficient products) to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, create Central Ohio Green Pact to work with different businesses along with Central Ohio region leaders to find ways to reduce pollution, provide funds to clean up parks with rivers to make them safe for people to use, and encourage businesses to use green buildings along with use energy efficient products to help reduce high energy cost.

Honorable Coleman, I have Autism with a learning disability.  Having Autism is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects especially new things, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.  Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights and be an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Also your work as 52^nd Mayor of Columbus, Ohio on different issues really motivates me to continue my interest in learning history with public policy.  My future goal is to someday teach history to help people learn the need to make Civil Rights stronger along with the need to make government work for the people or work in public policy to help create good ideas to help shape society.  

I strongly believe that you made a great difference as 52^nd Mayor of Columbus, Ohio.  You have truly inspired me to work hard on my disability and to continue being motivated to learn history along with public policy.  Here is a picture of me as a a gift to you for inspiring me.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make great achievements, and inspiring me. Please continue to advocate for great common sense ideas to help make society better.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick

He sent me a three page bio of his life with his achievements as Mayor of Columbus, Ohio.