Mayor Rosalynn Bliss of Grand Rapids, Michigan

2/22/2017

Mayor Rosalynn C. Bliss

c/o  Office of The Mayor

City of Grand Rapids

300 Monroe Avenue, N.W.

Grand Rapids, MI  49503

Dear Mayor Bliss,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history with public policy. In these subjects, I really enjoy understanding the need to make Civil Rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, make education a better learning environment, and many others.  Mayor Bliss, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan to be very inspiring to me, share you my experience in visiting Grand Rapids, MI, and many others.

In January 2016, I was amazed on how you made history by becoming the first woman to become Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan after winning the 2015 Mayoral election.  On Civil Rights, I really like on how you express the need for equal pay for women to protect them from being discriminated in pay based on gender, push for funding women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, and advocate for people with disabilities’ rights.  Your approach on improving the economy like expand job-training programs to help train youth including workers to develop job-skills to help prepare them for the workforce, implement businesses programs to help women including minorities learn how businesses works, encourage businesses to hire women, minorities, and people with disabilities to work is common sense.  On education, I liked on how you expand funds for special education to help students with disabilities get educational resources they need to learn, push for afterschool programs to help engage youth in recreation or get help on their assignments, and provide funds for the arts program to make education diverse. Supporting funds for renewable energy sources to reduce oil with gas, implementing volunteer programs to clean up the city including parks from litter, pushing business to use energy efficient products to reduce high energy cost, and working on river restoration projects to help clean the river along with other water resources to make them safe for people to use is a very excellent approach on protecting the environment while improving people’s lifestyle.  Another thing that I like about your work in your current role as Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan is how you use your experience in working in social work to push for treatment programs to help drug-users get the care they need to reduce addiction, work with other community organizations to find ways to help people who are low-income or youth who struggle with different needs, expand on law enforcement services to help victims of crime including provide funds for forensic science to make solving crimes efficient to reduce sending an innocent person to jail,  and work with public schools to find ways to have counseling services including anti-bullying to help protect women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being targeted based on their origin.   Also I like on how you provide funds to help preserve museums including other attractions including Art Prize Festival and do an excellent job recognizing people who are different like women, minorities, and people with disabilities who work hard to make a society a better place to make learning history, culture, and art fun to learn.

Mayor Bliss, I have Autism with a learning disability.  Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects when I learn a new subject or task, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of making Civil Rights stronger and advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability. Also your approach from your social work experience including your work on improving social justice gives me motivation to watch documentaries along with read articles about the need to improve social justice.  I have visited Grand Rapids where I went to see Frederik Meijer Gardens where I got to learn about different plants, go to the Art Prize festival to see different artwork along with learn different artist perspective, and visit the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum where I enjoyed learning about President Ford’s life with his presidency including paying respect the President Ford and first lady Ford in their memorial.  Your work as current Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan drives me to continue  to be interested in  learning history with public policy.

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference in your current role as Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’m proud on how you are working hard to make a positive impact on social justice, the environment, Civil Rights, and many others. I have enjoyed visiting Grand Rapids and seeing some attractions with museums where I enjoy learning different things.  You have tremendously inspire me to work hard on my disability, understand the importance of the need for social justice, and continue my interest in learning history with public policy.  Here is a picture of me as a gift to you for inspiring me.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working to improve society, and inspiring me. I wish you well to continue your role as current Mayor and I hope someday I can get a chance to meet you.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick