Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin of Columbia, South Carolina

2/14/2017

Mayor Steve K. Benjamin

c/o Office of the Mayor

City of Columbia

P.O. Box 147

Columbia, SC  29217-0147

Dear Mayor Benjamin,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in learning history including public policy.  In these subjects, I like to learn the need to make Civil Rights stronger, protect the environment, and many others. Also I like to study on how different U.S. Mayors from cities in different states work hard to make a great difference and how they inspire me in different ways. The main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your role as current Mayor of Columbia South Carolina to be very inspiring to me and how I enjoyed watching your DNC 2016 speech.

In your current role as Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, I’m proud on how you are a strong supporter of Civil Rights. Also in Civil Rights, I like on how you advocate for people with disabilities’ rights, support fund to help women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, express the need to have equal pay, and support LGBT rights. Your approach on improving the economy I liked on how you expand on job-training programs to help youth including workers to develop job-skills to help them prepare for the workforce, provide small businesses including local businesses some tax credit so they can be part of the community, and encourage businesses to hire women, minorities, and people with disabilities is common sense. On the environment, I am proud on how you support funding renewable energy projects to reduce addiction to oil with gas, provide funds to clean up parks including water resources to make them safe for people to use, push for energy efficient products in buildings to reduce high energy cost, implement Southern Fried Fuel initiative which is to recycle used cooking oil with use it for biofuel, and reduce pollution in landfills.  To improve public safety, I like on how expand trainings for law enforcement including fire fighters or rescue responders to make them be prepare to deal with an emergency, create a law enforcement reform study review to find ways to reduce law enforcement corruption, and have educational awareness to teach people including youth the need to reduce drug use or gun violence.   Funding special education to help students with disabilities get educational accommodations they need to learn, pushing for after school programs to help youth get assistance on their assignments, and fund arts programs to make learning diverse.  Another thing that I like about your role as Mayor is how you developed One Columbia for Arts and History, a non-profit organization to help find ways to make art programs be efficient for the community, work with city government including the community to improve tourism, and push for funds to preserve historical sites including museums to help make learning a better place.

Mayor Benjamin, I have Autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects, 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.  In July 2016, I enjoyed watching your speech at the DNC 2016 on tv because you did an excellent job explaining about why a women should be elected as president and  shared your daughter’s experience in meeting with Hilary Clinton.  Your role as 2^nd Vice President of U.S. Conference of Mayors on building coalition between different U.S. Mayors from cities in different states including from different political affiliation on finding ways to improve society motivates me to watch videos of  U.S. Conference of Mayors  where I learn on how different ideas can make an impact,  research different U.S. Mayors to help expand my knowledge with find some inspiration, and write to different Mayors explaining how I find their work including you to be inspiring to me by writing letters.  Another thing is you give me passion to continue to learn more history. My letter is a gift to you for inspiring me and for Black History Month to help recognize African Americans who work hard making a great difference.

I believe that you are making a great difference as Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina and as 2^nd Vice President of U.S. Conference of Mayors on different issues.  I’m very proud on how you are working hard to making society a better place and working with different U.S. Mayors to find solutions.  You have inspired me to work hard on my disability, continue my interest in learning history, and give me motivation to learn how different U.S. Mayors work on different policies in the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great impact, and inspiring me. I wish you well to continue to make a great positive impact.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

1045 Olivia Avenue

Ann Arbor, MI  48104