Mayor Allison Silberberg of Alexandria, Virginia

4/10/2017

Mayor Allison Silberberg

c/o Office of the Mayor

Alexandria City Hall

301 King Street

Alexandria, VA  22314

Dear Mayor Silberberg,

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 for Civil Rights to be strong to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, improve social justice, and many others.  Mayor Silberberg, the main reason I’m writing you a letter to explain how I find your work as current role as Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia and share with you my experience of visiting George Washington Mount Vernon, Virginia.

            In your current role as Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia I’m very proud on how you are very committed to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights to help protect women, minorities, and people with disabilities’ from being discriminated in education including public places.  Also on Civil Rights, I appreciate on how you are an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights, support funds for women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, and express the need for equal pay for women.  Creating a veterans commission to work on finding ways to help veterans or people who transition from war find jobs or help them be part of the community, working with law enforcement to find ways to reduce racial profiling or police abuse to protect minorities including people with disabilities, and expressing the need to protect immigrants including refugees from being targeted without probable cause are great ways to support the need to improve social justice.  On education, I like your approach on improving it by pushing for funds to improve special education to help provide educational resources to help students with disabilities, expanding educational awareness about the need to reduce smoking with using tobacco including reduce bullying to help make a difference in society, and supporting after school programs to help youth get help on their assignments.   Continuing to support renewable energy projects to reduce addiction to oil with gas, providing funds to help clean parks including water resources to make them safe for people to use,  improve recycling including trash services to reduce littering is a great approach to protect the environment from pollution. On the economy, I like on how you expand on job-training programs to  help youth including workers develop working skills to prepare them for the economy, encourage businesses to hire women, minorities, and people with disabilities, and express the need to raise the minimum wage. Another thing that I really like about your work as current Mayor is how you are pushing for funds to help preserve with restore attractions, museums, historical sites, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon to help make history a better place to learn and improve tourism including the economy. I like on how you have a great approach on having sustainable growth where you work to preserve Alexandria including historical sites while creating jobs.

            Mayor Silberberg,  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 advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really inspire me to work hard on my disability.  Another thing is your articles that you write about the need to improve social justice including some of the history of Alexandria, Virginia gives me motivation to learn about the need for social justice to be a better place by watching documentaries including read articles and get me really interested in learning history. On March 24 2017, I enjoyed visiting George Washington Mount Vernon because I enjoyed learning about George Washington’s life ranging from early years, his role in the American Revolution War, and his presidency. At  Mount Vernon,  I had fun taking the tour of the mansion, visit interactive exhibits to help engage me in learning more about Washington’s life, and see some short films about Washington which included some close caption to help improve my comprehension due to struggles with a disability.  Your role as Mayor of Alexandria and preserving historical sites drives me to become more interested in learning history with public policy.  My future goal is to someday travel to Alexandria, Virginia to explore more history and visit many historical sites or museums to help engage me to learn when I have some struggles.

            I strongly believe that you are making a great difference as current Mayor. I’m very proud on how you are working hard to improve social justice and preserve historical sites. You have inspire me to work hard on my disability, visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and continue my interest in learning history, social justice with public polity.   I was wondering if you could please explain what it is like being Mayor of Alexandria, VA.  Here is a picture of me visiting George Washington Mount Vernon. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great difference, and inspiring me. I wish you well to continue to make a great difference.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

This is the picture of me at Mount Vernon with Ben Franklin and George Washington little thinkers that I had sent to the Mayor as a gift to her.