Will Raymond For Town Council

Beneficial Change for Chapel Hill and Orange County

Archive for category Government

2009 Hank Anderson-Bill Thorpe Breakfast Club Endorsement

Oct 17

Posted by admin in Chapel Hill, Development, Economic Development, Elections, Endorsement, Environment, Government | No Comments

Thank you Anderson-Thorpe Breakfast Club for supporting my campaign and recognizing my efforts to address the concerns of ALL of our community.

Chapel Hill faces some tough choices in the next four years.

Do we forge ahead with an agenda that puts our community front-and-center in the decision making process or continue to defer to those with political pull? Do we find the resources to redress a debt long owed our neighbors on Rogers Road? Do we follow through on our written commitments to the Pine Knolls/Northside neighborhoods? Do we live within our means, work to retain folks of modest means that have long contributed to our community’s well-being? Do we work to increase economic and social diversity within our Town?

The last eight years I’ve worked hard to bring forth the best ideas from our diverse community. I’m confident that our citizens have the talent and the drive to help Council move forward on these critical issues. Without leadership and persistence, though, we will continue to fail to meet the needs of our greater community. I look forward to meeting that challenge.

More on the Anderson-Thorpe Breakfast Club:

The Anderson-Thorpe Breakfast Club was founded by Hank Anderson, the first Black Recreation Department Director in the South in the 1970’s to help analyze and remedy the issues faced by African-Americans in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro communities. After Hank’s death, Bill Thorpe, who served on the Chapel Hill Town Council for 11 years until his death in 2008, led the Club. The Breakfast Club spearheaded the efforts to name Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, and to improve the pay and working conditions of African-American and Latino employees at the University, hospital, schools and municipalities. The Breakfast Club’s political agenda is a progressive and inclusive agenda that supports the State NAACP’s 14-Point Agenda, with particular emphasis on justice for young people in our schools, fairness in employment and housing, and dismantling institutionalized racism.

Using Technology Effectively

Oct 11

Posted by admin in Chapel Hill, Government | No Comments


View Chapel Hill Crime in a larger map

As a member of the Town’s now defunct Technology Board, I called for the greater use of low or no cost Internet based technologies by our town to more effectively interact with our citizenry. Some progress was made, online video for instance. Nearly paper free agendas, use of syndicating technology, email lists have improved the flow of information. For all that, we have a long way to go.

Here’s an excellent example from the Daily Tar Heel’s online editor Sara Gregory. A map of the last month of reported crime in Chapel Hill leveraging Google Maps. Way to go Sara.

More here.

Citizen Will

Sep 28

Posted by admin in Chapel Hill, Elections, Government | No Comments

I know it can be difficult to measure a candidates fortitude and perseverance during a short campaign cycle.

Everyone promises to do their homework. Everyone says they are tough enough to take on the thorniest of issues. Everyone claims they will leave political expediency behind.

There are two quotations that capture the sense of what I believe and what will guide me as a Council member.

The first from Martin Luther King, Jr. appears on the top of my web site Citizen Will (4 years of posts on community issues):

On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” And Vanity comes along and asks the question, “Is it popular?” But Conscience asks the question “Is it right?” And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.

MLK,Jr. to SCLC Leadership Class

and this cautionary one from Abraham Lincoln:

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.

The reason I’m running is to better serve our community. Over eight years, I have brought a thoughtful,practical and proactive approach to serving our community’s needs. Having a seat at the table will help me meet those needs more effectively.

If you want a better sense of my activism, take a look at over 4 years of posts on community issues Citizen Will.

And as I work collaboratively on behalf of our community I will keep these two quotations in mind – to serve with humility and to do what I believe is right irrespective of the political consequences.

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