By Vincent L. Hall
Well. It’s that time again, and so I hope you got your ballots ready.
Don’t nothing Trump a Trump except a vote against a Trump. You still need to show up whether you like or hate all the candidates on the March 5th ballot.
President Joseph Biden and some random MAGA candidates are on the top of the heap, and presidential elections are continually significant. But remember that we have a lot of local issues that need your attention as well.
This primary has races that will make a difference in your life whether you know it or not. If you want to eliminate U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, now is the time.
However, his emblazoned brand of academic ignorance is not nearly as close to you on your kitchen table as some of the others you can vote up or down on.
One of those races that you must pay attention to is the re-election bid of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price.
The former and late Governor of Texas, Mark White, once remarked that there is probably no more significant elected position than the county commissioner in the State of Texas.
Fortunately, We have a brother whose civil rights and grass- roots upbringing pay off in public policy. John Price has paid the cost and has receipts to show for it. As the young folk say, “He standing on business!”
Dallas County Commissioner District Three, John Wiley Price, has been “Our Man Downtown” since being elected as the first African American to hold the position in 1984.
Not only is he the “elder statesman” of the Commissioner’s Court, but he is also, without question, a savvy policy strategist and servant leader.
Commissioner Price’s district comprises 15 of the 31 cities comprising Dallas County. There are 108 square miles of unincorporated roads and bridges, and he manages all but one mile in Dallas County. He leads one of the state’s largest and most active Road and Bridge Districts.
The stretch of Interstate 20, Southwest Dallas, bounded by I-35 and I-45, was once known as America’s second largest “urban land mass” and is now home to the burgeoning Inland Port.
The last unincorporated area of our county is quickly becoming a significant economic engine and the only one south of I-30.
The rapidly growing Inland Port is a diverse contingent of significant corporations that bring high-paying jobs in manufacturing, transportation, and commercial service companies.
The old railroad lines that were once dormant are now a strategic point of passage for goods and products that traverse back and forth from Mexico to Canada and to every point in the Continental U.S. between them.
Commissioner Price is the Chairman and Founder of the Dallas County Jail Sanitation Committee and regularly confers with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards to ensure that our jail facility operates safely and efficiently.
This board, Sheriff Marian Brown, and her staff do hourly reviews on cleanliness and operations at the Lew Sterrett Facility. Their efforts recently resulted in a passing grade during an unannounced inspection by the State of Texas.
John Wiley Price is a ranking member or presides on every board open to Dallas County Commissioners Court members.
After 39 years of unselfish and unwavering service, Commissioner Price is still as active, efficient, and effective as he always has been.
He is the exemplar of Courage, Consciousness, and Compassion.
He practices the courage of his convictions, the consciousness of his constituents, and the compassion of his Christian up-bringing.
This brother is seen and known in our community. He lives where we live and is unafraid of the people he serves. John Wiley Price is one of the few elected leaders in Dallas and nationwide that voters in every generation know.
To some of us, he is a grass- roots organizer and a Warrior. To others, he is the “coolest OG” you can ever meet—a real brother who lives and breathes our fight daily.
John Wiley Price is still Our Man Downtown and one of Texas’s most recognized and respected politicians/civil rights leaders. And because of his wealth of knowledge and experience, he works harder now than ever.
If you agree with me, vote for John Wiley Price. But for God’s sake VOTE!
A long-time Texas Metro News columnist, Dallas native Vincent L. Hall is an author, writer, award-winning writer, and a lifelong Drapetomaniac.
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