In a Citizen Times guest opinion piece on July 6, Rep. Chuck Edwards took the opportunity to do what he does best, demean and insult the largest city in his district — Asheville. With a back-handed compliment of “well done, do better” he managed to agree that the city’s voting to pay our law enforcement is a good thing, while also pushing the false narrative that Democrats don’t care about public safety.So, let me be clear. Public safety in Asheville and all of WNC is the foundation of how we build a thriving society, community and economy. I believe we do that by paying properly for and supporting our police, full stop. I also contend that a safe community is not made secure only through police presence. These responsive professionals can not be everywhere at all times. It is also our first responders, teachers, care providers, our esteemed elders and all the people in our community who help to make us safe. And we will successfully solve problems like public safety by sticking to the facts and not playing politics.Let’s set the record straight. According to Asheville’s data summary on crime, there was an overall decrease in violent crimes and property crimes from last year to now. Edwards fails to make a single mention about gun crimes, which while down, are always heinous and often preventable with appropriate common-sense gun safety laws. This is a fact that a majority of folks across our state and our country believe, yet Edwards’ own political party will not budge on or even discuss safer gun laws.He does, however, take the opportunity in his piece to cite a specifically awful case of crime involving a homeless person and a tourist, which no respectable resident could think was acceptable. The incident brings up deeper, more insidious issues than a singular bad act, like the ongoing mental health crises and economic instability of the unhoused population. This is a serious, harder to solve problem that requires clear-headed, data-driven policies to tackle, not an exceptional story to be used as “gotcha” moments in a politician’s drummed up complaint about a city he loves to pick on.Asheville, like many cities, has had sales tax level off, from the peak of tourism and government spending during the pandemic. Additioanlly, we are facing a budget crunch because the N.C. government has focused on cutting taxes for corporations in this state at the expense of everyday people. Politicians like Edwards inflame these statistics for their own political benefit and our regional economy’s detriment. He seems to believe his job is to keep you in fear of something that the numbers simply do not support. We are entitled to the truth from our lawmakers. We deserve an honest representative.As for me, I support Chief Lamb and the City Council’s pay raises. I also believe that we as a society should value those who put their lives on the line for our public safety. And there are many professionals in our community who help keep us safe. So if Edwards wants to highlight how much safer our neighbors are in Greenville, it’s crucial to note that in South Carolina, teacher pay is higher, fire department pay is higher and the cost of housing is lower, in many places.Honestly, it’s shameful that WNC is a place where some people can afford to buy second homes while many people can’t afford to buy one. People like Chuck Edwards continue to tell this false story — that we as a district and as a state can’t afford to pay teachers, firemen, policemen and the other essential workers who create the very fabric of our stable communities. And he does this all while he and his wealthy cohort take millions of dollars from federal programs, like the PPP loans, to enhance their interests and overall wealth.We can do better and we should. We will have safer communities by investing in our people. We don’t have to choose between going broke and being safe, no matter what Chuck Edwards tells us.
More:Opinion: Chuck Edwards continues to ignore gun violence in NC and in Charlotte homicides
State House Representative Caleb Rudow is a candidate for US Congress District 11, known for his dedication to public service, international development experience, and advocacy for working families in Western North Carolina.
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