The Voice of Ida B Wells

So, Mr. Inspector… you retired?

Now that is interesting.

Because some folks are wondering: Was it truly voluntary, or is there more to the story? Time has a funny way of bringing the truth into the light.

For years, citizens watched. Coffee in hand. Riding through town. McDonald’s parking lot. Walmart. CVS. Local restaurants in the middle of the workday. Meanwhile, houses were being condemned and people were asking, Who exactly is doing the inspecting?

These are questions—not accusations. But when taxpayers are footing the bill, taxpayers have every right to ask them.

And remember those questions from a few years ago about money allegedly being unaccounted for? Whatever became of that? Was it investigated? Was it resolved? Was anyone held accountable?

See, Mother Ida believes in receipts, records, accountability, and truth.

And here is the lesson some people learn too late: everybody smiling with you is not standing with you. Political friendships can become mighty quiet when the winds change.

A new term has begun, and I suspect we haven’t seen the last of the changes.

But while we’re watching individuals, perhaps we need to examine the SYSTEM.

Why has City Hall experienced so much turnover?

Why have so many employees retired, resigned, or moved on?

Why does the public so often hear one version of events while employees and citizens tell another?

And before anybody starts rewriting history about what this administration did or didn’t accomplish, remember: elections have consequences—and so does staying home.

We cannot complain about leadership and then refuse to participate in choosing it.

We cannot complain that there is no opposition when nobody is willing to run.

We cannot complain that everybody says “YES” at the table when we keep electing people who refuse to ask questions.

And please don’t act shocked when people recruit candidates for School Board, City Council, or any other elected office. That’s politics. Competition suddenly becomes a problem only when the competition isn’t convenient.

We’ve even heard concerns through the years about multiple candidates entering races and potentially splitting voting blocs. Whether intentional or not, the answer remains the same:

VOTE.

Stop spending all your energy worrying about political maneuvering you cannot control while neglecting the one thing you CAN control—your ballot.

You want accountability?

VOTE.

You want representation?

VOTE.

You want somebody at the table who will ask questions instead of automatically saying yes?

VOTE.

Mother Ida taught us that silence never protected the people.

So ask questions. Request the records. Examine the facts. Hold EVERYBODY accountable—friend, foe, Black, white, Democrat, Republican, incumbent or newcomer.

And when Election Day comes…

STOP COMPLAINING.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES.
GO VOTE. PERIOD. 🗳️

Because politics will always be politics.

But the people still have a voice—if we decide to use it.