There’s no question that these are trying times. So much painful news circulates that we can easily be overwhelmed by it. If somehow you find a way to keep your head up — and I hope you will — you’ll see a few people coming forward with the values, knowledge and courage to do something about all this trouble. We’re fortunate that one of these people is Parker Sloan.
I want Parker representing District 3 on our county [Board of Commissioners]. I want this because I’m a father, and Parker shares my personal investment in Buncombe’s children. Smart kids don’t close achievement gaps; policy does.
I want Parker on county commission because I tube and paddle the French Broad, and I want my daughter and her generation to do the same without fear of illness and injury. Good intentions don’t sustain a river; policy does.
I want Parker on county commission because I’m incredibly blessed to own a home, and I want others to have the same privilege. When you live in a place as desirable as we do, markets don’t create affordable housing; policy does.
I want Parker on county commission because people I love have been poisoned to death by opioids. Scolding addicted people doesn’t break the cycle of addiction; policy does.
I want Parker on county commission because I see my neighbors cut out of the deal of Asheville’s booming wealth and popularity with tourists. Thousands of people visit us each year, not knowing that a cut of their hotel bill is being funneled toward making the wealthy wealthier, while our roads buckle and our teachers work second jobs. Charity doesn’t fix this; policy does.
Maybe, like me, you’re a parent, or a water lover, or a homeowner, or a family member or a neighbor. Maybe, like me, you can’t change what you’d love to see changed because you don’t have the time or the skills. Good news for us: Parker Sloan does.
— Joe Wilkerson
Asheville
Editor’s note: Wilkerson reports that he is volunteering with Sloan’s campaign.
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