Charlotte Mayoral Candidates Answer A Mother’s Concerns
Charlotte Mayoral Candidates Democrat Vi Lyles, and Republican Kenny Smith answer a Mother’s concerns regarding the availability of affordable healthcare for parents of children with Autism who are independent contractors, during the 1st Annual Ballantyne Community Candidate Picnic held October 15, 2017 at the Ballantyne Hotel in Charlotte North Carolina.
The Contrast In Candidate’s Response
As Vi Lyles and Kenny Smith answer citizen’s questions during what became a ‘Charlotte Mayoral Community Debate’, the contrast in Candidate’s response was clear.
Smith:
Republican Candidate Kenny Smith is the first to respond to a Charlotte Mother, who is clearly seeking answers or assistance finding help for her child, per her direct question to each “What are we suppose to do to get the care (Healthcare) that our children need?”. Smith rightfully informs the Charlotte Mother that in short, what she is seeking answers to goes beyond the scope of the duties of a Mayor, stating “City government is not going to be able to fix it. This is something we are going to need the folks in Raleigh and Washington DC to fix”. He then offered a suggestion, that involved the Charlotte Mother connecting with her Congressman, explaining the issue and helping to push legislation. Certainly a reasonable response, directing the Charlotte Mother, and encouraging civic involvement for resolutions.
Lyles:
Conversely, Democratic Candidate Vi Lyles, while basically confirming the same as Smith that resolution is beyond the purview of the Charlotte Mayor, however she goes one step further revealing the contrast between the two Mayoral Candidates. Lyles offers the Charlotte Mother personal assistance. She explained after hearing from another Mom with the same concerns, she connected with an advocate who was able to work with the Mother, and stated, “Let’s get you a navigator and let’s get something done”. She then offered to connect with the Mother after the event to offer the contact information. Recognizing the Mother’s anguish she offered the following statement, “I know this is really hard”. She went on to apologize that Mothers who have children with Autism have to go through this challenging process to gain healthcare, offering a simple heart-felt, “I’m Sorry”.
ExpressYourselfBlog caught up with Charlotte Mayoral Candidate Vi Lyles at a separate event, where she confirmed she did in fact connect with the Charlotte Mother after the Ballantyne Candidate Picnic, and was able to offer her a contact to help her navigate through the process for her child’s healthcare.
Voter Guide | Early Voting
Early Voting in Mecklenburg county, ends November 4th. Citizens still have time to Register and Vote same day. Early voting days vary across different counties. View the breakdown of North Carolina State Board Of Elections voting opportunities across all counties via ExpressYourselfBlog’s Voter Guide | Early Voting post.
As always, enjoy the privilege of voting.
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