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Thursday, August 3, 2006
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
By Cheris F. Hodges
chefis.hodges®)hechortolfeposf.com
U.S. Rep. Mel Watt took a walk in the shoes
of working people Wednesday to see what
issues are affecting the 12th district.
Starting at Central Piedmont Community
College, Watt passed out mail and listened to
constituents’ concerns
“This allows me to know over and over again
how divs^ my congressional district is, the
kinds ofbusiness^, the kinds of social services
organizations and the kinds of non profit orga
nizations and education institutions (in the
district),” he said. “And I get to see their actual
operations and if any of them are getting any
federal funds, talk to them about how those
fimds are being used, whether they are suffi
cient and usually they are not. ”
Watt said many of the issues peofie talk
about affect them directly At his stops at the
Salvation Army and C.W Williams Health
Care Center, a major topic of discxrssion was
housing.
Many of C.W Williams’ patients, he said, are
“Once you’re in a work setting with some
body, you establish an immediate rapport with
them and they’re going to start to teU you
about their concerns,” Watt said. “There are so
many aspects to it and it’s hard to imagine how
you can have this many diverse contacts.”
At CW Williams, Watt worked with the staff
as they checked in patients for treatment and
check-ups. 'Ihat interaction. Watt said, makes
him a better legislator.
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Tire facuCty and Staff of
Beauty College, Charlotte
CordiaCCy invites you to attend our
JAnnuaC Commencement Ceremony
as we ceCetdate the achievements of
The Class 0/2006
“Committing to 'ExceCCence"
Sundays .August 13^ 2006
four o’clock in the afternoon
friencCskij? Missionary “Baptist Churck
3301 “Beatties Jorcf'RoacC, CHarCotte, MC
PRESERVING BURIAL SITE: Tyler Hough-Jenkins, 14 (from left), Adam Bumgarner, 16,
Demontrey King, 14, Nick Robinson 17 and Taylor Epperson, 17 helped Eagle Scouts Troop
121 in Charlotte cleaned Cedar Grove Cemetery as part of their leadership service project
The scouts and neighborhood volunteers removed debris from die abandoned gravesite,
which dates back to the 19th century.
Real-world jobs gives
Rep. Watt perspective
“You see how all of the tbirigs that you work
on fit together,” he said.
Some of the issues that Watt heard about
during his dajiong stop indude healthcare,
confusion over Medicare’s new coverage, edu
cation funding, jobs and housii^.
“It depends on who you are talking to and
where you are talking to them as to what their
primary concern is,” he said.
Azalia Madison, LPN practice manager at
C.W. Williams, said that having Watt come in
and visit the center brings a bit of notoriety to
the health center and gives them an advocate.
“Wheoi he comes in here and sees what goes
on and what we do, he’s able to go back and
possibly lobby for us,” she said. “He can teU the
other congressmen that this is a community
health center that needs help.”
Watt said he weaves his observations into
speeches and debates on the House of
Representatives floor, espedaUy voters’ person
al experiences related to increasing access to
affordable housing.
“Among the most powerful statements that
you can make about it is the experiences of the
people that you are talking about in' your con
gressional district,” he said. “That’s who we are
sent there to represent. So a lot of these per
sonal stories will work their way into the
debate on the floor of the house.
“It’s very helpful and I always thought the
best legislators, wheth^ on the local, state or
federal level, are the ones who have the most
diverse ejqjeriences.”
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PHOTO^DALVIN FERGUSON
Brandy Duncan, a Central Piedmont Community College postal carrier, explains the school’s
mail system to U.S. Rep. Mel Watt Wednesday in Charlotte. Watt was at CPCC as part of his
annual “Trading Places’’ tour of the 12th Congressional District he represents.
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