Political Quotes

“today I would like to bring attention to the southernmost city in my State, Cairo, IL. Sitting at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, Cairo was once a booming port town and was home to Fort Defiance during the Civil War. In the 1960s, Civil Rights icon Representative John Lewis even spent a summer there to help integrate a number of businesses and public spaces. However, in recent years, this southern city has faced a new challenge, as uninhabitable living conditions have force hundreds of public housing residents to relocate from their homes--and in many cases from their beloved community. Public housing in the city suffered years of neglect at the hands of local officials who are now accused of misusing Federal funds to bankroll lavish personal expenses, including multiple trips to Las Vegas and steak dinners. And how was life for residents? By the time residents were forced to relocate, 185 families--including roughly 200 children--were living in housing overrun with rodents, bedbugs, roaches, crime, mold, asbestos, and lead. I am talking about rats in the couch, maggots in the freeze, and plumbing and heating that simply refused to work. It was local officials who failed to provide its residents with safe and healthy housing; yet these families were the ones whose lives were uprooted as a result. Today, all 185 families have relocated, and the vacant housing complexes are set to be demolished.…”