Walt Coker for Mayor of Hattiesburg Straight Talk. Bold Leadership.    Economic development and social equality should always go hand-in-hand. Economic development can only prosper in a city, in which all areas are beautiful and healthy. I will advocate downtown revitalization and show everyone that all of Hattiesburg can be progressive, beautiful, and great city to live in. I will Support USM and William Carey because these schools are an asset to all of Hattiesburg. USM is a cultural resource for the community and keeps the city youthful and vibrant. We’ve always used students to cater to our city through the service industry. I say the city also needs to cater to the students. I will initiate university-co-op partnerships to get high-tech jobs and create a larger tax base. I will investigate Hercules history of safe practices and prepare for the major clean up that seems inevitable. I will manage all city departments as a business – with an eye on the bottom line – and use tax dollars more wisely. I will fix the worst streets, drainages and water systems first. I will bring accountable leadership back to the police department. Our officers want to work for an organization with integrity. They deserve city support, better leadership, and higher salaries. I will lead and support responsible urban development, because only a quality built environment is sustainable. I will support all city departments and the city council in enforcing city codes and ordinances, because slumlords and careless developers will no longer hold our neighborhood values hostage. Voters in east Hattiesburg will choose a candidate that cares mostly about their concerns, and voters in west Hattiesburg will choose a candidate that cares mostly about their concerns. And the rift will continue. You know who these candidates are. Their record shows it even if their campaign mottos don’t. Hattiesburg needs a leader with these community concerns and this kind of business experience. This city needs a mayor who will stand behind his convictions and give you Straight Talk and Bold Leadership – not a politician, but a man who will speak his mind and tell the truth about what is best for everyone, even when some people don’t want to hear it. No other candidate truthfully has the unique experiences and perspective that I have - between the parties, between east and west, between the races. A good mayor will balance the growth in west Hattiesburg with the redevelopment of east Hattiesburg and downtown. The two areas are very different in types of use. Certain kinds of businesses work in the west and others in the east. People have just begun to realize the value of the history and character of the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Hattiesburg’s natural and cultural heritage is there – the unique architecture, specialty retail, festivals and local entertainment, historic monuments and the river and railroad on which Twin Forks was founded. Of course we need the conveniences of the west, and I will continue to support that growth, but we must fix the worst first. When I hire qualified leaders in the city departments, crime will decrease, ‘curb appeal’ will improve, then property values will increase and our schools will recover, and then we will truly have a healthier and more diverse city that supports each other in the different experiences and amenities offered by all of Hattiesburg. Other candidates say he or she will reunite the city, but it won’t happen unless certain issues are addressed. A mayor that could have honestly and effectively articulated a clear economic plan, that included everyone, may have avoided this rift in the first place. Other Republican candidates won’t even talk about spending money in these areas because it won’t get them votes. Without my plan and Straight Talk and Bold Leadership, the relationship cannot move forward. Economic development and social equality should always go hand-in-hand. They are codependent. Economic development can only continue in a city, in which every area is beautiful and healthy. On the other hand, economic development and expansion are needed to financially support downtown attractions, community services and parks and streets. If part of Hattiesburg grows and ignores the other, division and conflict will always prevail. If we work together, everyone wins. This doesn’t necessarily require more money, just smarter use of our money, by more qualified city leaders. I am the only candidate who can, and will, reunite this city. I, Walt Coker, ask for your vote on May 3rd and June 7th, for the job of Mayor of this great City of Hattiesburg