Vote for the future of Cedar Rapids

Have you ever noticed that some things truly never change - unless we take the initiative to create the change that is needed? We Cedar Rapidan's see the same 365 days a year as any other city in the country. So, why does it seem like the city still is falling behind when it comes to giving some form of leadership to young, innovative thinkers?

I would like to acknowledge what the city has done so far to try to keep up with other major cities by providing E-Bikes and E-scooters, but we still seem to depend on funds allocated from court debt and speeding tickets to help maintain our yearly budget.

I have decided at this year's upcoming local elections to solely support and vote for one candidate, despite the vacancy of two seats on Cedar Rapids City Council. In order to increase the odds of Jorel Robinson getting elected, I will opt out of casting a vote for a second choice.

My decision comes after the announcement of Robinson's idea to decriminalize marijuana, which would impact the economy as it has done in many other cities and states. I think this is a brilliant idea because of the many benefits that come with cannabis.

As of right now, Iowa even has it in place for a person to apply for a medicinal marijuana card as long as they fit the criteria. This is a small step forward, but for years Iowa has been behind, despite being one of the key states to a president winning an election.

As a kid growing up here, I remember having to go out of town to get certain types of shoes, clothing and food. Now, after nearly 15 years we finally have stores that sell more name brand items and restaurants that give us the taste of Louisiana. So, it's only right that we continue to evolve and that's why I'm casting only one vote for Jorel Robinson to be the next City Council leader.

I will not cast a second vote to help an incumbent and I encourage readers to do the same. Our destiny is in our hands and if we want to continue to thrive, we must evolve; we must vote Jorel Robinson on Nov. 5. Jorel is a young candidate with bold ideas and we need his voice to represent the everyday citizens of Cedar Rapids.

Zaya Daens is a member of the Big Bang Foundation, which serves young people in Cedar Rapids.