Every Day : An Editorial by Ron Nirenberg

At Alamo City Moms Blog, we’re passionate about San Antonio and the moms who live here. We strive to bring our readers information from all over the city and keep them “in the know”. Early voting for the San Antonio Mayoral race starts April 24. We reached out to the Nirenberg, Taylor and Medina campaigns inviting the candidates to submit a short editorial piece written with our readership in mind. Other submissions will be published if and as they are submitted. 

Every day, my wife Erika and I get up at 6 a.m. I take Moses – our overly excited Boston Terrier – outside and feed him, while Erika gets herself ready, gets us (me and our son Jonah) ready, and gets the house ready by 7:20 a.m. She will drop off Jonah on some days, pick him up on others. In between, she goes to her full-time job, only to clock back in at 5 p.m. for her second shift as Jonah’s chauffer/restaurant/supplemental teacher and our dog’s #1 fan. When she finally sits down sometime after 9:30 p.m., she tells me her worries. Her biggest one right now is about our son getting bullied, which is why she helped create and champion an initiative called the Buddy League that teaches 2nd graders how to be a “Buddy, not a Bully.”

And that’s just one mom in San Antonio. One amazing mom I am grateful for every day. But, I can’t imagine that your group of Alamo City Moms does anything less for their children, and ultimately, our city’s next generation. That’s what drives my Vision as Mayor for San Antonio. To create the city you and your kids deserve.

My own son Jonah has talked to me about what matters to him over the years (I was sworn in at City Council a few days after he turned five). So, I have and will continue to champion efforts that take care of our green spaces and natural resources so that we can spend rewarding time with our kids in a healthy environment. I have advocated for new industries like biomedical technology and renewable energy that can help increase the number of good paying jobs that they might someday fill. I have supported early childhood efforts and firmly believe that a city has a responsibility to be a partner in expanding access to a good quality education. I have also focused my support of the arts so that we have a beautiful city, and not just a functional one.

And with the help of hundreds of neighbors from all over the world – from Africa and Vietnam to San Antonio, we have established new initiatives like Cultural Conversations that help us to learn about and embrace the differences that make us a vibrant community. But none of this matters without taking care of a city’s first responsibility to keep families safe, which is why I’ve been working with experts on strategies to reverse our recent rise in violent crime.

There are many articles being written about us as candidates. You can further look up our stance and voting record easily, online (mine is at www.VoteRon.com). You can even tune into recorded debates and rate our performance and presence.

But ultimately, you should know this about me: my wife and son ground me. It’s through their eyes that I rate my performance and keep my conscience clean. I don’t cheat. I am a fair negotiator. I believe in human decency and that people are inherently good. I don’t retaliate if someone disagrees with me, and I don’t bully people by holding power over them. I want my son to know that every decision I made was tied to doing good for San Antonio, and I want my wife to be proud of me. That is the kind of man I strive to be and the kind of Mayor you should expect in City Hall. I humbly ask for your vote for Mayor of San Antonio this May.

Amanda
A fifth-generation San Antonionian - who happened to spend her formative years in Austin - Amanda loves the SAT from the confetti in her hair to the bluebonnets under her feet. Never one to miss a reason to host a party or decorate for a theme, Amanda revels in the 'mas Fiesta' attitude of the city. She's mom to Vivi (2012) aka #HurricaneVivi, Mac (2020) and wife to Francois, whom she met at Texas A&M (FTAC '05). She has a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a Doctorate in Making it Up As She Goes - which means she's a sometimes-fun-mom. You can find her on Instagram . She loves confetti, croissants, and a cold Ranch Water. Favorite Restaurant: Piatti's Favorite Landmark: Johnson Street footbridge in King William Favorite San Antonio Tradition: Fiesta Medals

1 COMMENT

  1. Awesome! Thanks for providing this as another forum to understand the individuals these candidates are and giving all of them an opportunity to submit.

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