On Your Ballot in District 7: Cornell Mills

Just 5 days (and counting!) til the District 7 preliminary election, and we’ve heard from over half our candidates!  Yep — we’ve already posted 3 responses to  ONEin3′s candidate survey and today’s post will boost that number to 4.  If you are a candidate who hasn’t yet responded, we want to hear from you.  It’s only a few days til the February 15 preliminary election, so hurry up and get your responses in to us.  So you’ve heard from Natalie Carithers, Roy Owens, and Tito Jackson.  Today, we learn what Cornell Mills has planned… read on!

Introduction

Name: Cornell Mills

Age: 36

Profession/Employer: Self Employed, Owner Real Estate Business

Years Lived in District: All but 6 years of my life. Except for school absence, continually for past 25 years

Campaign Website: www.CornellMills.com

If someone would like to volunteer for the campaign, best contact is: 617-800-9414 or website

Personal Questions

1. If you could recommend one book to be ready by everyone in District 7, what would it be? Death of An American Jewish Community, Author Hillel Levine
2. Where is your favorite place in the district? Home, 9 Dennison Street. There is simply nothing that I love more than spending quality time with my family
3. Give three (3) words to describe your community. Hopeful, challenged, resilient

Issue Questions

1.  What are your top 3 priorities for next 2 years?

• Number one focus is measurable reduction in crime and violence. This issue is important to the entire D7 community, from Uphams Corner to South End. I have a plan to accomplish this but I can’t do it alone. I have worked on the inside and outside for almost 2 decades. I’ve developed a youth mentoring program with alumni from my high school (B.C. High), I’ve walked the streets at night on weekly street walks with activist ministers, gone into alleys and streets where many wouldn’t go during the day. I’ve worked as a Civilian Homicide Investigator with the Suffolk County D.A. often the first interface with witnesses and surviving witnesses. I know what worked and how to get witnesses to feel more comfortable to cooperate with law enforcement in prosecuting those wreaking havoc on residents and business owners in D7. I do presentations on the difference between a ‘snitch’ and a ‘witness’. I have a plan to get us back to where we were in the 90’s.
• Number 2- offer and help implement a coordinated plan to support homeowners and tenants in D7. As a current real estate business owner I know what it’s like to see homeowners that I helped facilitate purchasing their home over past 10 years come back to me seeking assisting to fight foreclosure. Often, they had multi- family homes so there were tenants involved in the process as well. I’ve been doing workshops for past 2 years for various nonprofit organizations educating residents about the many programs, federal and local available for relief for homeowners in trouble. There are millions of dollars going untapped because many people are so overwhelmed by the process. Foreclosures and evictions destabilize a neighborhood. I do have policy initiatives I’m ready to offer my colleagues on the city council. For example I’d move to impose a fee to be paid by financial organizations and institutions foreclosing on properties in Boston. This fee would go into a fund that would provide financial support and relief for homeowners seeking to avoid foreclosure and tenants seeking relocation support.

2.  One in three residents of Boston is between the ages of 20 and 34. The ONEin3Boston.com blog focuses its attention on that population. If elected, how do you plan to engage that audience?

The overwhelming majority of the volunteers on my current campaign for city council are between the ages of 20-34. I’ve been able to get and keep their support because I can speak from real life experience to the things that are important and relevant to them. I think we engage the audience by my different ways. I would use all the technology available today to conduct surveys directly from you soliciting your interests, ideas and concerns. I would identify various businesses and locations around the community to host events inviting the targeted audience. Not just social events but events that offer the opportunity to learn about neighborhoods other than where you live. Engaging in activities that provide opportunities to learn about the incredibly diverse populations of Boston is a good thing for everyone.

3.  What is D7’s greatest strength and how do you intend to promote that strength citywide?

I think D7’s greatest strength is its diversity, its incredible wealth of restaurants, social gathering places, educational and health care institutions. We also have the largest population of potential workforce. We promote its strength by using every opportunity to advertise and educate people about who we are and what we have. One way I believe we can begin immediately is my idea to use my bi-weekly D7 constituent days as an opportunity to showcase locations folk might not otherwise know exist. I would do so by implementing a roving district day and holding constituent hours in various locations around the district. I think we promote the potential workforce by targeting major/minor employers all over the city to hire our residents. I suspect ONEin3Boston has thought about this as a focus for some time so I would also look to you for additional ideas on how to engage this audience.

4.  How do you plan to promote the D7 economy?

Please see #2. Also, I would work with the key business leaders such as South End Business Association, Dudley Main Street, Grove Hall NDC, Uphams Corner businesses, to name a few, to collaborate around developing a team to pitch to businesses inside and out of the District and the city both to bring new business in, promote hiring of D7 residents and to encourage the patronizing of existing business.

5.  How do you intend to reduce gun violence?

Please see Priority #1 in Question #1. By continuing to work with individuals like Nancy Robinson from Citizens for safety who is leading the campaign “where did the gun come from”. I worked closely with Jamal Crawford from the Blackstonian to stop the sale of Uncle Henry’s (A booklet that advertises the private sale of Guns/ craigslist for guns) in the communities of District 7. We’ll reduce gun violence when we get serious about reducing the flow of guns and stopping them at the borders. We know where they’re coming from. There are no gun manufacturing plants in or around Boston. People like Rev. Bruce Wall have been vigilant in his efforts to reduce the flow of guns. He’s had little help in his effort. I believe that my plan to reduce crime and violence is a sound one, I am anxious for the opportunity to expand what for me has been a long time commitment on my small corner to a larger stage. I can do that from a position on the Boston City Council.

6.  The departure of former Councilor Chuck Turner is the source of a lot of controversy. What lesson has former Councilor Turner taught you?

District 7 has enjoyed a tradition of bold and effective leadership in the person of Bruce Bolling, Tony Crayton and Chuck Turner. History cannot deny that. What I learned from Councilor Turner is that a lifelong body of work, putting community first and being effective in your advocacy cannot be minimized no matter what. I’ve learned that being a bold advocate for a community, many of whom are historically marginalized, is not always a popular position for everyone. I have enormous respect for Chuck Turner’s work and legacy and I believe I am ready to take up the torch to continue that legacy of unwavering commitment to others.

Well, readers, what do you think?  Tell us in the comments!  And remember — if you’re registered to vote in District 7, the preliminary is Tuesday, February 15!