Courtsey Tallahasee.com
Florida A&M University alumna Dianne Williams-Cox, has set herself apart from the other candidates running for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives for District 8 this upcoming 2016 primary elections. She expressed the many obstacles she has overcome, and believes other candidates have not experienced what she has.
“I was a teenage mother at the age of 14. I’ve raised three sons … at one time I was on welfare on food stamps,” Williams-Cox said. “I bet you won’t find anyone in the race that’s had that kind of experience.”
Gadsden County native Williams-Cox graduated from FAMU in 1985, receiving her bachelor’s degree in then called data processing technology.
“At the time the major was called DPT, data processing technology. Now it’s CIS,” she said.
Williams-Cox emphasized that she’s been an activist all her life. She, along with a group of her colleagues protested to have the major changed from data processing technology to computer and information sciences.
After graduating, Williams-Cox received a her masters in business administration and has worked in information technology for 30 years. She is now the owner of DWC management consulting services where she provides project management and other consulting services.
Williams-Cox’s expertise isn’t only with IT. She said her experience volunteering and working in the community has allowed her to get a “bird’s eye view” of the issues she plans to resolve.
She gives the credit to her community for making her the woman she is today. She believes she’s the best candidate to represent District 8.
“I’m a product of my village. My village taught me to always give back. I’m seeking this position to represent people who may have gone unnoticed or unheard … I’m taking a strong voice to the House that’s never been heard before,” Williams-Cox said.
If elected Williams-Cox has a list of priorities, one of them being education.
“Our education system has suffered from a lack of funding,” Williams-Cox said. “We need additional funding for education from pre-k all through the college level. When I was in college I had 18 credit and my tuition was $500. It has become too expensive to get a college education.”
A major issue she plans to resolve is improvement of wages.
“We need more jobs that really pay people to be able to live and take care of their families. It’s ok to have a job, but if you have a job you’re still eligible for public assistance, then why work? Where’s the motivation,” Williams-Cox said.
Thanking God for ObamaCare, Williams-Cox emphasized the importance of accessible health care.
“In this state we have so many citizens who don’t have health care. It may be kind of harsh, but without health care we’re killing people slowly. We need to provide them with good quality health care so they get preventive care,” she said.
Democrat Alan Williams has represented District 8 since 2008. Williams-Cox believes Alan has done the best he could do while in office.
“I think Alan has done the best he could given the situation he inherited. The House is predominately Republican. Being a Democrat, he’s had to navigate and do his best he could do with the hand he was dealt,” she said.
Above all, she wants to break the status quo, planning to work with Democrats and Republicans to get things done if elected.
“What I plan to do is foster and build relationships across the aisle. I’m a Democrat but we’re all human. We can work together to save our race, the human race. Or we can work against each other and kill us all,” she said.
Early voting for primary elections start Aug. 20, 2016. Please visit http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/election-dates/ for more information on election dates, and to learn more about Dianne Williams-Cox visit http://www.dianne4flhouse.com.