ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – On this week’s edition of Big Country Politics, News Director Manny Diaz sat with mayoral candidate Dasi Reddy. Reddy came to the United States in 2007 from India. He originally moved to New York but did not enjoy it, so he took his sister’s advice and moved to Abilene to start a career in the hotel business.
He has a bachelor’s in computer science and started a computer training institute in 1992. Reddy has expanded business in Singapore, Australia and the United States.
“After coming here, I thought this was my home,” Reddy expressed. “Abilene has given me a lot, this is the time I need to give it back.”
He added that he’s been told being mayor is a part-time job but to him, it’s a full-time position.
“But it’s not a part-time, it’s a full-time. I am going to give my full time and I will go to see each and every street fixed,” Reddy explained. “Mayor is a full-time job and I want to give my full time to the city.”
He said although many people say they will fix the roads, fight inflation and more, he has not seen much investment.
“That is not fair, the city is not here to do business, the city has to do service to the people,” Reddy stated.
Reddy’s slogan is ‘We need change’ and one of those changes he wants to see is a drug-free Abilene. He also wants to incentivize businesses to come to the key city.
“I have done business in Singapore, Dubai, Australia and here and India. I have so many business people, my friends, that want to come to the U.S.,” Reddy explained. “They want to invest in Houston, New York and others. I said ‘No, please come to Abilene.'”
He hopes to see more jobs and development, such as the plastic, cotton and meat industries.
“But the city don’t care at all. They are ‘yes man’ to some other people, but I am not the ‘yes man’ for them,” said Reddy.
He also wants to focus on making Abilene a place where younger generations want to stay as he has seen many people leave after graduating from high school.
“I don’t want them to leave the city, I came all the way from India to Abilene to settle down here and our people are going out of the town, it’s a joke,” Reddy expressed.
Mayor Anthony Williams has worked with the Development Corporation of Abilene and has bought various industries here to Abilene, but Reddy said that these industries are not typically here to stay.
“We can bring more. I don’t know what he got to the city. They just build the buildings and they try something after a few years, a few months they sell it for dimes to any other university or any other people. You know this is what they are doing, and this is not right,” Reddy explained. “The people that are coming, like me, they need to help them. I’ve never seen them help with anybody. Any hotels or retail centers here, any industries, I’ve never seen them helping them.”
To learn more about Reddy and his campaign, go to his website or his Facebook page. Reddy will run against Weldon Hurt, Ryan Goodwin and Chad Clark.
