Petition Summary (Short Preview):

We are tired of paying taxes while our communities get nothing in return. We demand that Sumter’s leaders legalize safe street trade, show us where our tax dollars go, and stop criminalizing survival. It’s time to invest in the people — not punish us.

I’m John Lewis, born and raised on 1 Brunhill Lane in Northside Sumter. Like many of us, I work hard and pay taxes — out of every check, for my vehicle, and even just to live on the same land I grew up on. But what do we see in return?

Our roads stay broken. Our neighborhoods stay ignored. And our people — especially Black men — stay targeted and criminalized just for trying to survive.

Meanwhile, the government makes billions from alcohol, tobacco, and prescription pills — legal drugs. But when we flip food plates, sell streetwear, hustle natural herbs, or even just try to make a dollar — we’re met with police, fines, or jail time. Why is survival illegal when the government profits off the same grind?

This petition demands:

 1. Transparency in Taxes: Show us where our money goes — road funds, vehicle fees, land taxes, everything.

 2. Legal Pathways to Hustle: Create vending zones, legal permits, and support systems for small informal workers and neighborhood entrepreneurs.

 3. Community Reinvestment: At least 25% of economic development funding must go to Northside Sumter and residents who’ve been systematically shut out.

 4. Decriminalization of Economic Survival: Stop arresting people for hustling nonviolent trades. Focus on real crime — not poverty.

 5. A Public Roundtable: Meet with the community, not behind closed doors. Sit with us. Hear us out. We have solutions.

If you live in Sumter, or know what it feels like to be punished just for surviving, sign this petition today. We’re organizing local markets, pushing for new policies, and applying for funding — but your voice matters most.

We’re done begging. We’re demanding.

Let us live. Let us build.

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✍️ Signed,

John Lewis

Northside Sumter Resident

johnplewis69@gmail.com

It isn't my neighborhood it's worldwide