Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Litmus Test

Since I announced my candidacy for mayor on Feb 26th I have been hit with the typical litmus tests usually reserved for partisan politics. It seems there are many who are anxious to attach a label, not only to those who aspire to serve the public through elected office, but generally to anyone involved in shaping our community. To those who want to pigeon-hole me, I will sign up to the following elements: Honesty, Accountability, and Integrity - the foundations of rebuilding trust between our elected officials and the citizens of our city. In fact, one of the reasons I have announced relatively early is because I realize it takes a long time to rebuild a trust that has been broken. You need to get to know me, and I need to get to know you. I am asking you to entrust a position of leadership with me, and you need to get comfortable with your decision BEFORE you vote.

First, as your mayor I will look you in the eye and tell you what I think. You might not always like what you hear, but I'm not one of those professional politicians who knows how to turn garbage into gold. Second, there is room for more transparancy in our local government. One of my first actions will be to implement the city checkbook on line. Any fiscal activity above $25k should be posted on a monthly basis. Anyone spending the people's money should be a good steward of the people's money, and I think the citizens of our community have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. I can also promise you I won't be making any back-room deals with special interest groups. Finally there is integrity - something I "walk-the-walk" with every day. As an entepreneur and owner of a small business I can tell you that your word means everything. Screw up once, and you may as well take your shingle down. As mayor, I'll bring those ethics and consistancy of action to our city government.

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