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Key Campaign Issues
Issues and Ideas: Elaboration on key issuesNeighborhoodsSafe neighborhoods require police and firefighters to be available when you need them. They have an absence of gang activity, drugs, and graffiti. A back-up 911 system is available if major problems occur. Traffic patterns, signage, and signals are compatible with neighborhood needs. I will work with you as your district councilperson to assure these needs are met. City code provisions (ranging from tall weeds to numbers of cars allowed per household) are enforced. Enforcement and appropriate zoning decisions help you enjoy your surroundings and retain your property’s value. Fiscal policiesGovernment must live within its revenues. Economic development is the way to increase revenues, not an increase in tax rates. When revenues decrease, officials should cut budgets by reducing administrative costs to preserve direct services. As a general policy, I prefer to examine the need for and the efficiency of programs on a one-by-one basis, rather than continually making cuts across the board. The city council must review fiscal policies relating to total debt load. Of particular concern are non-voter-approved debt, project cost overruns, and city loan guarantees for risky ventures. All bond issues must present realistic cost projections, not just politically acceptable figures. In financial decisions I consider the person paying the bill – you, the taxpayer. The Colorado Union of Taxpayers named me “Taxpayer Champion 1998” because I watch out for the taxpayer. Growth managementTransportation corridors should be used as growth management tools. By concentrating density around them, we can discourage sprawl and encourage public transit usage. Impact mitigation must be negotiated before new developments are approved. Expansion of small businesses should be an economic development goal. Similar strategies that make a city a desirable location for growing small businesses can be used to attract larger out-of-state businesses seeking to expand or relocate. Minimizing burdensome regulations and coordinating outreach efforts are roles government can perform. As opposed to recruiting new businesses with lucrative financial incentive packages subsidized by the taxpayer, I believe in providing a good business climate and top-notch infrastructure, including excellent schools, to attract and retain businesses based on our quality of life. This way all citizens benefit. Quality of LifeParks must be safe and well-maintained. We can expand capabilities of parks and recreation through coordination with schools and non-profit organizations. Libraries must be open, well-stocked, and well-adapted to the electronic age. Arts, including theater, music, and museums, boost our economy and provide enrichment to our lives. Sufficient water is a quality of life issue. Conservation efforts should be consumer friendly and should be supplemented with increased storage capacity. If we do not store the water we are legally entitled to and instead allow it to run downstream, the receiving states can claim the water rights, permanently diminishing our supply. Quality of life extends into a revitalized economy, with employment opportunities that make full use of the worker’s training and education. City government can convene private sector leaders to develop and implement targeted economic development plans, coordinating with state efforts as well. Crucial city servicesRetaining emergency response, including police, fire, and ambulance, must be a top priority as budgets are cut to match revenues. Reducing personnel in this area can present a safety risk for both the citizens and the first responders themselves (i.e. too few firefighters on a fire truck to perform the job safely). Emergency and health personnel must be trained to levels required for handling terrorist attacks if they occur. State and federal gas tax money, shared with the city, should emphasize street maintenance. It is far more expensive to reconstruct a street if maintenance is delayed too long. I prefer avoiding fees for garbage pickup as they place a disproportionate burden on low-income residents, could lead to public health consequences, and require a bureaucracy for collection. Constituent responsivenessYou deserve a city council member with a proven record of constituent responsiveness. As state representative, I stayed in contact with the people who elected me through newsletters, questionnaires, homeowner and improvement association meetings, and door-to-door discussions. My office had a 24 hour rule on constituent phone calls. First, a live person, often me, answered the phone during office hours. Then, if we needed to research the answer, we got back to the constituent within 24 hours to explain what we were doing to follow through on the complaint or suggestion. Many suggestions prompted changes in Colorado law. I have maintained that policy as your city councilwoman. Being sure you
receive high quality basic city services in a timely manner will always be a top
priority for me. Please let me know when I can be of help. Volunteer EffortCitizens for Jeanne Faatz has hundreds of volunteers. We are a volunteer organization. Unlike most political campaigns, we do not hire professional campaign managers, office staff, fundraisers and the like. We believe in grass-roots government and hard work. We keep the cost of campaigning lower this way – true campaign finance reform. It makes the citizens’ voices even more important. We invite you to join us. |
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