As must be obvious to all, I was elected on Nov. 4 to Pacifica City Council. Given that I had never run for office before, and 5 months ago no one in town knew of me, I think this qualifies as a major victory. I made my opposition to the widening of Highway 1 the centerpiece of my campaign. As I talked to people while canvassing, and after the election, it was clear that this was the primary issue in most of my supporters minds. Of course, I will vote no on any measures concerning the widening of Highway 1. I will take my seat conscious of the need for openness and fairness in city government. I have said throughout the campaign that the city is extremely limited financially, but I have a growing list of cheap or free things to do that will make life a little better for residents. These include new crosswalks for pedestrians, left turn lanes, bus shelters, express bus routes to BART, and bike lanes. The city can not expect new revenues in the form of additional taxes, considering that the last 3 measures were defeated badly at the ballot box. The budget and finances make most peoples eyes glaze over, but in spite of this, Im going to hold budget forums, where I will try to understand and communicate where the citys money comes from, and where its going. Citizens will have an opportunity to comment on specific expenditures, and maybe give council some insight into what the public really wants. I will be one of 5 people on the council, and I will try to work with the others to make this a better city. However, I will not compromise my core principles of environmentalism and support for those who are less fortunate than us. I look forward to the next 4 years as a time of continued recovery from the hard times we have just endured.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 00:12:34 +0000
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