| Press release (mm.dd.yy) |
Over the last couple years, as I have
watched and discussed with neighbors and friends Mesa’s
struggles, it has become abundantly clear to others
and to myself that the current problems in Mesa did
not happen overnight. As the city council misprioritized
its spending, parts of Mesa were left to fend for themselves.
As money was diverted to special projects, our streets
and infrastructure were left to wither away and our
emergency service personnel were neglected. To solve
these problems Mesa will need to begin thinking outside
the box. |
| As a city we will
need to look at new ways of controlling expenses, new
ways of building on the assets we already have, while
at the same time developing new assets that expand revenues
without taxing the people and stifling growth. |
It is for these reasons that I have
decided to run for City Council, to represent District
1. |
- Financial Responsibility: For too long we have allowed
this city to rob Peter to pay Paul, and now we are
suffering the consequences. We have taken revenues
from utilities to pay for non-essential services and
now our utilities infrastructure is blighted and desperately
in need of repair.
- Lower Taxes: It’s about time that we stand
for lower taxes and fight to keep taxes low. It has
been shown that when you tax the citizens and businesses,
the economy weakens. The current city council has
been ranked by the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers
as a “friend of big government”. My opponent
has already publicly stated that he is in favor of
a property tax.
- New Business: It’s about time that we work
to bring new business to Mesa. We must promote the
fact that Mesa doesn’t impose a property tax,
develop enterprise zones in areas where economic growth
is most needed, eliminate the red tape and hoops that
individuals and businesses have to jump through, and
make it easy for them to do business in Mesa. Then
government must get out of the way and let business
do what it does best, which is to create jobs and
stimulate growth.
- Smarter Planning: It’s about time that we
plan smarter. The City has no reserve fund for repairs
and maintenance. As a result the city has repeatedly
resorted to borrowing money to cover the cost. Just
as we do when we borrow, the city has to repay the
debt. The only difference is that while individuals
tighten their belts to make payments, the city taxes
its citizens and continues to add to the debt. Our
current city council has made it clear to us that
they intend to issue a secondary property tax to cover
future payments on borrowed money.
- Essential Emergency Services: It’s about time
that we reset the priorities of the city. The first
priority of government should be to protect life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness by providing
essential emergency services. This city is losing
emergency personnel at an alarming rate. This trend
has to stop. These peace officers and fire personnel
put their lives on the line each and every day for
our benefit and they should be rewarded accordingly.
|
| As a friend told me, it’s about time that we move
from inside thinking to outside thinking. If we continue
to do the same things today that we have done in the past,
it is unreasonable to expect different results tomorrow. |
| We as the citizens of Mesa can make a difference. So
I ask you to join me in making Mesa a place where taxes
are low, neighborhoods are free and business can grow.
|
| Isn’t it about time for change? |
