We need to provide adequate housing that allows our children to live and raise their families in Fresno. This is good for families and good for employers who want to provide jobs for our workers. There are many issues standing in the way of doing this and I will work very hard to address this problem. This is critical to improving the quality of life of Fresno residents and creating jobs.
CREATE MORE JOBSMore jobs are created when we provide both a business-friendly and a worker-friendly environment for new and existing companies. We are business-friendly when we don’t make it more expensive to create new jobs or to expand our businesses, when we act quickly and positively to move projects forward rather than place obstacles in their way and when we treat everyone equally. Likewise, we provide a worker-friendly environment when we have affordable transportation available, when we relieve traffic congestion, when we provide adequate parks and recreational opportunities and when we advocate for literacy and educational and vocational training. Fresno must be the place where new companies decide to locate and where existing companies choose to grow.
OPEN GOVERNMENT The residents of Fresno have a right to know what their elected officials are doing and to know it in a timely manner so they can respond to issues. The more input the City receives, the more likely it is that the best solutions are reached. This transparency in government is critical to improving the trust residents have in their elected officials. Towards this end, Susan Good is proposing a number of changes in the way the city does business to create greater openness and transparency. These recommendations are referred to as the Good ReformsOur children, seniors and all residents deserve to be safe in their schools, neighborhoods and homes, regardless of where they live in the district. This is my number one budget priority. We must have fully staffed police and fire departments. We must do what is necessary to hire and train the best qualified men and women. We must continue our parnership with schools, such as our truancy abatement program to keep our kids in school, increase test scores and reduce daytime crimes in our neighborhoods. Our gang prevention program needs to be fully funded and we need to enhance our graffiti removal program and get tougher on code enforcement. Crime is a tough issue that needs to be addressed on multiple levels and must include prevention, intervention and suppression. It is also high time that we go further than just saying we support public safety.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:Fiscal responsibility means that our City will not spend money it doesn’t have. Fiscal responsibility means that our City will make prudent investments with realistic prospects for return. Fiscal responsibility means that we do not stand in the way of private investment by offering non-competitive exclusive agreements with a select few. Fiscal responsibility means that we do not pay more for something than it’s worth. Fiscal responsibility means that we keep the commitments we make by placing them in writing. Fiscal responsibility means holding people accountable to agreements they’ve made with us. Bottom-line, fiscal responsibility means looking at every expenditure from a business point-of-view. I am proud of my extensive experience in the business world and I look forward to putting it to good use on the City Council.
QUALITY CONSTITUENT SERVICE:When a resident of Council District 4 contacts their Councilmember, they deserve to receive prompt and courteous service. This includes having your Councilmember truly listening to your concerns and exploring possible solutions with you. It includes your Councilmember researching issues on your behalf - even if they should not personally agree with your position. And, always, it includes your Councilmember responding to you in a reasonable time and in detail. I have had the privilege and opportunity to provide constituent service in both private industry and in government. I pledge to provide quality constituent service to you and to fight for you at City Hall.