ISSUES
Economic Development
Spokane has many tools to leverage our quality of life for economic
development. We enjoy a water resource that is unmatched in the nation
and a proximity to nature that few communities can boast. As the City
grows and develops, we not only need to insure than we protect and
preserve these assets, we need to integrate that natural landscape into
our urban infrastructure. Accessibility to nature and natural areas
will become paramount as we invite others to live and work in our
community. Quality educational opportunities will lay the foundation
for coming generations to prosper. A focus on innovative, green
building practices will insure that as energy sources become more
expensive, the cost of living in Spokane will remain affordable.
Public Space
Spokane
is blessed with incomparable urban public space. Think of our parks,
trails and river. However our political leadership has allowed this
space to be compromised in recent years. The wading pools in various
city parks have been removed. In space that we once met as neighbors
and raised our children together we now find nothing. Shadle pool
closed last year and citizens in the Comstock neighborhood are
concerned the same could happen there.
Similarly, the Kids of Summer program which provided a place for children to enjoy organized activities and adult supervision in our city parks has been discontinued. This program served hundreds of children and working families every summer for decades. Where are those children this summer? We have seen the result of not providing our children space they can call their own - which fosters a sense of belonging and ownership. Imagine how school children who use Albi Stadium would have felt had the city sold the property and allowed the facility to be destroyed.
Public space is where we come together as a community. We must maintain it if our children are to grow into citizens that will take pride and have a sense of ownership in our city.
A Broad Perspective
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe".- John Muir
Far too often our elected leadership views the challenges we face as separate, individual issues. However most issues are interrelated and require a synthesis of answers. Otherwise, our decisions bear unintended consequences that cost us money, undermine our quality of life or both. more....
Sustainability
What do we mean when we say that we should leave a better future for
our children, grandchildren and future generations? In a word, it is
that we must live in a manner than is sustainable……
One of the primary reasons I seek this office is that our
community must begin a conversation regarding what
sustainability means – and how we can achieve it.
In particular, global climate change is likely to become the issue of our times. As a great first step in addressing global warming, on March 27, 2007, Mayor Hession signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. This Agreement commits our City to reduce carbon emissions significantly in the coming years. If elected I will ask the Mayor to appoint a Climate Change Advisory Committee and I will seek to serve on that committee. Renewing our urban forest by filling the 27,000 available spaces for street trees, decreasing the percentage of short car trips by building a safe, comfortable bicycle network and installing or repairing the miles of missing, broken or heaved city sidewalks will be just a start to achieving our carbon reduction targets. more....
More Democracy!
In 1215, the Magna Carta marked the beginning of a march toward
democracy. For the first time our ancestors were governed by law rather
than the whim of a monarch or despot. In 1265, a parliamentary system
then evolved from the early medieval councils that advised the
sovereigns of England. When the United States Constitution was adopted
in 1783, a participatory democracy with voting rights was established
– but only white males were permitted voting rights. In 1870,
Congress removed the racial barriers to voting with the adoption of the
15th Amendment, though this privilege was not fully won until the
Voting Rights Act of 1964. In 1920 women’s suffrage extended
voting privileges to women.
Today we have a near ideal of one person, one
vote. But we can do better! Let’s adopt a more representative way
to elect our leaders. Instant runoff voting allows one to vote for
whomever they choose – but guarantees that whoever is elected
truly has the support of a majority. See the details of how it works
here. (Adobe Flash Player required.)It’s time that we gave ourselves the privilege of casting
our votes based on our ideals - while insuring that the will of the
majority is not thwarted.
Political Accountability
“They say you get what you pay for so I always try to pay as much as I can.” - Jerry Seinfeld
When Spokane had a Council-City Manager form of government, there was little accountability. The person who ran the City was not directly accountable to the voters. And changing the City Manager was messy and problematic. Now after a change in the City's Charter, Spokane has a strong mayor, one that has the power and authority to enact change and - most importantly - be held accountable by voters.
However the City Council is not strong. Council positions are "part time" even though to do the job properly requires full time work. City Council members have no staff save two administrative assistants. When the Council faces tough choices it is particularly important that they have the resources to gather information in order to make good decisions. However City Council members do not have those resources. They cannot serve as a check or balance on the mayor because they do not have the tools to do so.
The time has come that City Council have resources to fully and properly represent citizens. The nature and extent of those resources should immediately be determined. At a minimum, Council members need a research assistant and access to independent legal analysis.