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Mike's Positions on the Nov. 3 |
City Services and Taxes For the past few years, the City of Ventura has been in a state of decline due to lack of leadership and foresight by our elected officials. Witness the massive budget cuts (over $11 million) the current City Council has approved for Fiscal Year 2009-10, which include police and fire services, street maintenance, parks maintenance, and other vital services our citizens expect and deserve for the many taxes they pay. Granted, like other cities, Ventura has felt the impact of the economic crisis and the resulting decline in property taxes and sales taxes that support City services. But, instead of using this as an opportunity to reevaluate spending priorities and more aggressively promote the City’s strengths as a tourist destination and an attractive location to start a new business, the City Council has instead taken out the meat axe to cut important services for its citizens. This is unacceptable and we, as citizens and taxpayers, should expect more from those we’ve elected to office. As a concerned and active citizen, Mike believes that we need to place a greater emphasis on economic development as a long-term strategy to address the City’s current and future needs. And, as Winston Churchill famously stated, we cannot tax our way into prosperity. Any economist will tell you that new taxes are more harmful than helpful in a down economy and have a disproportionate impact on the poor and unemployed. We already pay enough taxes. Our tax funds just need to be managed more effectively. Instead of taking the easy way out by imposing new taxes, as the current City Council is proposing to do by placing a half cent sales tax measure on the November 3 ballot, we need to look at creative and innovative approaches to improving the City’s tax base by being more business-friendly and actively courting high quality, tax-producing development projects in the City. In short, we need to begin saying “yes” to opportunity and “no” to shortsighted policies that may appease special interest groups but do nothing to move Ventura forward into the future. Along with many other citizens, Mike is also outraged by the recent decision by the City Council to impose a back-door tax on all electricity ratepayers in the community by authorizing a 2% utility tax increase by Southern California Edison as part of its franchise agreement with the City (half of which goes directly back to the City for general use purposes). Crime The No. 1 job of city government is to provide a safe environment for its residents. The City of Ventura has experienced rising crime levels over the past several years. This has harmful implications not only to our residents to whom we owe the safest community we can provide, but also to new businesses considering locating or expanding in the City. A strong, pro-active public safety program will always be a top priority for Mike. He understands the importance of strategic law enforcement and solid firefighting capabilities to the overall quality of life in the community. Mike has always been an advocate of improving the City’s tax base through pro-active economic development as a means to bolster the City’s public safety capabilities. Economic Vitality The current economic situation requires creative, results-oriented thinking on the part of our elected leaders. Instead, due to a lack of leadership, bureaucrats have commandeered policy-making at City Hall and the City Council has been relegated to the role of rubber-stamping staff’s recommendations, particularly in matters such as development proposals, new fees, and budget decisions. The current City Council has not only done a poor job of improving the City’s tax base by discouraging economic vitality because of a cumbersome and unwieldy development review process, but it has squandered the precious tax resources it has been entrusted with through investment losses; wasteful spending on high-priced consultants, public art projects, and endless planning studies; and bad ideas that erode the trust and confidence of the public (the 911 fee, the proposed narrowing of Victoria Avenue, the Cemetery Memorial Park Plan, heavy-handed housing code enforcement regulations, and the weed abatement fee, to name just a few). Mike will work tirelessly to advance high quality economic opportunities that come before City decision-makers for consideration. He will operate with a predisposition to saying “yes” to new opportunities rather than looking for reasons to say “no.” He will fight to safeguard the tax revenue the City receives and ensure that it is spent wisely and effectively. Supporting Local Businesses and Mike is a strong believer in the free enterprise system and the importance of local, homegrown businesses to the economic vitality and character of any community. Mike will fight to make sure that new and existing businesses are given a fair chance to thrive in Ventura. Mike understands that it is small businesses that will lead us out of our economic crisis. The City is fortunate to have a strong, vibrant downtown, which seems to be getting better every year. Mike is committed to working with the Downtown Ventura Organization, the downtown business community, and the Chamber of Commerce to make it even more successful, including increasing the police presence at night and on weekends to provide for a safe and welcoming environment for visitors and patrons. Leading By Creative Action Mike believes we need to start looking out for the hard-working taxpayers of this community who deserve more than lip service, empty promises, and lack of responsibility and accountability from their elected leaders. Mike is convinced that we need people on the City Council who are committed to representing the underrepresented and serving the underserved in this City, to speak for the silent majority, to take a stand against mediocrity and inaction by our City staff and elected officials. In short, for our elected leaders to be real leaders. Mike will bring bold new leadership to a City Council that is drowning in inertia and mired in the bureaucratic ways and failed policies of the past. We have ended up with a group of seven entrenched politicians who are desperately striving to hold on to their power. The citizens of Ventura deserve better than this. It is clear that change is desperately needed in Ventura. That is why Mike is running for City Council. Mike will bring to the City Council a fresh perspective, relevant education, practical skills, and an energetic commitment to the betterment of the City that he loves. He brings with him a lifelong dedication to community and public service and a bias toward action and continuous improvement. Mike will bring a fresh perspective, an open mind, new ideas, and a commitment to change to city government. Mike is very excited about the prospects of making Ventura a better City by moving it forward into the future.
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