Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Marcos

San Marcos is an incredible place to live -- our city is growing because people want to live here. While growth is good, rampant growth is detrimental to our quality-of-life in this city. I do not support a blanket moratorium on building, but I do propose that we finish what we have stated in terms of building projects, and then that we pause and ensure our infrastructure and resources are sufficient. Without proper assessment of our fire protection, water sources, roadways and other essential services we will grow beyond our means.

Traffic problems go hand-in-hand with growth concerns. The more people we invite to live here by building, the more cars we put on the road. Our roads were never designed to handle the number of cars which regularly pass through the city. While some roads are more or less beyond redemption (take San Marcos Blvd. for instance -- even if we wanted to widen it, where could we? The development is already in place!), other roads sit waiting for the necessary improvements. We need to solve our traffic problems before they get too far out of control -- that is, if they have not already reached that point.

I also strongly believe in the right of the citizens to have input on the things which affect them most, especially new developments and infrastructure changes. While the government is elected to protect the interests of the citizenry, that does not give said government free rein to ride roughshod all over those interests! The city has made minimal efforts to include the constituency in decision-making processes (public hearings and so on), but minimal is insufficient. We must ensure that the opinions of the interested or effected parties are heard -- and this requires action on the part of the city government. Sending out letters is fine, but when people are unable to attend a hearing, or are uncomfortable with speaking to their elected officials, then there is something definitely wrong.

I would hope that my opinions parallel those of the people of the city of San Marcos, and that I would thus be able to fulfill their needs in the city government. I believe that each of our civic leaders needs to abide by three common principles: availability, accessibility, and accountability. We who wish to be elected must be each of these things -- available, accessible and accountable -- if we are to even hope to serve the citizens of San Marcos. I would hope, therefore, that I am able to fill that order and I humbly ask for the vote of the people on the 5th of November.