Democratic society is strengthened by openness and accountability. Council members are policy makers and planners. They must always look to the future when making decisions. Vision is an important intangible that enables a council to make significant and long-lasting policy decisions.
- OPEN GOVERNMENT: Civil discourse is paramount in democratic society. Every voice deserves to be heard. I strongly believe in listening politely to all sides of an argument before making up my mind.
- OPEN RECORDS: It is the law that citizens have access to public documents because implicit in the democratic process is the belief that government should be accountable for its actions. To assist citizens in monitoring this accountability, full disclosure has become the public policy of American government at all levels. Disclosure is every citizen's right. If elected, I intend to press for a climate of full disclosure as an enthusiastically accepted policy of Claremont city government.
- THE ROLE OF COUNCIL: The Council must make policy, and the staff must work to accomplish that policy. We have dedicated and talented staff and we need to appreciate their expertise. Council members must have the judgment to evaluate staff's information and the courage to make forward thinking decisions.
- RESPECT: Respect will be the watchword of my campaign and of my actions on the Council if I am elected: respect for the validity of other people's concerns and experiences, for history and a willingness to preserve our cultural heritage, and for the sincerity and competence of our city staff.
- CLAREMONT GENERAL PLAN: After more than 20 years, we are finally working on updating our General Plan. I worked with the League of Women Voters for several years to convince the city that a new plan was needed. The community must craft a visionary development roadmap for the next decade. I would work to ensure the city approves and implements a new general plan that addresses sustainability as a crucial aspect. Once the General Plan is adopted, it is imperative that the Council be strong enough to make sure the plan is implemented.
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