What do you think is the most important issue before Anaheim City Council?

By Kostas "Gus" Roditis

The Local Economy.

Anaheim ranks 56th, among the nation's 100 largest cities. Why then, has our per-capita income dropped more then any of them?

We don't have a stable economy.

Without that, safer streets, parks and neighborhoods are pipedreams!

Anaheim is overly dependent upon entertainment and tourism, (the first things people curtail in tough times).

When major employers, like Boeing, abandon us we're in trouble.

We MUST diversify our economy and stop focusing solely on the Anaheim Resort and the Platinum Triangle before it's too late.

We must recruit and retain quality employers as Irvine does. We need skilled workers that make enough to live here and contribute to OUR economy, not those of neighboring counties.

Not much of the money earned by Anaheim Resort workers stays in Anaheim.

As a result, small businesses are closing. Landlords and property managers are losing money and reducing maintenance to compensate. Vacant stores and unkempt homes increase blight and crime.

Everyone wants a better quality of life: strong police and fire service, less crime, fewer gangs, better libraries, parks, affordable homes and pot-hole-free roads.

Have we gotten them from the current council? NO!

Can we realize these goals? Certainly, but only if we stop repeating past mistakes.

I built my company from scratch in three years. It is prospering, and Anaheim should be too.

We can build a better Anaheim. But, I can't change it alone. I need your help and your vote.