I care about Sunnyvale and am determined to make things better for our residents

By Pat Meyering

As a Member of the Board of Directors of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, I supported the active participation of taxpayers in government decisions.

On the Sunnyvale Council, I will:

1. Cancel the Council's plan to increase Sunnyvale's population by 7,000 people/year,

2. Preserve Sunnyvale's residential quality of life by reversing Council's decision to sell City land intended for Parks,

3. Give the downtown developer 100 days to complete the project's Retail portion and begin leasing to tenants,

4. Reverse Council's decision to cancel $2,670,000 penalty on downtown developer for choosing not to complete the project on time.

5. Prohibit current practice of Councilmembers taking money from developers seeking City approval for construction projects.

6. Refill the 18 jobs, which the Council eliminated, at Sunnyvale's Retraining and Job Placement Office for unemployed residents.

7. Pay these workers by: (a) eliminating the 20 % pay raise the Council took over the last 4 years and (b) canceling the lifetime medical reimbursement, this Council voted for itself.

8. Refocus the City on preventing crime and enhancing public safety.

My experience as the Chairperson of the County's Fairground's Management Corporation's Board, as a School District Adult Education Instructor and as a member of the Chamber of Commerce are good preparation for a responsive and responsible Councilmember. In 2005 I submitted research to the City Council on the benefits of increasing public awareness of campaign ethical guidelines. This year Sunnyvale will build such public awareness.

Having served overseas as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, I appreciate the rich resource provided by the diverse backgrounds of Sunnyvale residents.

Let's work together to build a better Sunnyvale in preparation for our Centennial celebration in 2012.