Candidate for
County Supervisor; Humboldt County; Supervisorial District 5

I have spent most of the last decade using my expertise and my passion to make this county a better place to live and work. As a businessman and a community leader, I have created new local economic development opportunities, helped build stronger community organizations and served the people of Humboldt County on important boards and commissions, such as the Headwaters Fund Board.

I believe that one of the biggest challenges facing the county is the polarized nature of the debate around issues. There is far more common ground among us than we realize, and finding that common ground involves listening to each other rather than rhetoric.

I have over 30 years experience in helping people on opposite sides of the table find areas of agreement.

Jobs

I believe we need to create more well-paying jobs to compete in a 21st century economy. As a private citizen, I have worked for two years bringing reliable broadband into Humboldt County, a project that should be finished by June 2011. As supervisor, I will push the expansion of broadband throughout the county. Fiber optic cables are the railroads of the 21st century and can be expanded for a tiny fraction of the cost of fixing a broken railroad.

As chairman of the Headwaters Fund, I have learned that one of the biggest challenges facing our economy is the need to create a skilled workforce to meet the jobs that will be available. Already we have shortages in areas such as accounting, nursing and web development. This has led to the creation of the 20/20 Initiative which will increase the number of students going on to higher education.

We must look at future industries for growth rather than pinning our hopes on strategies that have not worked, such as box stores. For example, the Headwaters Fund funded the creation of the Humboldt Wine Association and the expansion of the Humboldt grass-fed beef industry.

Fishing and Timber

We need to protect our depleted fishing industry. Fishing is also an essential part of our identity and culture. The Headwaters Fund has provided essential support to the fishermen by funding the new ice plant as well as the C Street cranes and dock.

We need to keep our forests healthy, sustainable and working. We need to work with the timber companies to keep our forests in production so there is not pressure to develop them. Humboldt County still produces a third of all the timber in the state of California. It is part of our heritage and our identity.

Environment

In Humboldt County, protecting the environment isn't just a mantra. It's a meaningful value that people of all ideologies hold because of the unique place in which we live.

We need to finish the Annie and Mary trail. We have the pieces in place to finish it and we just need to push it through the bureaucracy. Rail banking is a strategy the county should explore for the future of the railroad to preserve its existing right of way. Creating a system of trails would increase Humboldt County's ability to attract new entrepreneurs.

We must remove the dams to revive the salmon on the Klamath. This river is and has been the life blood of the North Coast for thousands and thousands of years. I applaud the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors for signing on to the Klamath settlement talks. I also support strong advocacy from tribes and environmental organizations, who are speaking up for the best solution for the river, the region, and our community.

We also need to protect our other rivers from outside interests who would divert them. This is particularly true of the Mad River, which is at risk of having its water sent elsewhere in the state.

Growth

We need to finish the general plan update. The process has gone on far too long and we will be working on the next one before we know it. The general plan needs to take into account the burden on the county of providing road maintenance and public safety. With the county already facing over $60 million in deferred road maintenance, we need a general plan that focuses on infill and concentrates on growth in existing areas.

Public Safety

We need to ensure the public's fundamental right to live safely in our community. We need to adequately fund the training and recruitment of qualified officers for the sheriff's department and make sure they have the tools they need to fight the methamphetamine problems in our community. We need to provide a regulatory framework so that houses are used for families, not grow houses.

As supervisor, sustaining and growing our cultural institutions and pastimes will be no less important to me than the other business of government. A vibrant arts community is a necessity for good economic growth. We need to nourish and cherish our local traditions and artists.

Government Reform

The county needs to start treating McKinleyville with the respect it deserves as the third largest "city" in the county. The county needs to implement the McKinleyville Community Plan it adopted back in 2002. The county should also appoint the Municipal Advisory Committee as called for in the plan.

The Humboldt County Association of Governments should admit both Hoopa and McKinleyville into its ranks.

We must make our government more transparent to help businesses expand. Our permit process needs to be more efficient. I am also proposing a Business Ombudsman position to be funded by the Headwaters Fund to help businesses satisfy various regulatory requirements, many of which are imposed by state and federal agencies.

Higher Education

We need to work with Humboldt State University to ensure its long-term viability. Humboldt State is a critical part of our economy and is a basic building block for a knowledge-based economy. We also need to support College of the Redwoods as an essential part of creating a skilled workforce with vocational and professional training.

Healthcare

We need a vibrant healthcare network in this county in order to keep people from moving away. As a member of the Headwaters Fund, I supported the creation of telemedicine centers at both St Joseph Hospital and Open Door Clinics. Telemedicine is a cost-effective way of using to technology to provide the most up-to-date medical care to rural populations such as ours.