This section continues to be supplemented as the campaign goes on. As I am out on the campaign trial I have discussions with locals and discover new perspectives on the issues, creative ideas and unique solutions. This campaign is about the people of Flagstaff not me. If you have any insights or concerns I invite you to contact me and promise to listen and consider every point of view. I am always available for discussion and appreciate all feedback and suggestions. I do not pretend to know all the answers, but what I do offer is a fresh perspective, a hardworking attitude, and a dedication towards finding the best solutions for the problems we are faced with within our community.

Sustainability is the core of my platform. Not just environmental sustainability but economic and social sustainability as well.

Economic issues and creating a sustainable economy:
        The City needs to focus on long term economic goals. There is a lack of leadership and direction at city hall and that has to change. We need to evaluate all of the cities expenditures and revenue and attack the issue from both sides. Simply put, the mayor and council need to put everything on the table, be willing to make cuts, and consider alternative forms of revenue. While its preferable to maintain ever program and avoid layoffs, the realty is, if Flagstaff is going to be economically stable we must have clear goals and restructure our system, because its failing. 
           I want great things for this city, however positive change cannot be effectively  pursued when something so fundamental as fiscal management is being ignored. We need to find solutions, ask questions, and work hard towards managing this government and it's economic resources effectively. These are rough times four this country as a whole and we need to ensure flagstaff is economically sustainable and able to persevere.  

Green Jobs & Green Business are important in a sustainable community

 A sustainable economy makes effective use of unique and valuable local resources, such as the beauty of Flagstaff, our snow season, and our accessibility to the Grand Canyon, while respecting the limitations imposed by scarce or vulnerable resources such as water. A sustainable economy is one where money spent in the local economy circulates within the community and expenditures that leave the community are minimized. Embracing a strong local economy means promoting small, locally owned, resource efficient, and environmentally sensitive businesses. A sustainable economy enhances the intellectual, financial, technical, and social resources of the community and promotes human development in an equitable manner. 

Green Building and Smart Growth: Within Flagstaff there is a need for and benefit of more sustainable building design. Our council needs to support and promote local developers and builders who are voluntarily creating “green” projects. Not only is there the responsibility we all share to be stewards of our environment,  there is also a growing market demand for green buildings. I believe Flagstaff is the perfect place to market green building projects and use them as a tool to promote businesses and create green jobs within our community. The people want this (Walmart is now selling organic food, this should tell you something about consumer trends). Flagstaff's community members (consumers) want to move towards more sustainable projects and eco-friendly structures.

Open Spaces: I am an advocate of preserving flagstaff and everything it is. It is not an accident our city has maintained its culture and I intend to carry on this tradition. I believe in growth, but with proper direction and environmentally as well as socially conscientious design a planning. We need to come t a consensus about growth in flagstaff, create a plan, and provide direction and leadership that allows the community to move forward while preserving the culture and values that make flagstaff so special.

Northern Arizona Center for Emerging Technologies (NACET) is an important resource that creates an incubator for emerging technology, renewable energy, and bio-tech companies. This is one of the great accomplishments of our previous council and we need to ensure NACET is utilized and programs of this nature are encouraged to flourish by our city. 

Affordable housing-  We need to provide more affordable housing for the middle and Lower class in Flagstaff and I believe we can accomplish this task. My goal is to utilize the Housing Authority and some of the solutions they have organized and provide leadership to the council by urging forward progress. I don't pretend to know the solution to this problem but I will stand dedicated to using the resources at my disposal and finding a solution for our future generations.

Environmental Sustainability-
    Flagstaff is a "blue" pocket in Arizona that in  many ways caters to natural food-lovers and the type of people who generally recycle and care about the environment. Yet when ranked among other Arizona cities with regard to sustainability we fall much lower then places like Tucson and Mesa. Why is this? Leadership. I believe "one of the most" or "the most sustainable city in Arizona" is a reasonable goal for our city.  We must work NOW to change Flagstaff into a sustainable community and promote those who work to preserve our environment and encourage positive growth with respect to green building and green jobs. in my opinion Sustainability is a MUST and can be a positive and marketable resource that enhances all aspects of our community. 

Reduce Reuse Recycle: Seems simple doesn't it? However, our community can dramatically improve  in all three of these categories. At little to no additional costs to the city we can easily promote these activities throughout the  community and drastically impact the sustainability of Flagstaff. Again citizens of Flagstaff have shown they want to participate in these activities, we just need the proper leadership to provide the tools and direction to get more members of our community eliminating waste and recycling what we can.

Renewable Energy Sources: Enough said. We must pursue new, sensible, ideas with respect to renewable energy sources. Further research is necessary, but in the near future Flagstaff needs to address this issue. 

Public Transportation: Our Bus system here in Flagstaff is something to be proud of and as someone who carries a bus pass I will ensure we focus on maintaining this positive resource and help promote the acquisition of new riders. We need to continue to develop more resources for citizens to reduce emissions and "Go green" this gives the citizen a sense of accomplishment and promotes social well being with the city. 
            
Social Sustainability: The social aspects of sustainability are important if we want Flagstaff to thrive. Many people think of sustainability strictly in terms of the health of our environment and conservation of natural resources. However, there are also social aspects of a sustainable community, such as access to services, the ability to meet basic human needs, celebrating our culture, and having a strong sense of place.These are important community attributes that make our community more resilient when faced with challenges like a slowing economy. 

Increasing the strength of our Community: Flagstaff is a beautiful place, yet there are certain areas of our community that need some work. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and we need to work towards re-developing certain areas in our community and getting citizens involved in these efforts. we also need to work towards creating a better harmony between NAU and the rest of our community. I believe with the proper perspective, this is all very manageable and in doing so we will reduce crime and waste, all the while making Flagstaff even more beautiful then it already is.

Public Heath- Its key that we promote healthy living in Flagstaff. This means making sure schools are feeding our children appropriately and that citizens has access to affordable healthy sources of food. Also physical and social health resources that provide for all citizens need to be explored and encouraged to grow. A healthy society is a productive society and will promote the economy as well as the character and culture of Flagstaff.

Public Safety & Fire Threats: Safety is always a primary concern and should never be sacrificed. I do believe we can re-evaluate certain programs and be more efficient , however I will never allow the safety of our community to become a secondary priority.

The Homeless- By promoting social sustainability and providing our citizens with access to the services they need to live productive lives we can utilize ever member in our community and curb the homeless problem in our city.

Downtown parking- Obviously this has been a hot topic within city hall. We need provide some direction and the proper leadership to ensure our citizens are getting the support they need to promote business and provide employees with a comfortable working environment.

Education-
Education is a big part of my campaign. Providing proper education to our youth is the most effective tool we have for ensure the prosperity of Flagstaff in the future. There has been a lack of leadership within Flagstaff when it comes to Education and I plan to provide that leadership. We need to again explore the idea of partnering with FUSD and ensuring that our schools are getting everything they need to provide our children with the education they deserve. City leaders need to be more involved with the school district and participate in the discussions and programs that are taking place over at the district office. I saw no one from the Council involved in the current override that failed despite the school being in desperate need of the funding. As a elected official, regardless of partnerships or no partnerships with FUSD I would have been involved with the board members and out on foot, if nothing else, convincing people of the importance of that override. We can all create websites and handouts when were trying to get on the council, but no one was willing to extend the same effort to ensure our children are getting what they need.