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Regional Cooperation; not Regional Government
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Communities become cities for a reason - to provide better services to their
residents.
Through these relationships I have been part of alliances supporting the
widening of Highway 4, the designation of Vasco Road at Highway 84 and the Byron
Highway as Highway 239. The 19 cities in our county now realize that we need to
pay attention to Sacramento and become proactive in reviewing legislation. The
East Bay Division has since taken positions on bills in the State Senate and
Assembly. Our legislators now know that they are being watched and have actively
sought our input on proposed legislation. Recently there was a push to force
"smart growth" on the cities by a coalition of special interest groups. What
those special interest groups neglected to recognize is that high density
housing may be fine for San Francisco and Oakland, but it is not what our
residents want. People want the American Dream - a single family detached house;
not social engineering into high density housing. The State needs to respect
that each city should be unique. We need to promote regional cooperation; not
regional government.
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Protecting Local Revenues
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Since 1991, the State has been taking city and county revenues to fund their
overspending. This is money that could have used to repair our sidewalks and
streets, pay for additional police officers, and improve our infrastructure.
I will work with the cities Costa County to end the theft of local revenues. The
478 cities in California have formed a coalition with the California State
Association of Counties and the California Special Districts Association, called
LOCAL (Leave Our Community Assets Local). We successfully passed Proposition 1A
with over 87% of the vote to constitutionally protect our property tax, sales
tax and vehicle license fee revenue. Yet, more work is still needed in the
Legislature to bring our State Budget into balance without raising taxes and
fees. Creating a healthy business climate in Brentwood will in itself bring in
more revenue to the city through existing sales tax.
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Candidate Statement
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I have a solid record of experience and action
Monday, August 13th, driving to work on Vasco Road, four people died . I
was there. If elected to the Brentwood City Council, improving traffic will be
my number one priority!
I have a solid record of experience and action. I am a decorated veteran (seven
years in the US Marine Corps), with commendations and a Presidential Citation
for Leadership and Initiative. I am a computer systems engineer for the finance
and banking security industry.
I am married to Katrina, a stay-at-home mom. Together we have five daughters,
Jacqueline, McKena, Maddyson, Jessica, Gracey. I was raised on a farm and my
parents bestowed in me tradition, ethics and the value of hard work.
As a father, homeowner, and now as a candidate for the Brentwood City Council,
my top concerns are traffic relief, keeping our families safe, and protecting
the value of our homes. My goals for the City of Brentwood are restoring fiscal
responsibility to the City, economic development, and responsible growth. Tying
new residential growth to infrastructure is a must + traffic relief, new
schools, and job creation. We must also develop our downtown business-tax base.
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