Duke Ellington Orchestra and Forum

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a Duke Ellington Orchestra at Jesse Hall. I will be the first to admit that I had never heard of them before I was given the tickets. They are a Jazz band that has some serious talent. I was amazed at how well they played. The auditorium was nearly full and everyone enjoyed the show. Tonight is the League of Women's Voter’s forum. I hope to see you there.

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Second Police Station and Campaign Kickoff

Chamber Forum

The Chamber Forum went very well. We discussed a variety of issues. I have proposed that we start the planning process and discussion for an additional police station. As a councilman I would push for it to be built within the Second Ward. As some of you may have read in the paper property tax revenues could come in down. This does not bode well for our schools. We need to work toward building more retirement communities. Retirees add tax revenues without adding students. On the jobs front I want the residents to know that I have the dedication and drive to bring businesses to Columbia. On day one, if elected, I will ask the city staff for a complete list of job growth proposals from REDI and Chamber of Commerce. Their ideas deserve the proper attention during these times. We must have a goal to gain back the jobs that have been lost over the last two years, within the next year. This cannot be done without strong leadership. We as a city must create decent jobs for those who drop out of school or do not attend college. Without these jobs our youths will likely turn to crime. This is the reality of our times. As a teacher I would love to see every student’s parent. Unfortunately not all of our citizens have transportation. I have proposed that we ensure that our public transportation system at a minimum make stops at our schools on the nights of parent/teacher conferences. This will allow for parents to attend who otherwise would not. We will have a lot of tough decisions that must be made in the future. You can rest assured that as a teacher and veteran, I have the skills to get Columbia moving forward.

Campaign Kickoff!

I will be having my campaign kickoff at the VFW at 7:00pm March 11th. I have also invited the school board candidates and most have agreed to come. You now can learn more about my campaign and theirs. The VFW has a regularly scheduled meal from 5:30-6:30 if you are interested. If you are attending please give them a courtesy call so they can prepare extra. They would be more than happy to accommodate since the money benefits the organization. They can be reached at 442-8413. I look forward to your attendance.

Fire Department

I have met with the Columbia Fire Fighters union and I thanked them for their efforts. They work vigorously during their off duty hours focusing on training to make our city a safer place. The Chamber of Commerce hosted a round table discussion with the chief of police, the city prosecutor, and the Boone County Sheriff. This was very informative and I want the citizens to know that Chief Dresner headed up a program called "100 men in 100 days." Now Big Brothers and Sisters has 100 new "Big Brothers" to mentor our troubled youth. As a school teacher, I can assert that these programs work. While 100 new volunteers may seem like a lot, it doesn't even scratch the surface of what our city really needs. I want to live in a safer Columbia and programs like these will make our city a better place to live.

What are your thoughts?

Have you ever wanted to give more feedback to your elected officials? Would you like more input on the spending practices and purchases? The city has a public relations official and she mentioned during her briefing about how the city was struggling to get more citizen input. As you may know, many residents have an ID number that can be used to pay bills online. I suggested that the city put surveys on their website. Then citizens can input their bill id and vote on the issues. Of course the survey will be non-binding . However, think of the opportunity that is now before us. Residents can let their voices be heard from their homes or work if the city pursues my suggestion. I want to hear your suggestions on how we can improve Columbia. Let us start the dialogue on the issues that concern you. Let me know what you think of my idea of online voting. I will be posting every few days and feel free to add me as a friend on Facebook or Myspace.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog.  Here I plan to share information I find in my journey to the City Council as Second Ward Representative.  Please check back for updates!