Polling Days:
Early Voters: October 11-15th 10am to 1pm at the Market Square
Election Day: October 25th, 2010 at the Market Square in Downtown Welland

Yes, I am running for office in the 2010 Election in Welland. This is where you can find more detailed information about how I can make Welland a better place to live. It includes goals for job creation and public infrastructure while meeting emerging challenges. The following is what I stand for: (en Français)

Public Infrastructure Initiatives

• Better and Safer Roads
  We've all seen how roads on the East End of Welland can end up. Some people say the city should pay for their new tires and shocks. As councilor I can't deliver tires, I can support improved roads made with materials that will last through Canadian winters and look better than Highway 406 after the snow is cleared.
• Cheaper Electricity
  Clearing the way for the installation of grid-intertie solar panels could reduce the cost of electricity. I would support group initiatives to feed affordable energy into our local grid. Also by reducing domestic consumption our local renewable energy projects could bring prices down even further which would be a compete for new manufacturing facilities.
• Clear Pedestrian Walkways
  As more people choose to save money on gas or simply get around their own neighbourhoods it is clear that the city could do more for pedestrians. I support building new and useful walkways and the efforts to keep them clear of snow and debris year-round. This includes pushing the region to clear snow from the walkways as well on our regional roads.

Public Transit Initiatives

• Elder Care Services
  Transit service is essential for older residents that are now unable to drive. But Welland Transit will need help making the last leap to 100% accessible service. Also our transit links to St. Catherines will need to be more direct and frequent for passengers headed to the new hospital.
• City-Wide Employee Transit Pass
  Do you work and live in Welland? I hope you'd appreciate an optional year-round bus pass as part of your benefits package from you employer. Tax money already goes into the public transit system, sometimes as much as $10 for every $2.25 ride. If you employer is willing to join a city-wide employee pass, much like student passes at colleges and universities you can benefit by saving money on gas and maintenance.

Jobs and Worker Initiatives

• Reduce Barriers to Entry
  If you have a business idea but currently lack the capital (thousands of dollars) to sign a lease, it would be better to have an open market for new small businesses. Literally letting residents set-up shop in the Market Square for the Evening Bazaar. This is about more than tax revenue - it is about helping the people of Welland work in their dream job, based on hard work rather than a chance loan.
• Help Local Businesses Take The Next Step
  Some small businesses get really big, really fast. Rather than punishing them for growing we need to provide assistance at the municipal level to support home-grown ideas rather than waiting for large companies from outside Ontario to acquire our facilities.
• Respect a Hard Days Work
  Welland residents have proven again and again to be hard working, but did you know many of them are underpaid? Did you also know that some workers are pressured to do up to 72 hours a week, while hundreds of others are unemployed? The city council is not a labour board but I will vote to not send incentives to violators until they treat workers with respect.

Transparency and Communication

• Emergency Planning
  Our emergency plans are always in need of attention because our city is always growing in some way. I support distributing essential information about emergency stations throughout the city for during Winter storms and prolonged electrical outages. Safety is not a joke, and if the phones go out who're you gonna call?
• Active Democracy
  I'd like to support the development of a web based system to identify and solve problems in Welland using the collective knowledge of the city. This is much like other brainstorm websites out there that seek input from the community no matter how impossible the suggestion may be. If more people support this they can add their names to a list of supporters with the click of a button, allowing our public works employees to address real problems faster.
• Meeting Minutes 2.0
  Want to know which way I'm voting, I'd love to share but phoning 6000+ people can take a while. If we add more information to the minutes, and make it available online we would be joining a pack of other political entities providing transparency in governance to our constituents. This technology isn't just for the United States Senate, it is for every elected body that wants their voters to know the truth.

Leisure Initiatives

• Renewable Energy at Local Venues
  Solar Panels at the pool, windmills at the park, and geothermal heating and cooling inside buildings. I'm interested in stopping the constant trickle of tax dollars out of our region for energy costs at the places that make our city a great place to live in.
• League of Leagues
  Some sports events are public in welland and others are ran by private companies, but they are both hard to find information about. Providing a space to share acheivements and emerging sports both online and offline should be a part of Leisure services in our city.