Issues
In addition to the issues below, please see Loralei's submission to The Arizona Republic at http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/phxcc2007/.
Accountable and Efficient Government
- Create a Citizens Ethics Commission to enable City employees and citizens to bring forth concerns about unethical conduct, inappropriate actions and other types of complaints to be investigated and if necessary, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
- Increase Best Value Contracting within the City.
- Provide incentives to employees for cost saving ideas.
- Analyze life cycle costs to ensure vital services such as water lines and sewer lines are done in a timely manner for older neighborhoods.
- Eliminate duplication of effort by sharing resources within the City and with other Cities through Intergovernmental Agreements.
- Work collaboratively with other Cities, the County and State to ensure fiduciary use of taxpayers' money when constructing roads and other necessary services to eliminate excessive waste.
- Increase technology to facilitate operations of City services such as automating report writing for police officers.
- Conduct town halls at neighborhood block watch and association meetings.
- Increase the efficiency of our recycling programs through education and more drop-off centers for items that are recyclable such as computers, plastic bags and tires.
Education and Our Public Schools
- Increase availability of summer programs at schools.
- Increase park and recreation centers with class programs.
- Invest in our children early on and ensure they are able to read. Implement a mobile library and take the library to the children at schools and parks.
- Work with publishers to increase availability of free books to K-2 readers through our libraries.
Growth and Development
- Ensure the infrastructure of vital services (police, fire, public schools, parks and recreation, traffic lights, roads, sewer and water) within the City are defined and budgeted for when new growth occurs, thus preventing existing citizens from paying for these new services while their neighborhoods are neglected.
- Increase availability of City Services in all parts of the City.
- Increase our education of citizens on ways to conserve water to ensure our precious resources are available for the future.
- Establish "green belts" to help with the cooling of our City within new developments and remodeling efforts.
- Offer reduced special assessment taxes for home builders who put in Xeriscape only.
Revitalizing Existing Neighborhoods
- Revitalize and redevelop existing neighborhoods such as Metro Center. We must work with the business community to ensure shopping and entertainment is available close to home.
- Continue to educate neighborhoods of the City's graffiti program and remove it quickly.
- Increase participation in our neighborhood block watch programs through "neighbors helping neighbors." Involve more church communities and other non-profits to provide community service to help clean up neighborhoods.
Transportation
- Increase frequency of buses, to encourage ridership through the convenience of services.
- Increase the number of bus benches and shaded areas.
- Promote and buy hybrid buses to cut fuel consumption and clear our air.
- Smaller buses to ensure full capacity.
- Parking structures for heavily used park and rides.
- Work with businesses to increase employee use of alternative methods of transportation.
These are just a few of the things that I would address as your elected official. E-mail me with additional comments, concerns or issues that are important to you. Your vote counts! The last elections was won with 8700 votes: http://phoenix.gov/ELECTION/summ0903.html.