Demographics and Representation

I like data and facts.  It allows for a more healthy discussion and provides a good basis for that discussion.  Today, I'd like to review some demographics - specifically as it relates to age.  The current candidates, except for me, are in their 50s and 60s.  I'm 32.

According to the American Community Survey, St. Cloud's median age is 28.7 years. The chart below illustrates how different age groups make up our population - including children.

It should not be a surprise that nearly a fifth of our population is college-aged.  If you look at the total number of people between the 20 - 34 (since I'm in this group at age 32) and over 45 (since my opponents are in that group), the percent breakdowns are nearly identical.

The question becomes:  should we elect people who represent the age groups of our population?  Does an older generation really understand the younger generation?  More importantly, do their ideas represent the younger generation?

I tend to think we should have a council filled with council members who more accurately represent our population.  It brings about new ideas, new perspective, and a better understanding of what's important to that age group.  Most people probably wouldn't disagree with that reasoning.  In my opinion, it's just one more reason to consider casting your vote for me.

A Note on my Blogs

I often post blogs (see Aquatic Center) that detail what I'm thinking at any particular moment.  They often reflect initial reactions to a particular topic.  It should be noted that it doesn't necessarily mean that my positions are set in stone.  Indeed, I'm often willing and open to hearing alternative points of view or different evidence that may differ from my initial thoughts. My view might change completely.

In short, your input matters and discourse / discussion matter.  I simply provide my two cents as a way to start a conversation (in most cases).

Aquatic Center

When I was kid growing up on 12th Avenue near Lake George, I frequented Municipal Pool.  I was saddened when it was closed and torn down due to its age and condition.  Whether or not we should have renovated it is a moot point - which brings us to today.

The voters passed a half-cent sales tax that was designed, in part, to fund a new year-round aquatic center.  Approximately $10 million was supposed to be allocated to its construction over a 13-year period (might not be entirely correct on length, but it's not relevant to this post).  With the economic collapse of 2008 / 2009, that amount will not be generated.  In addition, the overall cost of an aquatic center is supposed to be around $20 million and that does not include operating costs - estimated to be nearly $2 million a year.  The city has partnered with the YMCA to operate it.

My biggest open question about this project is the overall operating cost and what potential impact it will have on taxpayers.  If the YMCA is unable to operate it or unable to meet the financial obligations of the center, will St. Cloud taxpayers be forced to cover those obligations?  If not, would the center close, leaving a $20 million unused facility?

We've been struggling with tight budgets for the past several years and any additional pressures on the tax levy from this aquatic center may lead to cuts in other services, or increased taxes.  I'd like to see this discussed and appropriate worst-case funding scenarios discussed before I'd offer my full support for the project.  That's only fair to the taxpayers.

FYI - my primary concern / example comes from the Vadnais Sports Center.  

A Moment of Thanks

Candidates often forget to thank their supporters.  I'd like to take a moment to thank those who have liked my Facebook page and / or have contributed to my campaign or simply told their friends about me.  I didn't choose to run for office for the glamor or the fame; I decided to run because I wanted to make a difference.  We can do better.  Our community is so much better off when we take all of our ideas and figure out how we can make Saint Cloud a better place.  I was sure of that when I was a young kid, and I'm still sure of that today.  So, thank you.

I'm going to work my butt off in October to make sure we can make Saint Cloud the place I believe it can be.  A place where we enact progressive policies, where we lead the nation in innovative initiatives, a place where students want to stay.

Let's do this, people.  Together.  Thank you for your help!

Working Hard for You

I promise to work hard each and every day if I'm elected to the City Council.

I promise to stay in close contact with the citizens of St. Cloud to find out their issues, ideas, and opinions.

I promise to put in the time needed to understand an issue and its implications.

I promise to listen to the people of St. Cloud and use their input for guidance.

I promise to be honest with the people of St. Cloud so they know where I stand on an issue and why. 

Above all, I'm committed to serving the people of St. Cloud through hard work, open ears, and honest conversation.  I've said before, and I'll say it again, that I don't pretend to have all the answers.  There are a lot of good people in our community who are smarter than me and know more about specific issues.  I pledge to learn from and listen to them. At the end of the day, you may not agree with me, but you'll know where I stand. 

Thank you.

Economic Development - Diversify the Local Economy

There is high reward / high risk with large employers.  The high reward is obviously lots of jobs, and hopefully decent wages and benefits.  Large private employers can be large property taxpayers, providing revenue to cities and school districts that help them provide services to its citizens.  But, like so many things, there are high risks associated with them as well.  If they go out of business or re-locate from the community, those jobs and tax revenues disappear. 

In order for a community to thrive, it needs a diverse employment base.  St. Cloud was recently noted in a business quarterly as having an expanding creativity industry.  It, in fact, is larger than the number of jobs in the IT industry.  We have lots and lots of students attending our local colleges and universities that decide upon graduation to leave our area.  They either don't see an opportunity here or have decided that St. Cloud is not for them.

We should do more to promote opportunity for our students.  It should be easier for a graduate to see the local opportunities (i.e. job openings or start a business) that exist here.  We should be much more supportive of young (or old) entrepreneurs.  There are pieces in place, including the Anderson Entrepreneurial Center, but we need a more coordinated effort to bring them together.   That's a void, I believe, the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation and the St. Cloud Economic Development Authority can and should address. We live in a knowledge era and our economy is becoming more knowledge-based.  These are the jobs that we should be seeking.

We should also be doing more to find out what smaller employers in our community need in order to expand.  If a several small employers add a few workers each, that can quickly add up.  To start with, we need to inventory and survey them.  If eliminating or reducing red tape helps, let's look at that.  First, though, we need to identify the issues / opportunities and determine the best way forward.  Together, in a private / public collaborative effort.

State and Federal Politics are Completely Dysfunctional

We can all probably agree that our state and federal political systems are completely dysfunctional.  No idea from one side or the other is taken seriously and each side believes that compromise is a dirty word.  It threatens the foundation of our democracy and each side - both liberal and conservative - can't wait to blame the other side for failure. 

There is hope, however.  Local leaders are more willing to seek compromise and find pragmatic solutions to today's problems.  It might be because the elections are non-partisan.  It might also be because the changes and policies they implement impact them directly.  Leaders in St. Paul and Washington DC live in bubbles that apparently make them unaware of the consequences of their actions. 

We can do better at all levels of government.  We can start by electing candidates who seek out compromise and pragmatic solutions through discussion and discourse.  We can start by electing candidates who care more about improving our lives and less about getting re-elected.

Good ideas are good ideas no matter who they originate with.

Protecting our Neighborhoods

Residents are often told they should pay attention to how properties are zoned in their neighborhood to prevent surprises, especially when they are looking at purchasing property.  The residents of Boulder Ridge know all about this.  Most of them purchased single family homes or townhomes with the knowledge that the rest of the development was zoned much the same way.  And then, a developer wanted to build an apartment complex where single family homes had been designated.  This request passed the planning commission 6-1.  I was the only member to oppose the change.  I cited the fact that residents had been led to believe one thing and now were being forced to accept something else.  I also mentioned that there were plenty of other locations apartment buildings could be constructed that were either already zoned for high density residential or less developed.

The city council voted to approve the project 5-2 and the project is nearly complete.  No one that is currently up for election voted to protect the neighbors' interests.  I am the only person on record that voted to protect the neighborhood.  I realize that things change and re-zoning will occur.  In this instance, I did not feel it was right.

If elected to city council, I will continue to stand up for neighborhoods.  I ask you to stand with me.

Complete Streets - Part 1

You may have heard folks reference "Complete Streets" before.  In short, it's about creating roads and streets that are friendly to transportation options other than just cars and trucks.  They are important in creating a more livable community and allowing people to live healthier by finding alternative ways to get around.

People in communities are more likely to walk and bike (as opposed to driving) if they are able to safely.  They might bike to work in addition to just riding bike for recreation.  The health benefit alone is appealing as a healthy community is less likely to increase health care costs for everyone.

George Hontos opposed the Complete Streets policy because he said it was redundant.  Jeff Goerger opposed it because of the potential costs to a developer.  I respectfully disagree with both points.

While certain aspects of Complete Streets may be redundant within other ordinances, policies, and the land development code, the very point of the policy is to consolidate the information into a single policy document that planners would use to evaluate projects.  If there is redundancy, we should look to eliminate it and make it more concise.  Simply because it's redundant, though, does not mean the policy should not be implemented.

The costs argument is valid, but is addressed by the policy itself.  If implementing Complete Streets would be too costly, that would disqualify its application. 

The fact of the matter is communities (and counties and states) across the country are implementing similar policies.  The St. Cloud APO approved the same policy document by an overwhelming majority.  And yet, in St. Cloud, the policy was held up by old-school thinking.

I wholeheartedly support progressive and innovative thinking we can use to improve our quality of life and to ensure we are a cutting-edge community.  I've done so as a member of the planning commission and will do so on the city council.