The cornerstones of my campaign to be your next Albuquerque city councilor are: increasing public safety, decreasing homelessness, improving economic development and creating community.
Crime is plaguing our city and has caused disinvestment throughout. We have spent enormous amounts of money on beautification and development without solving our problems. Until we get a grip on public safety, the problems will persist. Up to this point, we have wasted time and money trying to hide our problems by sweeping them under a pretty rug. We must address issues head-on with real conversations and solutions – otherwise, our revitalization efforts will be for naught. Until there are enough law enforcement officers on the streets, with the training and resources to stop the criminal activity, no amount of funding or revitalization efforts will be successful. I am a strong advocate for pro-public safety legislation and will work to revise case management orders, and lobby for keeping repeat offenders behind bars. We must always protect our citizens and hold repeat offenders accountable.
The homeless population in Albuquerque has exploded and will continue to grow until we start offering proven solutions. We need to create an ecosystem of human services and programing structured around positive movement and change to propel our citizens forward to be productive in society again. Detox, drug rehab, life skills education, employment training and mental health services need to be a focus. We have put pretty Band-Aids on our problems for too long without truly helping those in need. We need to listen to experts in the field that have proven track records of success.
Businesses in Albuquerque are sinking under the burden of vandalism, trash, vagrancy, crime and red tape. The city must be a partner to the business community and provide tools to succeed instead of over-regulating and creating more bureaucracy. Overzealous building codes and excessive permitting processes have driven developers and investors out of the Albuquerque market, keeping us in last place. We need to be competitive with our neighboring large cities and create long-term plans, while working diligently to produce results to bring new companies to Albuquerque and create a growing economy with good jobs. Our younger generation is fleeing our city; we need to reverse the trend.
Albuquerque is uniquely diverse in its population, with many amazing attributes to celebrate. We need to pull together as a community and honor our differences, instead of pointing fingers and relying on the blame game. My goal is to bring balance to our community, work together regardless of political affiliation and propel our citizens forward while creating a safe environment for all to thrive.
My real estate experience and volunteer work with homelessness give me a no-nonsense approach to solving complex, human issues with less regulation. Common ground found through sincere communication is key to any long-term solution. We need to work together as a cohesive unit to better Albuquerque. Respect for one another and our willingness to learn will be the strengths that move our city forward.
