Hi Sparky,
Thanks for your comments and questions. I agree there is a time from election, until you “catch up,” on the workings of city hall. An advantage Paul brings to this position is that he has served (appointed volunteer) for many years in positions where he had to work closely with the bureaucracy and political appointees. His “ojt” will be shortened by his ability to go right to the matter. Besides, Paul is a straight shooter and not afraid to go public when he sees things go down behind closed doors that impact his constituents. And Paul has great admiration for Donna Frye, and Donna would be happy to help a fellow “peoples candidate” get acquainted with (in order to change) the old system.
With regard to solar panels on city buildings: not all buildings are energy ready and will require some retrofit. But with energy savings brought about by better planning, coupled with the skyrocketing fuel price that can be offset by switching to alternative energy and more efficient use of resources, we are well on our way. And, as most of you know, the power companies across the nation MUST buy any excess energy produced by this effort, so the excess will be part of “the grid” and will generate income that will pay off any bonds or debt incurred in building our self supporting system. Of course that will require a sound financial footing for the city than the current council has provided, and we trust the voters know what to do about that. And electing Paul Broadway is a big step in the right direction.
The four year, one term limit Paul placed on himself is a real challenge. But as most insiders know, from day one a political office becomes a campaign office. Everything done from that point on by the candidate and his staff is geared to his/her re-election or election to another office. It is the way of doing business and perpetuates the appearance that the elected official is working for the average Joe, when in reality he is working to gain himself and his staff another four years of taxpayer supported employment and a generous pension at a young age.
Finally, Paul knows that a smart leader surrounds himself with a good staff. And Chief of Staff is a critical position, especially with a full agenda. Now, I know this answer will have some political fallout, but in trying to adhere to Paul’s high standard of honesty, I’ll tell you who Paul would first offer the job to: Stephen Whitburn. Because, like Paul, Mr. Whitburn has a love for and knowledge of the 3rd district. And Paul believes that with the proper direction, Stephen could help Paul get this city back on the right track. And as you know, staff makes more money than their bosses. Paul wouldn’t find a problem with that. But there will be plenty of time for staff selection. Right now we are concentrating on getting Paul elected so he’ll be in the position to hire Stephen, or anyone else. My thanks to you, and the others who wrote. You can reach Paul, or me, through: www.broadwaypub.com Or, write me directly at: neighborhoodnation@gmail.com.